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.