Abstract:Since the 1960s, more and more American women tend to be increasingly active in the political arena. Among the famous representatives of them are Sarah Palin, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton and so on, who set a good example for American women and even the women all over the world. Their successes have evoked other women’s awareness of being independent, strong and brave to fight for equal rights. Of all the outstanding female politicians in the United States, Hillary Clinton is the most peculiar one because she is both the former First Lady in U.S. and Secretary of State today. Worldwide attention is paid to Hillary Clinton's legend and achievements at home and abroad.

　　　This thesis briefly explores the causes of Hillary’s political achievements by analyzing three aspects in her life: the social environment in which she grew up, her family background, and her own extraordinary personalities. As Hillary is a typical American woman politician, to explore her case of success is supposed to help reveal some universal experiences of those American women politicians who have attained great success and exerted deep influence on politics. The case study of Hillary Clinton shows that their successes are closely related to the comparatively supportive social environment, their family and education background and their outstanding personalities. Her achievements today not only benefited from her parents’ training but also the support of her husband, Bill Clinton, the former U.S. President. In addition, her success is also largely due to her unique personalities. Among all the former First Ladies, only Hillary Clinton was transferred from a First Lady to a woman Secretary of State. It is with her strong will and persistence that she reached her position and created a new world in the patriarchal society.   

Key Words: American female politician; Hillary Rodham Clinton; society; family; personality

摘要:自20世纪60年代以来，越来越多的女性活跃于美国政坛，其间涌现了许多著名的女性代表，例如莎拉·佩林、康多莉扎·赖斯、希拉里·克林顿等。她们为美国女性，乃至全世界的女性树立了良好的榜样，唤醒了女性独立自主、勇敢、争取平等权利的意识。在所有美国杰出的女政治家中，希拉里又是最为特殊的一位，既是曾经的美国第一夫人又是今天的美国国务卿。她的传奇与成功引起了国内外的广泛关注。

　　　本文以美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿为例，从社会环境、家庭影响以及自我的个性特征这三个方面来分析美国女性政治家成功的原因。以希拉里为代表的美国女性政治家们的成功都离不开社会大环境的熏陶。政治、经济、宗教等时代背景都是直接或间接促使她们走向成功的因素。而她们的成功也离不开家庭的支持。希拉里就不仅得益于父母的培养，更收益于她的丈夫即美国前总统的支持和影响。另外，女性政治家们的成功也与其个性魅力紧密相关。在众多美国前第一夫人中，希拉里是迄今为止唯一一位当上国务卿的前第一夫人。正是因为她的独立个性与自我追求才造就了她不一样的人生，在这个男性领袖占主导地位的世界里开创了一番新天地。

关键词：美国女性政治家；希拉里·克林顿；社会；家庭；个性