Many scholars have made
the logical leap, supposing that concentrations of socially interactive
older adults who are generally politically knowledgeable, efficacious,
tuned-in, and able should result in a politically exceptional and powerful
geriatric populace.
This work supports and adds to the less sensational but incredibly
important work that tells a different story.
In the aged communities, we
find a distinctive mix of high political knowledge and low efficacy with
unimpressive turnout levels. It is possible that older adults have the
ability to remain engaged and current with political information but
lack the level of physical capability that might encourage increased
political activity in aged communities.
Physical challenges faced by older adults may very well contribute
to this disenchantment with politics, but
it is also likely that aged communities
encourage a retreatist and politically pessimistic outlook
among many residents. In many of the communities, there are plenty
of leisure activities to take up energy that do not directly involve politics
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