Conclusion

Through studying and researching these women, as well as having lived through all of their decisions and terms, I have discovered many things. Although there are obviously many more women in politics than just these six, I feel that these six women have had the most impact on our modern society and on us as young women. Their views and beliefs have helped to forge a path for our generation and generations to come. Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Sarah Palin, Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, and Madeleine Albright all are extremely strong, intelligent, and determined women who never let playing in a traditionally male-dominated game get them down and out. Although their ideologies may be different, their mindset has been the same throughout their lives. None of them let the traditional definition of what being a woman was keep them from seeking an education, participating in public service, and establishing careers that were and are normally reserved for men.
As I said, these are by no means the be all end all of women in politics who have influenced our lives, but I feel that these are the six we can relate to, because we see them in the news very often and their actions still influence us today. The progression women have made in the political sphere from colonial times until now is extremely encouraging, but it's still taking much too long for women to achieve major turning points in the United States Democracy. We still have yet to elect a female president, although we are inching closer and closer to this goal every four years.
In the meantime, here are a few more influential women whose decision-making affects our daily lives. The reason they were not included in a major blog post is because the amount of research and writing about them is nowhere near the scholarship on the six women I honed my research in on.

Janet Napolitano:

As the first female head of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano has a huge job on her hands. She served as Arizona's governor from 2003-2009, as well as serving at the local level for some time. Napolitano's experience has established her as an expert on border control and security, and she says that progressing her career to the national level was natural and expected. 

"The Most Powerful Women in Politics, 2012." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/pictures/lml45kili/janet-napolitano-19/>.

Margaret Hamburg

Margaret Hamburg is the Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration, and therefore oversees a quarter of the United States' economy. She has been very stringent in her efforts since being appointed in 2009, and has caught flack for partially causing drug shortages in the US for this approach. Hamburg is a Harvard-educated physician, and has served in many positions, including the commissioner  of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene prior to her current position at the USFDA. 

 "The Most Powerful Women in Politics, 2012." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/pictures/lml45kili/margaret-hamburg-2/>.

Susan Rice

Currently the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice has always been at the foot of the White House door. She was born in Washington, DC, and was mentored by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She is a well-educated African-American woman, having attended Stanford and earned many achievements there, as well as earning her masters and doctorate degrees at University of Oxford in England. As Hillary Clinton has announced she will step down from her Secretary of State Position at the end of 2012, Susan Rice is considered to be on President Obama's short list for the nomination to this position. She is not well-liked by Republicans, and has faced public scrutiny in the wake of the Benghazi attack on Americans. However, her strength in the face of this controversy, as well as her impressive background, may very well get her the nomination for Secretary of State. 

"Susan E. Rice Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/susan-e-rice-391616>.