America's leaders are old and getting older. And across Congress, the judiciary, and the executive branch, government is becoming less and less reflective of the youthful society it represents. "Red, White, and Gray" explores the costs, benefits, and dangers of life in a democracy helmed by those of advanced age, where issues of profound importance to the nation's youth and future — technology, civil rights, energy, the environment — are largely in the hands of those whose primes have passed.
When government grows old
Investigating the price that's paid when aged leaders lead a youthful nation.
Read more from 'Red, White, and Gray'
Learn how the decisions of the United States' gerontocracy affect all Americans.
Old men helped cause the Soviet Union's collapse. Historians say it's a warning sign for the United States.
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Some of Congress' youngest members have famously flamed out. Can a candidate be too young to serve?
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There's overwhelming support for an age limit on the president and Congress. Here's why that won't happen anytime soon.
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'Red, White, and Gray': Key findings from Insider's investigation into the United States' gerontocracy
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America's government is older than ever, so we made this 'Dungeons & Dragons'-inspired tabletop role-playing game to show you why the system favors gerontocracy
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Here's what descendants of 5 former presidents say about the role age plays in politics
Young Black activists are done waiting their turn for political office. They're taking on the 'John Lewis generation' of elder lawmakers who they say are out of touch.
21 min read
Gen X is late to the leadership table in US politics, prompting the question: Will it ever produce a president?
15 min read
One in three Republicans say they don't want more LGBTQ people in Congress: poll
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Alzheimer's disease, retirement 'pacts,' and serving until you're 104 years old: Inside the federal judiciary's reckoning with age
17 min read
Most women think US leaders are 'out of touch' when it comes to abortion: poll
3 min read
Fights over political lines have fueled the aging of America's government. But that may be changing.
11 min read
Opponents of old people dominating the government have an unlikely ally: baby boomers
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These 5 former House candidates might've been the next AOC, but entrenched politicians blocked their path
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Majority of Americans say Donald Trump and Joe Biden are both too old to serve as president: poll
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SCOTUS has a legitimacy problem: People don't think it represents them, and want to see term limits, polling finds
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Gen Z feels the needs of its generation aren't represented anywhere in Congress: poll
2 min read
Millennials and Gen Z want to stop a climate catastrophe. But first they have to get elected.
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Tech leaders dish on how asinine it is to try to describe their companies, products, and worth to Congress
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Old money: How retirees are funding and fueling political candidates unlike ever before
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A 3-way game of geriatric chicken featuring Trump, Biden, and Bernie has younger Democrats and Republicans itching for change
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Special elections are confusing, chaotic messes that bleed taxpayers — and could often be avoided if politicians quit before leveling up, flaming out, or dropping dead
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Americans think the government is too old — and wide margins support term limits, age caps, and cognitive tests, an Insider/Morning Consult poll finds
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How Joe Biden's views have changed on 5 key issues during his 50 years in politics
1 min read
6 former members of Congress describe the moment they decided it was time to quit Capitol Hill — while in their prime
9 min read
23 times age has been an issue for US presidents and candidates
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Watch how Joe Biden has aged from 1974 to 2022
What it's like working for lawmakers whose golden years are clouded by power struggles, rumors of senility, and constant second-guessing
17 min read
How the mind of an 80-year-old president is biologically different from a 45-year-old president's
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Why Joe Biden thinks he's never too old to be your president
22 min read
6 charts that explain the United States' march toward gerontocracy
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