How Older Americans Hoard the Future

American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so much power, should younger generations revolt?  My guest today is Samuel Moyn, a professor at Yale Law School, and he argues that American democracy is distorted by the power of the old. We discuss how seniors have hoarded wealth and influence and how Americans can renew an intergenerational compact. 0:00 The Tyranny of the Elderly 2:01 From Joe Biden to Mitch McConnell 4:19 Europe's Anti-Gerontocracy 5:15 Politicians are the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ 7:07 The Dark Side of Longevity 9:40 How Age Impacts Policy 15:10 The Age Wealth Gap 20:21 How About Millennials? 23:28 Age Limits and Youth Power 38:14 Care Hoarding and Family Burdens 44:54 The Assisted Suicide Debate 50:14 Personal Stakes (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, Interesting Times with Ross Douthat. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.