UC Berkeley

Why do some political families flourish, and others decline quickly? While the presence of political families has been a long-standing feature of many countries, crucial questions about the nature of political succession and the underlying conditions that make it possible remain under-studied. This dissertation focuses on the aspects of the local political economy, and networks that control it, to propose a theory of dynastic perpetuation in India and elsewhere. Specifically, I argue that the diversification of economic resources and political power are key factors that determine the strength and longevity of political families. To test this theory, I map the familial connections of the winners and the runners-up from all elections held in Uttar Pradesh (India) between 1974 to 2019. The analysis shows that politicians from dominant castes and those with greater economic endowment are more likely to form successful political families. In addition to this, I take a closer look at dynamism within political families by classifying them into three distinct groups – families that have been in power for a long period of time, the old political families that have declined in power and status, and new and rising political families. I show that families that successfully diversify their political and economic portfolios are more likely to perpetuate themselves. This diversification strategy, which in part comes from the political family’s access to local political economy networks, allows them to project influence even during electorally leaner periods. While most successful political families remain largely confined to their local constituencies, I show how some families manage to scale up their network and influence, while retaining their local power base, through a case study. Finally, I suggest that understanding the rise and decline of political families is key to reflecting on the changing nature of representative democracy in India and elsewhere. And as long as the local state remains beholden to the control of elite networks, political families are likely to flourish, under different guises.