Becoming a candidate: political ambition and the decision to run for office

1. Mudslinging, money-grubbing, and mayhem: who would ever run for office?

2. The decision to run for office: the theoretical and methodological approach

3. Political ambition in the candidate eligibility pool

4. Barack Obama and 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling: sex, race, and political ambition

5. You could be president someday! early socialization, the role of family, and political ambition

6. On-the-job training: professional circumstances and the decision to run for office

7. You think I should run for office? political parties, political recruitment, and political ambition

8. Biting the bullet: deciding to run for office

9. Future patterns of candidate emergence and studies of political ambition.