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Podcast: Our obsession with political dynasties

Posted at 1:14 PM, Feb 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-04 13:14:13-05

Adams, Bush, Clinton, Kennedy. Somehow the same family names keep popping up in American politics. Why, in a proudly democratic country, do we wind up with something that doesn’t feel very democratic?



This week on the podcast, guest host Michelle Cottle speaks with historian Stephen Hess about our obsession with political dynasties. Hess, whose best seller "America’s Political Dynasties" was just recently updated, says we will always have dynasties—but they won’t always be the same. Dynasties are born and dynasties die.

Dynasty may be a dirty word in America but it turns out our politics have been a family business from the start.


To listen to other DecodeDC podcasts, watch edgy videos and read blog posts about politics, politicians and policy, go to DecodeDC.com. And don't miss a new spin-off podcast titled, TrailMix 2016