Why are American lawmakers so old?

Despite the prospect of its first Gen Z member, Congress is ageing rapidly

Sep 21st 2022

When Chuck Grassley first took office in 1975, Richard Nixon had just resigned, America was winding down its involvement in Vietnam and Muhammad Ali was world heavyweight boxing champion. Yet even today, with 47 years under his belt, the Iowa farmer-turned-lawmaker says he has "unfinished business" in Congress. Mr Grassley, a Republican who turned 89 on September 17th, is seeking an eighth term in the Senate. If he is re-elected, he will be 95 at the conclusion of his next six-year term. That would make him the second-oldest senator in history, behind only Strom Thurmond, who retired in 2003 at the age of 100.

（当查克 · 格拉斯利1975年第一次就职时，理查德 · 尼克松刚刚辞职，美国正在逐步结束/减少对越南的干涉，穆罕默德 · 阿里是世界重量级拳击冠军。然而，即使是在他任职47年后的今天，这位从爱荷华州农民转变为立法者的议员仍然表示，他在国会还有“未完成的事情/事业”。格拉斯利先生是一位共和党人，9月17日年满89岁，目前正在参议院（寻求第八个任期）。如果他再次当选，他将在下一个六年任期结束时年满95岁。这将使他成为历史上年龄第二大的参议员，仅次于2003年100岁退休的斯特罗姆•瑟蒙德（Strom Thurmond）。）

补充：

• 9月17日年满89岁的共和党人格拉斯利正在寻求在参议院获得第八个任期席位。

• 这将使他成为历史上第二年长/老的参议员，仅次于斯特罗姆·瑟蒙德，后者于2003年100岁退休。

人物：

• Chunk Grasseley

• Richard Nixon

• Muhammad Ali

• The Iowa farmer-turnedlawmaker

记住：

• take office （就职）

• be winding down its involvement in xx. （正逐步结束/减少对 xx 的控制）

• world heavyweight boxing champion（世界重量级拳击冠军）

• with XX years under one's belt （在one's 任职 XX 年后）

Mr Grassley' s longevity is not unusual in Congress. Seven senators and 14 House members are in their eighties, including Nancy Pelosi (82), the speaker of the House, and Mitch McConnell (80), the Senate minority leader. Nearly one-quarter of Congress is over 70, up from just 5% in 1980. Just one in 20, meanwhile, is under 40, compared with half of the American workforce. Voters are set to elect their first Gen Z member of Congress in November' s midterm elections: Maxwell Frost, a 25-year-old activist Democrat expected to win Florida' s 10th congressional district. But on the whole America' s legislature is rapidly getting older.

人物：

• Nancy Pelosi

• Mitch McConnell

• Maxwell Frost

记住：

• longevity（长寿）

• be in their eighties （年过八旬）

• one in 20 （1/20）

• activist Democrat （激进民主党人）

• legislature （立法机构）

Critics say Washington' s gerontocracy is slow-moving and backward-looking. Some voters may agree. A recent poll by CBS/YouGov found that nearly three-quarters of American adults favour an age limit for elected officials. New research by Damon Roberts of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Jennifer Wolak of Michigan State University suggests that age may affect approval ratings, too. Using data from the Cooperative Election Studies, a national survey, the authors found that although voters do not seem to be swayed by candidates' ages during a campaign, once in office older legislators receive lower job-approval ratings than younger ones. This is true even after controlling for sex, race and years in office.

（批评人士表示，华盛顿的老人政府 1⃣️ 行动缓慢，2⃣️ 观念落后。一些选民可能会同意。哥伦比亚广播公司 CBS/YouGov 最近的一项民意调查发现，近四分之三的美国成年人赞成对民选官员设定年龄限制。科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的达蒙•罗伯茨和密歇根州立大学的詹妮弗•沃拉克的新研究表明，年龄也可能影响支持率。利用全国性的合作选举研究的数据，作者发现，虽然选民在竞选期间似乎不会受到候选人年龄的影响，但是一旦上任，年长的立法者比年轻的立法者得到的工作支持率更低。即使在控制了性别、种族和执政年限之后，情况依然如此。）

记住：

• gerontocracy（老人政府）

• slow-moving （行动缓慢）

• backward-looking （观念落后）

• a poll （民意调查）

• three-quarters （四分之三）

• approval ratings （支持率）

• sway: influence, affect

• this is true + clause/n. （情况依然如此）

Still, the odds of Congress getting younger are slim. Mr Roberts and Ms Wolak note that structural factors that favour older politicians - such as incumbency advantage and the way that party leaders recruit candidates - are the main reason for their over-representation in elected office. Meanwhile, veteran politicians and their supporters continue to tout their verve and vigour on the campaign trail. "He' s a young—very young guy," Donald Trump told rally-goers at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in a speech endorsing Mr. Grassley last year. "He' s strong. And he' s very handsome."

（尽管如此，国会年轻化的可能性仍然很小。罗伯茨先生和沃拉 克女士指出，有利于年长政治家的结构性因素——例如在职优势和政党领导人招募候选人的方式——是他们在民选办公室中代表性过高的主要原因。与此同时，资深政治家和他们的支持者继续在竞选活动中吹嘘他们的活力。“他是一个年轻ーー非常年轻的家伙,”唐纳德•特朗普（Donald Trump）去年在 Iowa State Fairgrounds 的一次支持格拉斯利先生的演讲中对参加集会的人表示。“他很强壮。而且他很帅。”）

人物：

• Mr Roberts

• Ms Wolak

记住：

• the odds are slim.（可能性很小。）

• incumbency advantage（在职优势）

• recruit: enlist, sign up, take on, enroll...

• over-representation（代表性过高）

• veteran: LONG-SERVING, seasoned, mature, old, established
  (hardlened; adept, master, expert, consummate, well versed, well trained, practiced, experienced, worldlly-wise, qualified, proficient, professional; informal battle-scarred, crack, ace, mean.)

• tout verve and vigour（吹嘘活力）

• rally-goers（参加集会的人）

• endorse: SUPPORT, back, approve (of), be inagreement with, favor
  (recommend, adlvocate, champion; subscribe to, uphold, affirm, confirm, authorize, authenticate, ratify, sanction, warrant; informal throw one's weight behind, stick up for.)

  • ANTONYMS oppose