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It would be interesting to see the percentage of nepotism in the Senate over the years. You said that 18 current Senators are related to former politicians. How many Senators were like that 100 years ago?Hard numbers should always be more compelling evidence than a set of anecdotes.
I agree. I'd like to see this, too. I've looked for conclusive empirical data on this before and haven't been able to find it. It could probably be pieced together with a lot of labor if nobody has ever done it before, but my inability to find anything that comprehensive led me to rely on what seems like pretty persuasive anecdotal evidence of trends.
Trends aside, it is -- as you point out -- a notable state of affairs even if it hasn't become appreciably worse in recent years.
