Nepotism

Lore & Background

The term nepotism derives from the Italian word nepotismo, based on the Latin root nepos meaning nephew. Since the Middle Ages and until the late 17th century, some Catholic popes and bishops—who had taken vows of celibacy and therefore usually had no legitimate offspring—gave their nephews positions of preference often accorded by fathers to sons. They also did the same with children who were the illegitimate result of broken celibacy vows, claimed to be 'nephews' instead of sons. Several popes elevated nephews and other relatives to the cardinalate, often as a means of continuing a papal dynasty. For instance, Pope Callixtus III made two of his nephews cardinals; one, Rodrigo, later became Pope Alexander VI. Alexander then elevated Alessandro Farnese, his mistress's brother, to cardinal; Farnese later became Pope Paul III. Paul III also engaged in nepotism, appointing two illegitimate grandsons, aged 14 and 16, as cardinals. The practice was finally limited when Pope Innocent XII issued the bull Romanum decet Pontificem in 1692, prohibiting popes from bestowing estates, offices, or revenues on any relative, with the exception that one qualified relative could be made a cardinal.

Reader's Guide

Nepotism has been criticized since ancient history by philosophers including Aristotle, Valluvar, and Confucius, who condemned it as both evil and unwise. In the second book of the Kural literature from over 1,000 years ago, philosopher Valluvar wrote: 'If you choose an unfit person for your job just because you love and you like him, he will lead you to endless follies.' The practice appears across many fields: in politics, the British English expression 'Bob's your uncle' is thought to have originated when Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil promoted his nephew Arthur Balfour to Chief Secretary for Ireland. In entertainment, accusations of nepotism arise in instances of prima facie favoritism to relatives, such as Tori Spelling's casting on Beverly Hills, 90210 due to her father Aaron Spelling's involvement, or the careers of Sofia Coppola, Nicolas Cage, and Jason Schwartzman attributed to director Francis Ford Coppola. In sports, Thanasis Antetokounmpo has been labeled a beneficiary of nepotism due to his brother Giannis, and the Los Angeles Lakers faced allegations when they selected Bronny James, son of LeBron James, in the 2024 NBA draft. In academia, nepotism is found where professors have partners or children hired by the same faculty; Italy has been noted for particularly high levels. A 2026 survey by Kickresume found that 61% of workers would have greater trust in managers if promotions were based entirely on merit.

Did You Know?

• The term nepotism comes from the Italian word nepotismo, based on the Latin root nepos meaning nephew.
• Pope Innocent XII's bull Romanum decet Pontificem in 1692 limited nepotism by allowing only one qualified relative to be made a cardinal.
• Philosopher Valluvar, in the Kural literature from over 1,000 years ago, condemned favoritism as both evil and unwise.
• The British English expression 'Bob's your uncle' is thought to have originated from the promotion of Arthur Balfour by his uncle Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil.