Caroline Downey

When career politicians spend decades clinging to power past their functional prime, the line between dedicated public service and institutional gerontocracy becomes dangerously blurred. Caroline Downey breaks down the urgent debate surrounding age limits, cognitive testing, and term limits for political leaders in Washington. Unpacking recent high-profile health scares, frozen public appearances, and cognitive lapses among senior members of Congress and presidential candidates, Caroline details how a system governed by elderly elites struggles to keep pace with modern economic, technological, and national security challenges. Dissecting the institutional incentives, leadership structures, and primary dynamics that keep career politicians entrenched in office long past reasonable retirement ages, Caroline explores why both young voters and older constituents are demanding generational renewal across government. What does the debate over elderly politicians reveal about the need for systemic reform in American governance and the future of congressional leadership? Watch Caroline’s full analysis, leave your thoughts below, and subscribe to National Review!