The erosion of the political dominance of an entrenched political clan: the case of the Felix political clan of Cainta, Rizal

Abstract

AbstractThe family has been central to the analysis of Philippine politics. As such, its political role has been extensively scrutinized. Several theories have been advanced to explain why political families are able to perpetuate themselves in power. Despite the seeming permanence of political families as a recurrent fixture particularly in Philippine local politics, several societal factors have begun to alter the political landscape. This paper is a case study of the political dynamics that unfolded in a locality that has had a long history of political domination by a single family. Doing this allows us to view clan politics from a different angle, particularly that of the erosion of their dominance over a selected municipality. It is argued here that this line of research has been relatively ignored in the studies of political families in the Philippines. Analyses of both structural and agential elements critical for engendering change in local politics are explored in-depth. The paper also looks int...