Changing Roles, Changing Rules

Women have transformed the American workforce, but the expectations surrounding work and family have not changed at the same pace. We look at how the traditional family model has shifted, from an era when Americans overwhelmingly believed mothers should stay home to today, when two parents working full-time has become much more common. Yet even when both parents work full-time, women continue to report taking on more parenting and household responsibilities. We also examine the progress women have made in leadership, education, and well-paying jobs, alongside the continued gender pay gap, and the divide over whether children are better off with a stay-at-home parent. Then, we turn to the changing debate over the military draft. With the U.S. preparing to automatically register eligible young men for Selective Service, we look at how Americans' views of the draft have shifted since the end of the Vietnam-era draft in 1973. We examine today's opposition to automatic registration, the debate over whether women should face the same requirements as men, and how age, gender, and military experience shape those views. And, for our fun fact, we go back to 1949, when Gallup asked Americans a very practical question for the dog days of summer....before almost anyone had air conditioning.