Political Ambition: Who Decides to Run for Congress

By Linda L. Fowler

Book Overview

How do politicians decide whether or not to run for Congress? What is involved in the winnowing process that dictates, months before the election, the choices available to voters on the ballot? Using extensive interviews and analyses of district data and opinion polls, Linda Fowler and Robert McClure argue that House elections are intelligible only if we look beyond that declared candidates to those who could have run but chose not to. Their book, set in New York's can Congressional District during the elections of 1984 and 1986, assesses the personal and contextual factors that motivate some individuals to enter a House race and induce others to remain on the sidelines. By uncovering the hidden obstacles that line the road to Washington, Fowler and McClure reveal why only the most ambitious men and women complete the journey. Fowler and McClure contend that the cost cna complexity of competitive House races now demand a level of commitment and advance planning that only those with a highly focused desire to serve in Congress can sustain. Despite the increased presence of national parties and PACs in congressional races, they say, it is the local political context that dominates the decision to run. Within this setting, individual candidates, not party organizations develop the strategies, manage the resources, and define the alternatives in most House races. Fowler and McClure discuss how changes in American politics such as reapportionment, the redistribution of power away from Washington, and the transformation of parties and interest groups affect the nation's supply of competitive office-seekers. And they devote special attention to the recruitment of female legislators, offering insight into the continued failure of women to make significant inroads into the House of Representatives.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300049013
• ISBN13: 9780300049015
• Release Date: September 1990
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent study

Very serious study of what makes certain individuals run for public office, and sometimes more importantly, what makes others who are highly qualified NOT run. For those interested in serious political science.

Interesting, informative and insightful

Having an interest in eventually running for office myself, I purchased this book. The authors follow a campaign for two years, gaining interesting insight into why some candidates run, why others don't, and how their decisions effect the overall political environment. The book isn't meant to be funny or amusing. It is a serious study for people seriously interested in politics as observers or participants. Perhaps one of the most important points in the book is that the founders viewed ambition as part of human nature that should be harnessed to maintain the political structure. Many modern reformers seem to have forgotten that and view ambition as something bad that must be restrained. In any event, if you love politics you'll enjoy this book.