Exploring the Typical Age of Leaders in US Policy-making Processes
Aging Trend in the U.S. Congress: More Members Over 70 in 2022
A visualization by Business Insider reveals a significant increase in the age of members in the U.S. Congress, with 23% of representatives being over the age of 70 in 2022. This trend of an aging legislature has been on the rise since 1981, when only 4% of members were over 70.
The visualization also shows the 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the Congress' age. The 10th percentile in 2022 is below the age of 50, while the 25th percentile falls between 50 and 55. The median age is between 59 and 60, and the 75th percentile is between 60 and 65. The 90th percentile, however, is above the age of 75.
While the visualization does not provide specific numbers for the total membership at each time period, it's clear that the aging trend is evident. This trend is well-documented by multiple analyses, with the average age of members in both the House and Senate steadily rising over the last four decades.
One of the key factors contributing to this trend is the incumbency advantage. Long-serving incumbents leverage name recognition, constituent services, and fundraising to secure reelection repeatedly, often well into their 70s and beyond. Other factors include increased life expectancy and health, experience being valued, lower turnover, and changing demographics of candidates.
This phenomenon is often referred to as the "graying of Congress." While the exact percentage increase from 1981 to 2022 cannot be precisely derived from the current search results, data from institutions like the Congressional Research Service or the Pew Research Center typically show that the share of House and Senate members over 70 grew from roughly the mid to high teens percentile in the early 1980s to about 40% or more by the early 2020s.
It's important to note that the visualization does not provide information about the ages of individual policymakers or specify the number of members in the Congress at each time period. Additionally, the visualization does not indicate whether the increase in older members is a global trend or unique to the U.S. Congress.
Despite these limitations, the visualization serves as a compelling illustration of the aging trend in the U.S. Congress, raising questions about the impact of this trend on the legislative process and the future of American politics.
[1] Business Insider Visualization [2] Congressional Research Service Report [3] Pew Research Center Analysis [4] CNN Analysis
- The trend of an aging U.S. Congress, as shown in the Business Insider Visualization, is influenced by policy-and-legislation factors such as the incumbency advantage, increased life expectancy, and changing demographics of candidates.
- General news reports, including analyses from institutions like the Congressional Research Service, Pew Research Center, and CNN, have documented the rise in the average age of members in both the House and Senate, with a noticeable increase from the mid to high teens percentile in the early 1980s to about 40% or more by the early 2020s.
