This Long American Life
AP US Government and Politics
Critical Analysis
According to the data from the chart, what was U.S. life expectancy at birth in 1900?
According to this chart how does your life expectancy compare to your parents' and your grandparents'?
What is the big story the chart tells?
Why do you think life expectancy has risen so high, so fast?
Based on the chart, what do you predict U.S. life expectancy will be in 2100 right about when you hit 100?
What is a political consequence of growing life expectancy in the US?
Is there any social, economic, or political downside of longer life expectancy in the US?
Based on the data from the map below* how does U.S. life expectancy compares to that of extremely poor countries like Myanmar or Sierra Leon, and to other wealthy, but more equal countries like Canada, New Zealand, and Norway?
What the heck happened in 1918 to make life expectancy decline so dramatically?
How has the ongoing coronavirus pandemic impacted life expectancy in the U.S. and around the world?
Learning Extension
Read the National Institute on Aging's report on life expectancy before time runs out!
Action Extension
Increasing life expectancy is a good thing, but along with aging, come certain problems for individuals and nations. Some experts have argued that we must increase immigration to help deal with our aging native-born population. Others say that because of our aging population we will have to change the terms of our social security program. Contact your president and explain three steps the federal government should take to deal with our aging population:
Visual Extension
What do you think life expectancy was like in all parts of the world about 1000 years ago?