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Does America Have a Gerontocracy Problem?

Exploring the politics of age and the fraught debate over what—if anything—should be done about Washington’s very old guard.

Alex Dalenberg

Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Americans apparently agree on at least one thing: age matters. A recent CBS News poll shows that large, bipartisan majorities believe there should be maximum age limits for elected officials, with nearly half of those surveyed saying the cutoff should be 70 years old. That, of course, would eliminate the two presumptive candidates in next year’s presidential election. If Donald Trump, 77, manages to reclaim the White House in 2024, he would become the oldest person to ever win a presidential election. The same goes for Joe Biden, already the nation’s oldest-serving president at age 80.

It’s not just presidential politics that’s graying. High profile health scares for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have brought increased attention to the fact that this U.S. Senate is the oldest in its history, with an average age of 63.4 years, and nearly a quarter of the body over age 70.

How did a country that ostensibly worships youth come to be led by one of the oldest political classes in the democratic world? And how much of a problem is it, really? Read on to explore the politics of old age from all sides, including whether voters actually punish candidates for too many candles on their birthday cakes.

Image by Image_Source_ / Getty Images

Aging Politicians Are Only Going To Get More Common

The possibility of an octogenarian on the presidential ticket is worrying many Americans — perhaps because it’s not just the presidency that’s aging. But will voters actually start rejecting candidates because of their age?

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NBC News interviewed dozens of voters about whether they are concerned about Biden's advanced age — and whether it's as much of an issue for Trump.

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After McConnell’s and Feinstein’s Episodes, Should Age Limits Be on the Table?

Two of the oldest members of the U.S. Senate showed the vulnerabilities that come with gerontocracy last week. But age limits can still be difficult to talk about or pass as law.

Gerontocracy: The Exceptionally Old Political Class That Governs the US

Joe Biden and members of Congress are increasingly long in the tooth – and more and more out of step with a much younger US public

Too Old or Very Wise: U.S. Leaders Are Among the World’s Oldest. Is It a Problem?

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What should elderly leaders — many of America’s top politicians are over 80 — reveal about their health?

‘You Can’t Hide Things’: Feinstein, Old Age and Removing Senators

Is it time for a constitutional amendment to oust incapacitated lawmakers?

The Twilight of Mitch McConnell and the Spectre of 2024

On the dangerous reign of the octogenarians.

In Praise of Gerontocracy

Worries about the advanced age of leading politicians are as old as Methuselah. But age isn't related to whether a political leader is worthy or effective.