Part of the Politics series | ||||||||
Basic forms of government | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
List of countries by system of government | ||||||||
Source of power
|
||||||||
Power ideology
|
||||||||
Politics portal | ||||||||
A gerontocracy is a form of rule in which an entity is ruled by leaders who are significantly older than most of the adult population.
In many political structures, power within the ruling class accumulates with age, making the oldest individuals the holders of the most power. Those holding the most power may not be in formal leadership positions, but often dominate those who are. In a simplified definition, a gerontocracy is a society where leadership is reserved for elders.[1]