L. Sandy Maisel se ve své tvorbě zaměřuje na politické strany a volby ve Spojených státech. Jeho práce se hluboce ponořuje do mechanismů a kvality volebních procesů, zkoumá, jak lze tyto procesy vylepšit. Maiselova rozsáhlá publikační činnost zahrnuje jak monografie, tak editorské práce, které se staly nedílnou součástí politologické literatury. Jeho akademická kariéra a vedení výzkumných center podtrhují jeho oddanost studiu a zlepšování veřejných záležitostí a občanské angažovanosti.
Few Americans and even fewer citizens of other nations understand the electoral process in the United States. The third edition of this Very Short Introduction offers an up-to-date overview of American political parties and elections, providing an expert view of how the system actually works while shining a light on some of its flaws.
The book critically examines the effectiveness of various reform initiatives aimed at improving American political campaigns, which are often criticized for being negative and misleading. It evaluates efforts such as voluntary codes of conduct and tougher ethics rules, highlighting that while some individual reforms have met their goals, the overall impact on campaign discourse and conduct has been underwhelming. The analysis draws on dissatisfaction expressed by voters and observers, providing a comprehensive look at the state of U.S. House and Senate campaigns.