, Columnist
Are Political Dynasties Finally Fading?
Biden’s administration will be the third in a row without a legacy candidate. That’s a good thing.
Wrong era.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
This article is for subscribers only.
Get Jonathan Bernstein’s newsletter every morning in your inbox. Click here to subscribe.
Among the flaws of U.S. democracy that Donald Trump’s presidency has exposed is the strength of dynastic politics. To the extent that family connections are an important qualification for office and everyone else has to fight over the leftovers, the republic isn’t as healthy as it could be. The good news? Dynastic politics, always an issue in the U.S. from the days of John Quincy Adams, seems to be gradually receding. The bad news, as Trump has shown, is that it remains a powerful force.