This groundbreaking collection introduces the concept of gender power as a pervasive but overlooked force within institutions , particularly U . S . politics . It examines the ideological dimensions of masculinity — masculinism — and its pervasive and reinforcing effects . The essays examine gender as a property of institutions , something with deep symbolic meaning , as well as an analytic category importantly distinctive from sex . Theoretically rich , Gender Power , Leadership and Governance contributes to understandings of power and leadership as it provides a new perspective on men , women , and their relationships to governance .