Political dynasties have become a persistent phenomenon in Indonesia’s post-reform political system. Previous studies generally focus on their impact on democracy, nepotism, political oligarchy, and abuse of power. However, limited attention has been given to examining political dynasties from the perspective of the principle of equal opportunity in public office, which constitutes an essential element of both the rule of law and constitutional democracy. This study aims to analyze the regulation of political rights and the principle of equal opportunity within Indonesia’s constitutional system, examine the influence of political dynasties on equal access to public office, and formulate a legal framework capable of ensuring equal opportunity without infringing upon citizens’ constitutional right to be elected. The findings indicate that political dynasties are not formally inconsistent with the Constitution or procedural democracy because they emerge through legitimate electoral processes and constitute part of citizens’ constitutional right to run for public office, as guaranteed by the 1945 Constitution and affirmed in Constitutional Court Decision Number 33/PUU-XIII/2015. Nevertheless, from the perspectives of equal opportunity and political equality, political dynasties may create unequal political opportunities through privileged access to political resources, networks of power, political party support, and social and economic capital unavailable to ordinary citizens. Such conditions may reduce the quality of political competition and limit equal access to public office.
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