Date of Defense

4-14-2026

Date of Graduation

4-2026

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Agatha Slupek

Second Advisor

Priscilla Lambert

Abstract

Although women in the United States possess formal legal equality, modern motherhood in the U.S. continues to reveal underlying structural inequalities in employment, caregiving, and access to social support systems. The United States’ failure to establish a federally paid maternity leave program reflects a broader limitation within American citizenship, in which caregiving labor is treated primarily as a private responsibility rather than a shared social obligation. Through historical, structural and theoretical analysis, this project examines how U.S. maternity policy has developed within an American tradition that prioritizes market participation and limited governmental intervention over substantive support for reproductive labor. While formal and legal equality exist, it does not necessarily translate into equal lived experiences for both mothers and fathers in the workforce. Mothers continue to face distinct workforce challenges associated with caregiving responsibilities, including career interruptions and economic disadvantages. Furthermore, this project engages with both historical and contemporary debates surrounding maternity leave, including constitutional case law, federal labor policy, and feminist political theory. Through an examination of Supreme Court decisions such as Geduldig v. Aiello (1974), and Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs (2003), alongside theories of social citizenship and gender equality, a pattern emerges in which constitutional and statutory frameworks have produced uneven and limited protections for pregnant workers. In addition, while the development of the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has produced circumstances of unpaid job-protected leave for many individuals, it has also produced uneven outcomes across class and occupational lines. Despite the strengths of federally paid maternity leave, there are a number of ideological, economic and cultural arguments, questioning whether federally paid maternity leave in the United States would support the traditional scope of governmental authority, or overstep. Ultimately, this project argues that federally paid maternity leave should be understood beyond the provisions of a workplace benefit, but as a necessary extension of substantive equality within the framework of U.S. citizenship. Without such protections, caregiving responsibilities continue to reinforce unequal access to economic security and societal participation, demonstrating that formal equality alone is insufficient to ensure meaningful inclusion American society.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Restricted

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