Gerontocracy in America

Old-igarchy: How the Elderly Conquered American Power

Plain English with Derek Thompson, 12 June 2026. The book comes up at 4 min 27 sec in.

Samuel Moyne is interviewed by Derek Thompson about his book, which argues the American economy and political system are rigged in favour of the elderly. They discuss statistics on the aging of voters, homeowners, and corporate leadership across academia, politics, housing, and the economy. Moyne contends power has accreted among the old beyond what demographics alone explain, and proposes reforms including mandatory voting. Thompson both engages with and pushes back on the book's arguments.

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