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Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:00 AM

Nepotistic succession in the political class

A large, and rapidly growing, percentage of high elected officials are part of politically powerful families. What accounts for this anti-democratic dynamic?

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  • Wednesday, December 3, 2008 09:26 AM

    Ohio also has a looooong history of nepotistic trends

    Clarence Brown Sr, passed his seat to Jr, which then passed to Mike Dewine. Dewine, who has a son and cousin in state offices, made it into the Senate by defeating the son-in-law of Howard Metzenbaum. That particular nepotistic trail ended when Sherrod Brown removed him from the Senate.

    There are lots of other examples and it's not only nepotistic, it's almost downright incestuous. If there were a political version of the song "I'm My Own Grandpa", it would have been written in Ohio.

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