Do we live in a gerontocracy? 👵

[DarkRange55]

Basically where political power is dominated by elderly leaders, often significantly older than the general population.

Robert Byrd holds the record for the longest-serving U.S. senator, spending just over 51 years in office from 1959 until his death in 2010. Strom Thurmond was the oldest to ever serve, retiring in 2003 at age 100 after 47 years in the Senate. As of early 2026, Chuck Grassley, now 92, is the longest-serving senator still in office. Senators tend to be well into their 60s on average, much older than the general U.S. population.

At the same time, the broader political leadership skews old as well: Joe Biden is 83, Donald Trump is 79, Nancy Pelosi is 85, and Bernie Sanders is 84. Other notably senior politicians still serving include Mitch McConnell (83), Dick Durbin (80), Ed Markey (80), Angus King (81), James Risch (82), Maxine Waters (87), and Jim Clyburn (85).

The U.S. Supreme Court also skews older, with Clarence Thomas (76), Samuel Alito (75), John Roberts (71), Sonia Sotomayor (71), and Elena Kagan (65) all serving lifetime appointments.

The average billionaire worldwide is around ~67 years old. Nearly three-quarters of billionaires are in the 50–79 age range.


Our wise council of elders.

 

[EternalShore]

in like 2024, I was noticing how nearly every US leader was born at around the same time since Bill Clinton (excluding Obama)~ and before then, they completely skip the Silent Generation too~ >_< most of the VP's were too I believe~

 

[amor.dor]

Most of them share the same mindset; they are from the same era, post-World War II, a time when the world reconfigured the prevailing thought. They will wield influence for long periods. Part of politics thrives on nepotism and operates within their own circles of friends and ideas, yet they sell us meritocracy as if the world were fair—but it's not.

 

[Agon321]

Yes, and we see it in democracy in its broadest sense.
Fertility rates are falling worldwide, and the age pyramid in many countries is collapsing.
There are fewer and fewer young people and more and more elderly people. Current democracy (I'm speaking primarily of the Western world, but this also applies to other countries) relies on the "majority" of society electing politicians.
If a huge portion of society is old, no politician will propose the necessary solutions and reforms to alleviate the problems. For example, raising the retirement age. Retirees will not vote against their own interests.

This is one of the reasons why I stopped supporting democracy in its current form. It's a direct path to ruin.

 

[amor.dor]

Yes, and we see it in democracy in its broadest sense.
Fertility rates are falling worldwide, and the age pyramid in many countries is collapsing.
There are fewer and fewer young people and more and more elderly people. Current democracy (I'm speaking primarily of the Western world, but this also applies to other countries) relies on the "majority" of society electing politicians.
If a huge portion of society is old, no politician will propose the necessary solutions and reforms to alleviate the problems. For example, raising the retirement age. Retirees will not vote against their own interests.

This is one of the reasons why I stopped supporting democracy in its current form. It's a direct path to ruin.

I don't think we have a choice. They only give us the illusion that we choose. It's like going to a Chinese restaurant and wanting to order pizza. But the illusion of choice is comfortable for most, since almost no one thinks about it—they are too busy paying bills, taking care of their kids, the car, the house...

 

[venerated-vader]

Ruby Bridges went to a desegregated (previously all-white) elementary school in 1960. She went to a segregated kindergarten the year before. It was a huge, huge deal and they had to escort her and the three other black kids so they wouldn't get attacked... she was in 1st grade.

Trump was born in 1946.