Patricia F. Phalen

The fall television network schedule includes two political dramas that feature women in powerful roles, fueling speculation that the motive is to boost former secretary of State Hillary Clinton's prospective 2016 presidential run. The assumption is that any powerful female protagonist in a political drama is essentially a stand-in for Clinton.

The same claim was made back in 2005 when ABC aired Commander in Chief, a series starring Geena Davis as the U.S. president.

This narrow framework for understanding new TV shows Madam Secretary (CBS) and State of Affairs (NBC, premiering Monday) ignores a more complex reality in Hollywood. While the political opinions and decisions of the lead characters in these programs will likely coincide with many of those held by Clinton, the reasons for these similarities go beyond mere boosterism.

On the one hand, Hollywood mirrors what is happening in our culture. In the 21st century, women routinely hold high-profile leadership positions in government, as well as the private sector, so we shouldn't be shocked to see them portrayed as high-office holders. Likewise, the viewers shouldn't see every TV female political figure as a double for Clinton. Indeed, criticism of Madam Secretary ignores that Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice preceded her as secretary of State.

Similarly in Hollywood, women have risen through the ranks, creating and running many popular TV series. These women often create characters like themselves, who occupy leadership roles in these cutthroat, male-dominated work environments.

Another non-surprise is that TV series set in the world of politics reflect current political battles, international crises, domestic challenges, scandals and controversies. What better source of compelling material than current events? While some plot lines might coincide with campaign messaging, most do not. Therefore, the better explanation for the new fall content is that TV drama reflects events taking place in the real world.

On the other hand, it is true that Hollywood is not just shaped by but also shapes our culture. Television programs present value-laden treatments of what is good or acceptable vs. what is bad or unacceptable. And, on a more superficial level, programs communicate what is hip or popular among the Hollywood elite.

For the most part, writers draw on their own experiences, backgrounds and perspectives to craft compelling characters who think and act in ways consistent with the writers' personal opinions. Writers write what they know — what they believe to be true — and create fictional characters who reflect themselves more than any one political figure.

Nevertheless, external pressures tend to impose limits on writers' freedom of political expression and condition the kinds of characters they create. It's no secret that liberal viewpoints are the "gold standard" in Hollywood, or that careers can rise and fall according to one's political beliefs. In this environment, writers are understandably reluctant to promote ideas on the screen that could ruin their careers.

Consequently, the heroines of political dramas are overwhelmingly liberal. Few, if any, producers on the cocktail-party circuit would dare boast about creating a show with a heroine who is strong, smart, savvy — and conservative — a major defect in the otherwise creative community of Hollywood.

Even so, it's a stretch to argue that the fall TV's female political protagonists are a valentine to Clinton. They simply serve as a reminder that the accepted characteristics of political heroines in Hollywood circles coincide with the liberal agenda.

Patricia F. Phalen, associate professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University, is a recognized expert on the American TV industry.

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