Why does America have the oldest politicians? It’s not by chance, but by design. 

Join New America’s Political Reform Program and New Voters on August 3rd at 6pm ET to understand the systems that reinforce America’s gerontocracy, the structural reforms that could change them, and what young voters actually want out of US politics. 

We’ll hear from Oscar Pocasangre and Dustin Wahl, authors of The Age Divide, on why youth is underrepresented in politics. In their report, they find that it’s not because youth are apathetic or poor leaders, but that barriers to entry are systemic. Parties don’t invest in young politicians and young people are blocked from organizing into a different party due to the two-party doom loop. Their proposed solutions: proportional representation and a multi-party system. 

Despite these systemic barriers, young people are still finding ways to be involved in politics. In this discussion, we’ll also hear from New Voters high school leaders about what frustrates and excites them about American politics and how they’re already making change in their communities. And we'll get their honest reactions — would structural change actually shift how their generation engages?