In defense of gerontocracy

At 92, Sen. Chuck Grassley, left, is the oldest sitting member of Congress. His Senate Judiciary Committee counterpart, spring chicken Dick Durbin, right, retires next year at a mere 82. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In today’s hyperpolarized, hyperfactionalized political climate, one of the most reliable ways to get hosannas from every corner of the internet is to fulminate against the tyranny of America’s elderly.

Case in point: Last week, a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted out a photo of a local town hall where residents were gathered to discuss a proposed set of new housing developments.

As one would expect, the audience members were… grayer than the average San Franciscan.

This spurred some normie YIMBY arguments about how community meetings are unrepresentative venues for political debate, as well as some ruder commentary about how old people suck and we should get rid of them.

The implication is that we live in a gerontocracy — a society where American seniors are not only clogging community meetings with their unreasonable opposition to new development but also hoarding power and opportunity in every profession and at the highest levels of government.

There are, of course, some valid concerns about the fiscal consequences of population aging and some very real cases of elected officials who have overstayed their welcome. It’s also just true that, from the C-suite to the legal profession to academia, there are more old people hanging on longer than ever.

It’s hard not to sympathize with ambitious young elected officials tired of waiting for plum congressional seats to open up or academics angry that it’s so hard to get on the tenure track these days. But it’s worth reflecting that the primary reason you see older people hanging on to prominent roles these days is entirely benign — Americans are living longer.

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