Older voters gain power, young people pay price.

2 days ago7 min read

America is getting old, and this demographic shift is reshaping the nation's political and economic landscape in profound ways. Between 1960 and 2024, the share of Americans over 65 doubled from 9 percent to 18 percent, a trend poised to accelerate.Census Bureau projections indicate that within a decade, seniors will outnumber children for the first time in U. S.history, and by 2060, they are expected to comprise about a quarter of the population. This graying of America is not merely a statistical curiosity; it is a fundamental realignment of electoral power with immediate and far-reaching consequences.In the 2024 election, seniors accounted for 29 percent of the electorate, a figure that underscores their outsized influence due to consistently high voter turnout. Historically, their political clout was tempered by their smaller numbers, but that constraint is now evaporating, steering the country toward a form of gerontocracy—a government of, by, and for the old.This drift threatens to deepen existing generational inequities embedded in U. S.public policy. By international standards, America’s welfare state has long been lopsided, offering robust benefits for retirees while providing meager support to families with children.For instance, in 2021, the U. S.spent just 0. 6 percent of its GDP on family benefits, far below the OECD average of 2.3 percent, while allocating 7. 2 percent to public pensions.This imbalance is not static; it is actively being exacerbated by recent legislative actions. At the state level, a clear pattern has emerged of shifting tax burdens away from older generations.Since 2022, states including Texas, Colorado, Iowa, and Pennsylvania have enacted property tax cuts exclusively for homeowners aged 65 and older. Simultaneously, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and West Virginia have eliminated taxes on Social Security benefits, with Iowa going further to abolish taxation on all retirement income for those over 55.While framed as relief for struggling seniors, analyses reveal these measures disproportionately benefit the affluent. An examination of Illinois’s similar breaks found households earning over $175,000 captured 60 percent of the benefits.Beyond these explicit preferences, a broader rebellion against property taxation—triggered by post-COVID inflation—inherently favors older, wealthier homeowners. Nearly 79 percent of seniors own their homes, compared to only 39 percent of Americans under 35.

#gerontocracy

#demographic shift

#intergenerational equity

#tax policy

#social security

#property tax cuts

#elder benefits

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