An Ageing World: The Problem of Gerontocracy
Summary
Historian Samuel Moyn discusses gerontocracy in America, arguing that aging politicians and voters create a self-reinforcing system where the elderly hoard wealth and power. He highlights how privatized healthcare and campaign finance exacerbate these dynamics, allowing older elites to dominate policy despite cultural perceptions of youth. Moyn contends that while young politicians may appear fresh, they cannot easily dismantle the entrenched economic and political structures that favor the old.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Toyota Truck Savings Event
Introduction: The Age of Politicians and Gerontocracy
Global Context: Autocracies and Elderly Leaders
Life Tenure in Judiciary and Academia
Aging Faculty and the End of Mandatory Retirement
Cognitive Decline and the Baseline of Age
Descriptive Representation and Age Cohorts
The Aging Electorate and Voter Turnout
Structural Barriers to Younger Voting
Proxy Voting and Intergenerational Coalitions
Age, Risk Aversion, and Postponing Problems
Psychological Changes: Conservatism and Nostalgia
Hoarding Power and Wealth in Gerontocracy
Feedback Loops: Donors, Entitlements, and Welfare
Local Politics, Gerrymandering, and Housing
Historical Roots of Gerontocracy in America
Older Wealth vs. Child Poverty and Class
The Age of Billionaires and Media Misrepresentation
Cultural Power: Media, Movies, and Social Media
Healthcare Inequality and Buying Longevity
Intergenerational Wealth Transfer and Hoarding
Biopolitics, COVID-19, and Life Extension
Promotion: PPF Plus and Simone de Beauvoir
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