Why American politicians are so old

By now, you’ve probably heard that President Biden is old — old enough Even some Democrats Called for him to withdraw from the presidential race.

But Biden is certainly not the only senior American politician who is aging. His main opponent, Donald Trump, is 78 years old, and the average age of members of the U.S. Senate is Over 65 years oldIn fact, American politicians have aged to such an extent that the United States has Known as gerontocracy — A system of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of the elderly.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with older people holding important positions. If voters want experienced officials to lead the country, then those officials are likely to be older than the average worker. However, there is concern that older Americans are overrepresented in national politics, which could lead to a political class that is unable to respond to the many challenges facing young people.

Such concerns are only heightened when politicians rarely share information about their health. For example, the late Dianne Feinstein held on to her Senate seat in her final years, even as she approached 90, despite serious concerns On her mental health and clear signs of cognitive decline, Including memory loss. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, Seems frozen He made several public appearances last year, culminating in announcing his plans to resign. Biden’s blunders and poor debate performance It has sparked panic over whether the 81-year-old president will be able to run for office, let alone perform his official duties.

Many Americans have been disappointed with the presidential candidates in the past few election cycles. Older candidates —They are both so old that they will both be the oldest presidents in history. (Biden is the oldest president so far; Trump, if elected, will break that record by the end of his term.)

But one reason voters seem to have so few options is that one of the main pathways to the presidency is Congress, which itself is aging. The oldest.

The fact that so many politicians are old has prompted many to call for simple solutions. Including age restrictions.

But the presence of so many elder politicians suggests there is a deeper problem with our democracy, and simply banning older people from running for office will not solve that problem. Democracies are supposed to be representative, and without young people among lawmakers, governments cannot adapt to a changing world.

The most straightforward explanation for the growing age of America’s elected representatives is that the U.S. population as a whole is also growing. Now 39 years oldAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, In 1980, there were 30while the baby boomers continue working Longer lifespan than previous generations.

While that may explain why elected officials are getting older, it doesn’t necessarily explain cases like Feinstein, McConnell or Biden — who are still battling public concerns about their health in their 80s — or why About a quarter of the members of Congress Composed of members over 70 years old.

This is where the signs of the gradual decline of democracy begin to show.

Because if voters want to elect an 80-year-old, they should have the right to do so; electing elder politicians is a function of the democratic process. The reality is that many Americans don’t really have that many choices.

That’s because there are systemic barriers to true competition, and incumbent members of Congress can, in most cases, stay in office as long as they please. (After all, Biden served in the Senate for 36 years before becoming vice president in 2009.)

Over the past century, congressional elections have Competitiveness is getting weakerIn recent years, the vast majority of winners of House elections have been 10 pips or moreIn 2018, for example, only 44 of the 435 congressional districts were considered to be torn — that is, decided by a margin of 5 percentage points. According to advocacy group FairVote. In 2022, the number is even lower, with 36 House races considered competitive.

As competition decreases, the average age of members of Congress rises. For example, in 1981, The average age of a U.S. senator is 52; in 2022 it will be 65.

There are two main reasons why House elections are uncompetitive: polarization and gerrymandering. As Americans become more polarized, their party loyalty grows. This means that fewer and fewer Americans are Split their tickets For example, voting for a Democratic presidential candidate while also voting for a Republican House or Senate candidate makes congressional districts more secure during election time. More importantly, partisan gerrymandering, in which lawmakers draw congressional districts to favor a particular party, has become a Making competitive elections more rare.

This means that most congressional elections are essentially decided by primaries. Once someone wins a primary in a very safe Democratic or Republican district, for example, the general election is just a formality. But during the primary season, there is another obstacle to real competition that can lead to politicians staying in office longer: Power of government.

Incumbents often have considerable advantages over their challengers for a number of reasons, including name recognition, Political party supportand Campaign FinanceIn fact, while you may hear about some surprising upsets from time to time — like in 2018, when then-29-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) defeated 20-year congressional incumbent Joe Crowley — it’s actually extremely rare for an incumbent to lose a primary. Only a few incumbents Each cycle loses its major part.

Massachusetts is an example, where legislators Faces little competition: In 2022, no incumbent member of the U.S. House of Representatives is facing a challenge in a primary election.

The result of this system is that incumbents can remain in office for decades, or even until they choose to retire. This means that while voters can theoretically vote for whomever they want, they have little say in who is on the ballot or whether there are other serious alternatives.

American politicians are born old. From campaign finance to gerrymandering to the third parties that often have to deal with Insurmountable obstacles appearing on the ballotincumbent politicians can basically stay in power as long as they wish.

Polls show Most Americans support age restrictions For federal lawmakers, Some efforts In recent years Try to implement themBut while age limits would certainly eliminate the possibility of too many older people holding public office, there are a number of problems with them: First, age limits are discriminatory, barring certain people from participating in certain aspects of democracy simply because of their characteristics. People also age at different rates, and while one person may begin to show signs of cognitive decline in their 70s, another may be perfectly capable of continuing to serve into their 80s. And basing age limits on scientific averages of physical and mental health can also be relatively arbitrary, especially in today’s world of better health care and longer life expectancies.

The second problem with age limits is that they do not address the underlying problem, which is that there is little electoral competition.

That’s why we should focus primarily on making elections fairer and more competitive: By reducing the guarantees that incumbents have about candidates winning elections, there will be more turnover in Congress and elsewhere, and younger people will be more likely to be elected. This will help create a reality in which elected officials are more representative of their constituents.

To achieve that goal, lawmakers should focus on democratic reforms, including limiting partisan gerrymandering, reducing campaign costs, reducing the influence of wealthy donors, and improving access to voting.

These technological reforms may not immediately rejuvenate Congress, and they certainly won’t solve the crisis of confidence Biden currently faces, but they will make this gerontocracy less likely to happen again.

They will also give voters the opportunity to elect whomever they want — whether it’s a young rising star or a retiree who wants to return to work to serve the country by holding public office.

That’s ultimately what voters should have: a choice.