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Aging and the Future of American Politics

Trends suggesting a dramatic increase in the pro portion of aging Americans have brought attention to the pos sibility of gains in "senior power." Consideration of this possi bility is most appropriately focused on voting and interest group politics, the political activities which have bases in large categories of citizens. Examination of electoral politics suggests there is no sound reason to expect the aging will gain power by voting more cohesively in the future. The most pow erful likely result for interest group politics is that organiza tions based on aging members, consumers, clients, and sub jects for study will have credentials to participate in the poli tics of a broader range of interest group arenas than they do now. At most, some roles in the political system may be ex changed, and some aging citizens as well as aging interest groups may achieve incremental gains in the playing out of what Lowi has characterized as interest-group liberalism. A more important political implication of increased numbers of the aging is the concomitant increase in services and facilities they will need. If government responds to those needs, how ever, it will be because of pervasive ideological considera tions and not because it is pushed to do so by so-called senior power.