Children of the wealthy still dominate US politics, even after economic shocks

Children from rich families have been overrepresented in US political office for over a century. This pattern holds true even after major economic disruptions, like the end of slavery, which hit wealthy families hard.

This paper shows that political power in the US is not as open as many believe. It turns out, family background strongly predicts who gets into office. This means that policy choices, like those on taxation, are shaped by a small group of people who come from similar privileged backgrounds.