Are young people locked out of power in the US? | The Excerpt

The United States is grappling with an intensifying debate over whether its political landscape has become a 'gerontocracy,' effectively locking out younger generations from power and influence. This critical discussion has been amplified by the recent release of Yale Law professor Samuel Moyn new book, 'Gerontocracy in America,' which argues that a disproportionate concentration of wealth and political control among older Americans is stifling the nation's future direction and exacerbating intergenerational divides. The timing of Moyn's analysis resonates deeply as recent polls reveal a profound disillusionment among young voters and bipartisan public support for structural changes to political leadership. Underpinning this power imbalance is a stark generational wealth gap, with Baby Boomers holding over half of the nation's total wealth ($85.41 trillion) while Millennials and Generation Z collectively possess just 10.7% ($17.97 trillion), as of April 2026. This economic disparity is reflected in political representation, where the median age of US senators in the current 119th Congress is 64, and representatives average 57, significantly older than the general population. Young Americans, facing crushing inflation and housing costs, perceive their concerns as largely unaddressed by an aging political class more focused on preserving existing entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare than on forging innovative solutions for the future. The immediate future demands a reckoning with these entrenched power structures. Calls for Age Caps and Term Limits in Congress are gaining bipartisan traction, with 80% of Americans favoring maximum age limits for candidates and 83% supporting term limits, indicating a broad public appetite for systemic change. While legislative efforts like the 'Fostering the Future Act' in May 2026 aim to support young people transitioning to independence, they represent isolated initiatives rather than a comprehensive overhaul of the gerontocratic system. The true challenge lies in implementing meaningful Campaign Finance Reform and fostering greater Youth Political Engagement to ensure that the nation's leadership genuinely reflects the diversity and evolving priorities of all its citizens, not just its oldest cohort.