The American gerontocracy and the stalling of progress

As the social fabric of the United States continues to unravel into pronounced division, many Americans wonder what, if anything, can be done to stymie the divide. Perhaps the answer to that question can be gleaned from a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll, which found that seven out of 10 Americans do not want President Joe Biden to run for a second term, with one-third of those believing he is simply too old.

Bringing up Biden’s age isn’t something new, but the fact that both he and his predecessor and potential opponent in the 2024 election, Donald Trump, will both be over 80 years old during the next presidential term raises questions as to age limits when holding or running for public office. These questions also extend to Congress, where the current 117th iteration holds the distinction of being the oldest of at least the last 20 years.

For the better part of the 20th century, most elected presidents were in their mid-to-late 40s to early 60s. It wasn’t until Ronald Regan at 69 years old (then oldest) that a president sat on the precipice of being 70 years old prior to starting their term; the next closest was William Harrison in 1841, who was elected at 68 years old but died in office just a month later due to pneumonia.

This all changed in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidency at 70 years old and then his successor, Joe Biden, at 78 years old in 2020. Come the 2024 election, Trump will be 77 and Biden will be 82. For comparison, Regan was 77 when he left office after his second term. If either were to win the election, Trump would be 82 at the conclusion of his second term and Biden would be 86. This hypothetical election would mark the first time in history that both presidential candidates would be older than the national average life expectancy for men, which sits at 74.5 years.

In this fast-evolving world brimming with innovation, are people in their 70s and 80s truly the best option to lead? Are they in touch with the modern day blights of Americans?

The last two presidents have each broken the record for “oldest at inauguration” — that should give us pause. Yet despite both sides of the partisan divide continuing to accuse the other party’s candidate of mental degradation, they simultaneously support their respective elderly candidate, showing how little those in power wish to change this newfound status quo.

A quick look at the membership of Congress shows how the elderly have refused to retire and how they continue to box out the younger generations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 82 years old and was elected in 1987; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 80, was elected in 1984. For the entirety of many millennials (1981-1996) lives, both of these career politicians have been in office, working on crafting law in the name of their political parties to their benefit and at the expense of the following generations who have largely had little to no representation.

In total, the 117th Congress features 230 baby boomers (1946-1964, 53%), 144 Generation X (1965-1980, 33%), 31 millennials (7%), and 27 Silent Generation (19281945, 6%). The Senate features 68 baby boomers, 20 Generation X, one millennial, and 11 Silent Generation. Comparing these numbers to the overall population share of the United States shows the disparity in representation.

While baby boomers, who have held congressional majority since 1999, still represent a large portion of Americans, they are not the population majority; millennials are, yet millennials account for only 7% of the House and 1% of the Senate. And the dearth of younger congressional members isn’t due to lack of trying, as the 2020 election produced the most millennial candidates of any election.

In the United States, 65 is the retirement age, yet in Congress, 50% of senators and 32% of the House are 65 or older. Juxtapose this with only 30% of Americans approving of the job the “oldest” Congress is doing, and maybe the growing support of age limits isn’t as far-fetched as it once may have seemed.

Our country is marred with increasingly partisan battles that seemingly preference political party victories over the will of the public. It is time we address and work toward mending this detachment of the makeup of the federal government and the will of the general population. There is something to be said for youth and vigor, and tapping into that may very well be the key to restoring a more civil and unified American political discourse. As the young and innovative John F. Kennedy’s campaign slogan once said, “Let’s get America moving again.”