Donald Trump has appointed his son-in-law to a powerful role in his administration as senior White House adviser, essentially giving the finger to anti-nepotism laws put in place to avoid a monarchy-type leadership.

Shockingly, the guy who likes to shove his name in giant gold letters onto skyscrapers may fancy himself a bit of a king.

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is vastly wealthy and successful himself, and just like Trump, he runs a company founded by his father. He married Ivanka Trump in 2009 and has played a crucial role in Trump’s transition team since the election.

There isn’t much that’s known about Kushner because, fun fact, he has not been quoted once in the media since Trump’s campaign began. However, Kushner’s known as an influential force in Manhattan as both a real estate mogul and the owner of The New York Observer.

The New York Times reported in late 2016 that he was involved in a push to oust Gov. Chris Christie, who jailed Kushner’s father while serving as a federal prosecutor more than a decade ago. Trump staffers have denied the allegations.

Oh, and if you’re curious, hiring close family members into a U.S. president’s inner circle is not normal – and for good reason.

WHY TRUMP’S NEPOTISM MATTERS

Anti-nepotism laws applying to the White House are uncompromising on family members hired into powerful places in government:

“A public official may not appoint, employ, promote, advance, or advocate for appointment, employment, promotion, or advancement, in or to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official.”

These laws are on the books because hiring relatives into government positions undermines faith in the whole institution. Is Kushner genuinely the best person for the job? Or is the reason Trump trusts him simply because Kushner supported him during the campaign and is married to his daughter?

Senior advisers often have a lot of influence in the executive branch, and Kushner would likely be no exception, as he was by Trump’s side throughout the presidential campaign.

Here’s the ultimate issue with having your son-in-law in a senior position in government while you rule the most powerful country on the planet: Kingdoms are unstable.

Democracies have a better chance of surviving.

When a leader hires family members, close friends, or ardent supporters whose only real skill is donating money, all of this stops looking like a democracy. These actions better match how empires throughout history have governed.

It’s no surprise that The New York Times even labeled this move by Trump as a “New York real estate empire,” with family members at the control center and “staff members, however trusted or talented, somewhere below.”

Follow Shari Rose on Twitter