Not only associate but also one tries to imbibe the traits, which the most powerful country of the world claims to posses.

Though, there are no official records to put on the platter but if one goes by the words of historian Richard Baker as quoted by USA Today, “No official records are kept but the concentration of relatives is extraordinary”

Not only that, “Sometimes the children of public figures are kept in the shadows but now we are seeing this trend or pattern of all in the family,” adds Baker.

It is known that in the current times the United States there more than 50 individuals among the near and dear ones of the ruling politicians. Among them there are four widows along with dozens of off springs, including the wife of former Senate majority leader and Senator Hillary Rodham wife of Bill Clinton, a former President and Governor.

Now, if that reads a little bit too much of a family affair in the political affairs of America lets have a small peep in the political arena of one of the biggest democracies of the globe, yes our very own India. For this subcontinent right from its inception politics has been endorsed as a dynasty affair.

This endorsement comes not only from the quarters of the classes but the masses as well.

Thus it should not spring a surprise on anyone, who learns that just one family, the overwhelming Gandhi family, has ruled more than half the period after the Independence of the country.

Three generations from this single family have been elected for the post of Prime Minister, the highest political post of the nation and their combined duration of reigning at the helm runs into decades.

Jawahar Lal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, and his grandson in law Rajiv Gandhi have become household names, not for nothing.

If the Gandhi-Nehru instance gives an impression of a flash in the pan, then there are scores of other examples of which the Indian polity is replete with. Late Madhav Rao Scindia a former Cabinet Minister, his sister Vasundhara Raje who is presently the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Jyotiraditya Scindia MP, is son of late Madhav Rao Scindia.

Not only that, former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal’s son, Om Prakash Chautala reigned as the Chief Minister of Haryana. Laloo Prasad Yadav was the former CM of Bihar, who later relinquished the post for the appointment of his wife Rarbi Devi as the Chief Minister of Bihar.

To count among others the incumbent Chief Minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik is the son of former Chief Minister of the state the veteran Biju Patnaik. Down south M Karunanidhi is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and his son Stalin is now the President of DMK. Not only that the high tech CM of Andhra Pradesh is the son in law of late veteran of Andhra politics N T Ramrao.

It seems even after sighting so many examples the exhaustive list has just begun. Former Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh’s son is now the Member of Parliament representing the Barmer-Jaislmer constituency of Rajasthan.

Even the leaders from the Dalit sections, too, have their presence in this roll call. To begin with, incumbent Union Cabinet Minister Meira Kumar is the daughter of Late Babu Jagjeevan Ram the veteran of Dalit politics.

If the Indian list of politics of families tries to distance from the US affairs then let us move again to the family offshoots of the American politics.

If one goes by the statistics, politics has never before, been such a big family affair. Two children of retiring members, republican Gus Bilirakis of Florida and Democrat Chris Owens of New York want to succeed in taking the places vacated by them.

Sons of two Governors, Democrat Bob Casey in Pennsylvania and Republican Tom Kean in New Jersey are eying the seats in Senate. In other examples John Sarbanes son of Senator Paul Sarbanes and Peter Beilenson, son of former California representative Anthony Beilenson are trying for the same Democratic House nomination in Maryland.

To cap it all, Jack Carter, son of former President Jimmy Carter, in Nevada is running for Senate. If it looks that something very important is missing from the high profile list of connections, the incumbent President of United States of America is himself the son of a former US President George Bush Senior. Bush’s brother Jeb Bush who is also a Governor of

Florida in US is also being seen as prospective candidate for the coming presidential elections.

The above instances could also be, just be a matter of chance but then the sheer magnitude and the cross continent presence of the same phenomenon belies it as a mere coincidence. And for those still having a grouse for running politics as a family business isn’t it a fact that a father’s farm is his son’s too.