Political family


A political family is a family in which multiple members are involved in politics, particularly electoral politics. Members may be related by blood or marriage; often several generations or multiple siblings may be involved.
A royal family or dynasty in a monarchy is generally not considered a "political family," although later descendants of a royal family have played political roles in a republic. A family dictatorship is a form of hereditary dictatorship that operates much like an absolute monarchy, yet occurs in a nominally non-monarchic state.

India

Political families or dynasties in the Philippines can be traced back to the Spanish colonial era with the role principalía, a class of native elites, exhibiting hereditary features. A political dynasty refers to a family with multiple members occupying elected positions either one after another or simultaneously.
The 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits political dynasties but there is no enabling law to implement this.
Nearly 250 families control politics in all 82 provinces of the Philippines at all levels. The "taipans", which control the politics and own various crony capitalist businesses, have reshaped political alliances, with approximately 234 dynasties winning positions in the 2019 midterm election. They usually have a strong, consolidated support base concentrated around the province, which they dominate. Members of such dynasties usually also participate in business and cultural activities to maximise their share in political spoils. By 2025, Philippine politics exhibited a marked increase in dynastic control, with approximately 80% of provincial governors belonging to "fat dynasties", up from 57% in 2004. Similarly, dynasties in the House of Representatives have risen to 67% from 48% in 2004, and mayoral posts held by dynasties increased to 53% from 40%. In the 2022 Senate election, at least 12.5% of the leading candidates had relatives already in the 24-seat chamber. Notably, 4.5% positions contested had single candidates from warlord clans whom no one dared contest.
Several families have each produced two out of 17 Presidents of the Philippines. The Cojuangco-Aquino family of Tarlac had Corazon and her son Benigno III ; the Macapagal family of Pampanga had Diosdado and his daughter Gloria ; and the Marcos family of Ilocos Norte had dictator Ferdinand, and his son, Bongbong, who has been president since 2022. The family also produced a senator and governor, Imee, who has been in Senate since 2019.

United Kingdom

File:Jchamberlain-achamberlain.jpg|thumb|Joseph and Austen Chamberlain
In the United States, many political families have arisen since the country's founding.

Presidential

Several presidential families produced multiple generations of members who devoted at least part of their working lives to public service.
Two other presidents were related by blood: James Madison and Zachary Taylor were second cousins. Other presidents were related by marriage: George Washington's nephew, George Steptoe Washington, was Madison's brother-in-law. Dwight Eisenhower's grandson, David Eisenhower, married Julie Nixon, a daughter of Richard Nixon.