A Marriage of Legacy and Dynasty: The Prospects for Second Generation Presidencies

Abstract

A Marriage of Legacy and Dynasty: The Prospects for Second Generation Presidencies" is a study about the rise of second generation presidencies in the country using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. This inquiry found its inspiration from the developing trend of presidential children assuming the Office of the President like their parents in the past. The past two elected presidents of the country, Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo and Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III, share the distinction of having presidents for parents: Diosdado Macapagal and Corazon Aquino. This study delves into the socioeconomic factors of these families, and the role of the past legacies of their parents as a factor in shaping the perception and voting behavior of the electorate. Furthermore, the study looks into the prospects of potential second generation presidencies such as the Estradas and the Marcoses. As a case study, Barangay 663-A in Ermita, Manila was selected as the sample for the impact of political legacies on the voting preference. It can be noted that second generation presidencies are first local political dynasties. Furthermore, there is reason to believe that children will choose the paths that their presidential parents took and will run for the presidency. And finally, political legacies and memory of the performance of the past presidents affects the voting behavior of the sample. However, it is a double-edged as though second generation presidencies may benefit from the advantage of name recall, political networks and personality politics that comes with the established family name, running for the presidency may be greatly affected by the negative perception of the electorate with respect to the first administration in the family. In search of power, second generation presidencies tries take advantage of the personality based politics in the country, coupled with their dynastic building techniques.