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comment by b_b
b_b  ·  4308 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Can anyone explain to me how US political dynasties exist?

We've had two presidents in the US that were sons of former presidents, John Quincy Adams and George W. Bush. Adams was a good diplomat and astute politician, and Bush is a high functioning idiot. So I think it can be good or bad, depending on the individual. In general, however, I'm very skeptical of political dynasties, because I think its against the principles of meritocracy.



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user-inactivated  ·  4308 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Franklin Roosevelt was a cousin of Teddy and though only one was president there have been five or six others in Congress. There are also the Longs the Lees the Otises the Carters (wikipedia doesn't have an entry, so: James Earl Hugh Jimmy Jackand Jason

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emmancon  ·  4308 days ago  ·  link  ·  

But do you think the Constitution should prohibit political dynasties?

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user-inactivated  ·  4308 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Our political families tend only to last a few generations. We have a bigger problem with wealthy parties buying indirect influence. So, no, I don't think forbidding them would be a useful thing for us to do.

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