About this episode
John Prideaux explores the political legacy of the baby boomers as they approach the end of their political journey.
How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers. Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years - not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold war. They hit the jobs market at an unmatched period of wealth creation. They have benefitted from giant leaps in technology, and in racial and gender equality. And yet, their last act in politics sees the two main parties accusing each other of wrecking American democracy. As the boomers near the end of their political journey, John Prideaux sets out to make sense of their inheritance and their legacy. Launching July 2024. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ . If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist , you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit…
People in this episode
Host: John Prideaux
Topics covered
- politics
- baby boomers
- American presidency
- democracy
- legacy
Keywords
- baby boomers
- American presidency
- politics
- democracy
- John Prideaux
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Economist
Places: America
More episodes of The Prince
- Trailer: Boss Class Season 3 · January 26, 2026 · 2 min
- Trailer: Boss Class Season 2 · April 30, 2025 · 2 min
- Trailer: Scam Inc · January 23, 2025 · 4 min
- Trailer: The Modi Raj · May 28, 2024 · 5 min
- Hide and bide · September 28, 2022 · 36 min
- Redder than red · September 28, 2022 · 36 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Prince podcast page.