Paternal Politics A Family Affair: The Case of Robert, Sr. and Philip La Follette

Abstract

Born on May 8, 1897 to Robert Marion and Belle Case La Follette, Philip Fox La Follette grew up in a Wisconsin household where politics was the family business. La Follette learned to idolize his father, learned the intricacies of politics, and became a confidante for his father. After assisting his father's presidential run in 1924, La Follette would assume leadership of the Progressive faction of the Republican Party after his father's death. Making use of the La Follette name, his father's image, his father's friends and supporters, and planks from the Progressive Platform, Philip La Follette managed to be elected governor in 1930, 1934, and 1936. This anecdote demonstrates that Philip La Follette sought to emulate Robert, shared his authenticity towards politics and that sons choose to mirror their father's behavior in general.