Dynasty - Political Families in Republics

Political Families in Republics

Though in elected governments rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals in republics. Eminence, influence, tradition, genetics, and nepotism may contribute to this phenomenon.

Family dictatorships are a different concept, in which political power passes within a family due to the overwhelming authority of the leader, rather than informal power accrued to the family.

Some political dynasties:

  • The Beazley and Crean families (Australian Labor Party)
  • Ziaur Rahman's and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's families (Bangladesh)
  • Aung San Suu Kyi's family (Burma)
  • The Nehru-Gandhi family (India)
  • The Soekarnos (Indonesia)
  • The Bhutto family (Pakistan)
  • The Zia family (Pakistan)
  • The Macapagal Family (Philippines)
  • The Aquino Family(Philippines)
  • The Estrada Family (Philippines)
  • The Marcos Family (Philippines)
  • The Medici family (Republic of Florence)
  • Lee Kuan Yew's family (Singapore)
  • Solomon Bandaranaike's family (Sri Lanka)
  • The Churchills/Dukes of Marlborough (UK)
  • The Adamses (United States)
  • The Kennedys (United States)
  • The Bushes (United States)
  • The Long family (United States)
  • The Roosevelts (United States)
  • The Tafts (United States)
  • The Cuomo family (United States)
  • The Udalls (United States)

Read more about this topic:  Dynasty

Famous quotes containing the words political, families and/or republics:

    “Martin, a woman hasn’t got any political opinions. I run this farm to suit myself. I’ll shoot the daylights out of anybody—British, Indian or American—that thinks he can come around here monkeyin’ in my business. That satisfy ya?”
    —Lamar Trotti (1898–1952)

    “We now recognize that abuse and neglect may be as frequent in nuclear families as love, protection, and commitment are in nonnuclear families.”
    —David Elkind (20th century)

    “It is, said Gargantua, as Plato said ... that republics will be happy when kings philosophize or philosophers reign.”
    —François Rabelais (1494–1553)