The Tithonus Trap: America's Crisis of Aging Political Leaders

As medical science extends human lifespan, American democracy faces a crisis where political power increasingly concentrates in hands incapable of wielding it responsibly. The median age of Congress members has surged from the early fifties in 1960 to over sixty today, creating documented cases of legislators unable to fulfill duties while refusing to retire. This trend fundamentally threatens democratic governance, as voters and institutions struggle to hold aging leaders accountable for declining cognitive fitness and compromised decision-making.