Age of Least Resistance: Candidate Age and its Relation to Election Results

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Date

2024-12

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

It‬‭ is‬‭ a‬‭ truth‬‭ universally‬‭ acknowledged‬‭ that‬‭ Congressmembers‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ United‬‭ States‬‭ have‬‭ a‬‭ higher‬‭ age‬‭ on‬‭ average‬‭ than‬‭ the‬‭ general‬‭ public.‬‭ Questions‬‭ of‬‭ accurate‬‭ representation‬‭ of‬‭ youth‬‭ in‬‭ government‬‭ swarm,‬‭ and‬‭ many‬‭ older‬‭ candidates‬‭ face‬‭ criticism.‬‭ More‬‭ young‬‭ politicians‬‭ are‬‭ entering‬‭ the‬‭ world‬‭ of‬‭ candidacy‬‭ and‬‭ must‬‭ defend‬‭ their‬‭ age‬‭ and‬‭ experience‬‭ levels‬‭ against‬‭ more‬‭ established‬‭ politicians,‬‭ while‬‭ older‬‭ politicians‬‭ are‬‭ tasked‬‭ with‬‭ defending‬‭ their‬‭ ability‬‭ to‬‭ perform‬‭ their‬‭ duties.‬‭ This‬‭ research‬‭ examines‬‭ the‬‭ relationship,‬‭ or‬‭ lack‬‭ thereof,‬‭ between‬‭ a‬‭ candidate’s‬‭ age‬‭ and‬‭ their‬‭ success‬‭ in‬‭ their‬‭ election.‬‭ Through‬‭ observational‬‭ analysis‬‭ of‬‭ the‬‭ (limited)‬‭ available‬‭ data,‭ I‬‭ find‬‭ that‬‭ the‬‭ age‬‭ of‬‭ a‬‭ candidate‬‭ has‬‭ little‬‭ significant‬‭ correlation‬‭ with‬‭ the‬‭ outcome‬‭ of‬‭ an‬‭ election–whether‬‭ that‬‭ be‬‭ if‬‭ a‬‭ candidate‬‭ wins‬‭ or‬‭ loses,‬‭ or‬‭ how‬‭ much‬‭ they‬‭ lose‬‭ by.‬‭ Some‬‭ significant‬‭ correlation‬‭ is‬‭ found‬‭ between‬‭ winning‬‭ an‬‭ election‬‭ and‬‭ a‬‭ candidate’s‬‭ age‬‭ within‬‭ certain‬‭ parties,‬‭ but‬ the question leaves much to be considered.‬

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Keywords

Age, Candidate, Election, Voter

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