The United States Of Ambition: Politicians, Power, And The Pursuit Of Office
The argument of this excellent analysis, based on detailed descriptions of the situation in selected localities, is that American politicians nominate themselves through a willingness to work very long hours for low compensation on something in which they believe; meanwhile the power of old-fashioned machines and party discipline has disappeared. At all elected levels below the White House, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to find the process personally satisfying.
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