Gerontocracy

Gerontocracy refers to a political system ruled by the oldest members of society. In this form of government, the political leaders are often much older than the average constituent. Gerontocracy is often used as a pejorative to describe a political system in which younger people have less political power than older people. Gerontocracies have existed in many different cultures, though cultural ideas about aging and older adults often affect how members of a society interpret the effects of a gerontocracy. Some people argue that gerontocracies are beneficial because the oldest people in a society have the most experience and wisdom and can, therefore, make decisions that will benefit the entire society. However, other people argue that gerontocracies are harmful because the people making the decisions for the society will, on average, not live as long as their constituents, which means the constituents may have to deal with long-term negative outcomes from the decisions made by older political leaders. Gerontocracies have been labeled by some social scientists as positive ageism, as it is a system that benefits older people more than the young.

Background

A gerontocracy is a form of oligarchy, which is a political system in which a small group holds control over a larger group. Like gerontocracy, the term oligarchy is often used as a pejorative, as the implication is that having a small, isolated group of leaders can lead to tyranny and limits on the rights of the regular people. Unlike monarchies, oligarchies do not hand over power through heredity. Instead, leaders in oligarchies take power through military might, economic influence, social influence, or similar means. Throughout history, most oligarchies have formed because wealthy individuals used their money and influence to gain power. Because of the term’s negative connotation, nations do not generally identify themselves as oligarchies. People most often identify government as oligarchies, but people have also used the term to describe forms of leadership in companies and other organizations.

Overview

Throughout human history, various societies have been led by their oldest members. The famous Greek philosopher Plato said, “it is for the elder man to rule and for the younger to submit.” The Greek city-state of Sparta was ruled by what could be called a gerontocracy, as it was ruled by a council made of citizens who were at least sixty years old.

The term gerontocracy was coined in France in the 1800s by a political activist named Jean-Jacques Fazy, who, along with men in France in the 1820s and 1830s, was frustrated with the country’s leadership. Fazy wrote a pamphlet whose title translates to: “On Gerontocracy: Or the Abuse of the Wisdom of Old Men in the Government of France.” In his pamphlet, Fazy expressed his belief that the leaders of the country were weak and ineffective. He indicated their ages were partly to blame for their poor leadership. Fazy’s use of gerontocracy as a pejorative gave the term a lasting negative connotation.

Numerous factors influence political systems that become gerontocracies. Societal beliefs about older adults and about aging play an important part. Some cultures believe that older citizens are wiser because of their age and experience. A study published in 2021 indicates that such beliefs might contribute to the development of gerontocracies. The study noted that different cultures have different ideas about older citizens, their abilities, and their role in society. The authors noted that numerous cultures in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia have a high regard for older citizens. The authors noted that such cultures tend to acknowledge that aging impacts mental and physical health, but they also believe that older citizens deserve respect. From the study, the authors found a correlation between a culture having high levels of respect for older citizens and a culture having leaders who are significantly older than the rest of the population.

Gerontocracies can also form because of large political shifts or upheavals. For example, two famous gerontocracies in the late twentieth century formed in the Soviet Union and in China. The communist takeovers in both countries happened in the first half of the twentieth century. The political upheavals put one party—and mostly one, young generation—in power in both countries. Government leaders did not have political opposition because they did not allow other political parties. They remained in power for decades, with very few younger leaders being allowed to join their ranks. Over time, however, the leaders who helped force the dramatic political change became too old to lead or died, and younger generations were able to break up these gerontocracies.

Although it seems that cultural influence most likely contributes to the creation of gerontocracy in some places, social scientists believe that gerontocracies have developed for other reasons, too. Many social scientists believe that demographics in a society can also influence the creation of a gerontocracy. For example, some political scientists identified the United States as having a gerontocracy in the early twenty-first century, and many social scientists believe that its government was influenced by its demographics. For example, in the United States, the so-called Baby Boomer generation was larger than the generation before it and the generation after it. This group had a larger relative influence on politics throughout the end of the twentieth and early twenty-first century because of its size. Therefore, when that generation became older, it continued to have a large relative influence. Furthermore, studies have shown that older citizens are more likely to vote, giving the Baby Boomers even more relative influence compared to younger generations when they got older.

At the same time, just as the large size of the Baby Boomer generation made it more influential, the relative size of younger generations can also influence the creation of gerontocracies. For example, declining birth rates and smaller younger generations can make older generations comparatively more influential.

Other demographic trends may also influence whether gerontocracies form, such as a society’s average life expectancy and the life expectancy of various age groups in a society. Many societies experienced dramatic increases in life expectancy between the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries. As people lived longer lives, they also stayed in positions of power for longer times. Furthermore, if life expectancies decrease from one generation to the next—which, although rare, has happened in societies in the twenty-first century—the older generations could also have more relative political power than younger generations. Furthermore, if a particular generation in a population has higher levels of relative wealth or education, that generation is also more likely to have more relative political influence.

Although gerontocracy is often used to describe political systems, people also use the term to refer to businesses and other organizations that are led by mostly the groups’ oldest members. One common example of a non-government gerontocracy is the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church’s hierarchy is made up of bishops, cardinals, and the pope. Men usually reach these positions of power after many years of working in the Church. Because of the experience required to become leaders, the Church is headed mostly by its oldest members. The pope, who is the head of the Church, often serves in the office until he dies. Although the hierarchy is made up of some of the Church’s oldest members, in the 1970s, the pope announced that cardinals who were eighty years or older could not vote for the next pope. Some businesses and other organizations are also considered gerontocracies when their leadership positions are filled by older members.

Gerontocracies are viewed differently by different societies. Some people believe that gerontocracies are always bad for society because they do not accurately represent the demographics of the entire society. These people believe that the government should include a demographic makeup that is similar to the overall demographic makeup of the society. People who believe that government should be roughly demographically representative of society often believe this because different demographics have different life experiences and different views about the world.

Sometimes, people’s perceptions of gerontocracies are influenced by their views about aging and older populations. Some people believe gerontocracies are helpful because the government should have the wisdom and experience that comes with aging. These people believe that older citizens deserve respect, and they believe that old age is more of a benefit than a drawback for government officials.

Nevertheless, some people believe that older citizens are less capable of proper leadership than younger citizens. Some people raise concerns about mental and physical decline in older elected leaders. These people believe that older citizens, in general, do not make the most effective leaders.

Bibliography

Binstock, Robert H. “Old-Age Policies, Politics, and Ageism.” Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, vol. 29, no. 3, 2005, pp. 73–8.

Bump, Philip. “The Rise of the Gerontocracy.” The Washington Post, 24 Sept. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/09/24/rise-gerontocracy. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Kleiman, Mark. “Oligarchy and Gerontocracy.” Washington Monthly, 26 Apr. 2012, washingtonmonthly.com/2012/04/26/oligarchy-and-gerontocracy. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

“Gerontocracy.” The Encyclopedia of Aging: A Comprehensive Resource in Gerontology and Geriatrics, edited by George L. Maddox, Springer, 2013.

Magni-Berton, Raul, and Sophie Panel. "Gerontocracy in a Comparative Perspective: Explaining Why Political Leaders Are (Almost Always) Older than Their Constituents." Sociology Compass, vol. 15, no. 1, 2021, p. e12841, doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12841. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Morosini, Marco. “Gerontocracy to Dominate in Affluent Countries?” Our World, 4 Oct. 2013, ourworld.unu.edu/en/gerontocracy-to-dominate-in-affluent-countries. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Noah, Timothy. “America, the Gerontocracy.” Politico, 3 Sept. 2019, www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/03/america-gerontocracy-problem-politics-old-politicians-trump-biden-sanders-227986. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.

Peyser, Eve. “Gerontocracy Is Hurting Democracy.” New York Magazine, 15 Mar. 2021, nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/03/gerontocracy-is-hurting-american-democracy.html. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.