As a part of a larger study of Louisiana's political families from statehood to the present, this article seeks to demonstrate that the family influence on political recruitment is not just an historical phenomenon but a current reality. Over one-fourth of 785 state and parish officials in office in 1983 were found to have at least one officeholding relative. One-half of these 209 leaders had two or more kinsmen in office at some time, and almost one-third “inherited” their position from a relative. The article analyzes the structure of these families (size, generations, kinship connections), successions, and kinship networks. The last topic, networks, delineates the connections between and among families with 1983 officials and other families whose political experience occurred before 1983. The largest of the networks includes twenty-two families with 107 officials from several states. A principal conclusion is that the family continues to exert considerable influence on its members' decision to enter the political arena. Evidence is presented indicating that Louisiana is not unique in this regard.
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