"Aristocracy" is defined as a class of persons holding exceptional rank and privilege, especially when rooted in hereditary nobility. It includes a government or state ruled by the elite or a privileged upper class. George Washington set the tone for our republic, rejecting blue blood aristocracy in favor of the public's will. Yet, occasionally, American aristocracies have evolved because the public bestows the honor upon a family dynasty of elected officials, such as the Kennedys, or a family dynasty bestows it upon itself.
