As America Becomes a Gerontocracy, Its Future Keeps Getting Delayed

As America Becomes a Gerontocracy, Its Future Keeps Getting Delayed

July 18, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of America's aging society and the shift in power dynamics between generations.

We’re living through the greatest transfer of wealth in history. Trillions of dollars are slowly passing from one generation to the next. Yet for all the money that’s changing hands, something far more important isn’t: Power. Our guest on this WhoWhatWhy podcast, Yale historian Samuel Moyn , believes America has quietly become something few of us have recognized: an aging society where the balance between generations has fundamentally shifted. The cohort of people making the biggest political decisions, controlling the most valuable assets, dominating elections, and shaping the country’s future are getting older, not younger. We’ve spent years arguing over whether this politician or that president is too old. But what if those debates have distracted us from a much larger story? Get full access to Talk Cocktail Podcast at jeffschechtman.substack.com/subscribe

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