Political Dynasties and Ministerial Government

Because cabinets are at the apex of power in parliamentary regimes, significant attention has focused on which parties win cabinet seats. Less is known about which individuals within parties win cabinet seats and why. In this study, we develop a theory of why members of political dynasties whose relatives had previously served in cabinet might enjoy a competitive “legacy advantage” over other politicians in progressing from the backbenches to ministerial office. This legacy advantage may stem from two potential causal mechanisms: an indirect effect related to the electoral advantages of legacy, and a direct effect related to an informational advantage. We use new legislator-level data from Ireland to empirically test our theoretical predictions and evaluate the relative contribution of each mechanism.