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Episode 1498Dec 4, 2025

Is the U.S. a gerontocracy?

What an aging Congress has to do with the United States’ generational wealth gap.

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Is the U.S. a gerontocracy?
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The average age of Congress' members has gotten older compared to the Americans it represents. This 119th Congress is the third oldest since 1789. On today’s show, Princeton economist Owen Zidar joins Kimberly to explain how decades of public policy have fueled a generational wealth gap and what our so-called gerontocracy has to do with it. Plus, what it would take for Congress to really address the economic issues younger Americans are facing.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

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The Team