U.S. political dynasties self-perpetuating: study

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a political landscape populated by Bushes, Kennedys and Clintons, the children and kinfolk of longtime U.S. politicians do indeed have a better shot at winning elective office, but not necessarily at holding on or moving up, experts say.

A study last year on political dynasties in the U.S. Congress found that politicians who held office for more than one term were 40 percent more likely to have a relative in Congress in the future than other members.

"Being in power for longer has a causal impact on the chances that someone from the family would access a position of political authority," said Ernesto Dal Bo, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and one of the authors of the study.

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John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, both served as president. So did William Henry Harrison and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, as well as George H.W. Bush and his son, the current president, George W. Bush.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey belongs to one of the oldest political dynasties in Congress. His great-great-great-great-grandfather, Frederick Frelinghuysen, was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1779 and went on to serve in the U.S. Senate from 1793 to 1796.

"One or both of your parents is very involved in the political system so you often would be a tag-along," Frelinghuysen told the Washington Post in a 2005 interview. "You sort of get it in your blood."



http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2007-03-04T020245Z_01_N03322387_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-POLITICS-DYNASTIES.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1

[More Than A Feeling]

1. This is a bad sign, imo.

It's one thing when a doctor's son becomes a doctor. But political power shouldn't be inherited that way. I don't want our country to have a tendency toward political aristocracy.

[Igel]

4. But it's not inherited.

The scions of political families are still voted in. It's just that they're trained to politics, so find the hoops easier to jump through; and they usually have name recognition.

Consider Pelosi, who lacks name recognition, but whose father was a prominent politician. She knows how to play politics.

Consider Hillary, whose name is easily recognized thanks to her husband. In other cases, sons or even wives of politicians have an edge.

Al Gore had name recognition because of his father--he could say he was following in his father's footsteps, and win a lot of votes almost at once. Given the choice of the son of a popular politician or a complete stranger, a lot of people go with the probably-known.

Now, I could have used repub names just as easily. Never forget that we're primates.

[Porcupine]

2. I'm sick of "Senator for Life" types. Oligarchy.....

is not responsive to the will of the people.

[tanyev]

3. Did I miss something? Is Chelsea running for office?