Ronald Inglehart (who died just last year) compiled an enormous database tracking social change across dozens of countries. For instance, in one country in one year, the prevailing belief is that immigrants should have no right to jobs and homosexuals no right to life and then - a few generations later - the majority swings to the belief that immigrants have as much right to jobs as native born and that everyone has the right to marry who they love, regardless of race, religion or orientation. His database suggests that we change over time but that is misleading. As it turns out, societies change over time because people with antiquated beliefs die out to be replaced at the polls by their grandkids with more modern beliefs. Societies change but - after about 20 or 25 - people don't. As we live longer and have fewer kids, that means the pace of social change slows.
Republicans have likely gained control of the House and possibly the Senate in this Nov 2022 election. (Since 1969, control of House, Senate and White House has been divided about 70% of the time, so this is the post-Woodstock norm.)
Young voters 18 to 29 voted Democratic by 63-35% in the 8-Nov-22 election. Life expectancy was 47 in 1900. By 2000 it had hit 77. If life expectancy were still 47, this overwhelming turnout of young voters for Democrats would mean a landslide. (And would mean people 29 were "middle-aged" rather than young.) Now it is just a nudge because so many elderly voters cancel out the youths. Change is slowed because individuals don't change and we all live longer than we did a century ago.
And on that note, Chuck Grassley won re-election as the Republican Senator from Iowa and will be serving for 6 more years. And a good thing, too. I mean, if you're 89, who else is going to hire you?
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