I just listened to a long ass commentary* over what Melania Trump chose to wear to the state of the union address. While there was some validity to it as many outfit choices this year made symbolic statements, the whole thing made me think about the position as a whole.

The office of First Lady holds no constitutionally defined power what so ever, but historically it’s been one of the only avenues for a woman to exercise any political authority. With women’s increased presence in positions of power, has an expectation of how a woman fills that role become outdated, or even anti-progressive?

The subject feels especially worth discussing as the current First Lady does not appear to want nor enjoy the office. Most notably she hasn’t invested in a pet cause like the last several women in her position have done, after the anti bullying campaign fell flat in the wake of her husbands twitter usage. Since then Ivanka has been fulfilling many traditional FLOTUS duties, but is that necessary either?

Bonus Question: if you’re not from America, how are political spouses roles viewed?

*If you’re actually interested in the long ass NPR discussion, please visit the1a.org for the program titled: Melania Trump, Trailblazer