Dynastic succession
Also called: Dynastic politics · Topic: Political Parties, Party Systems and Anti-defection · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Political Parties"
Meaning
Dynastic succession means that top posts in a party stay within one family. The Class 10 textbook lists it as one of four challenges facing political parties. It is unfair to ordinary party workers, who rarely get a chance to rise to the top. It is also bad for democracy, because people without enough experience or popular support can end up holding power.
Example
Suppose a party president hands the post to a son or daughter instead of a senior worker chosen by the members. That is dynastic succession.
Don't confuse with
- Lack of internal democracy: this is the wider problem that power sits with one or a few leaders, with no membership registers, regular meetings or internal elections. Dynastic succession is one form of it, where that power is passed down within a family.