Clearly, the graying of the United States is a phenomenon that can no longer be ignoredeither by social scientists or by government policymakers. Advocacy groups on behalf of the elderly have emerged and spoken out on a wide range of issues (as we will see later in the chapter). Politicians court the votes of older people, since they are the age group most likely to register and most likely to vote. In fact, they are the only age group that has actually increased their turnout rate over the last 25 years (L. Feldman 1999; LaGanga 2000).