117th Congress Generational Breakdown
Critical Analysis
According to the chart above, how many Millennials are in the 117th Congress?
What is the big story this chart tells about age in congress?
Why are there no members of Generation Z in Congress? (Pro Tip: Constitution + Logic + Math!)
Compare the age composition of congress to that of the entire U.S.?
What is the best explanation for that comparison?
What is one consequence of that comparison?
Given the Constitutional age requirements (Senate: 30, House: 25), and American attitudes towards age, how different do you think the age composition of the House compares to the Senate?
In the U.S., there are more Millennials than Baby Boomers. Explain why there are more Congressional seats held by Boomers than Millennials.
Right now Boomers are more conservative than Millennials. Some people think that over time Millennials will get more conservative than they are now. Others says that subsequent generations (Generation Z - that’s you) will be more liberal than Millennials. Explain which of these options is more likely.
The average age of Members of the House at the beginning of the 115th Congress was 57.8 years; of Senators, 61.8 years, among the oldest in U.S. history. How do you think the average age of Congress has changed over time?*
Learning Extension
These great graphics by The Hill have the breakdown of the 117th Congress by race, gender, age, etc. And browse all the cool Pew visuals about your generation (Z).
Action Extension
Examine the generational breakdown of your state and your state’s congressional delegation. Share the results in class or online.
