The City of Laguna Woods: A Case of Senior Power in Local Politics

Abstract

This study examined an example of the potential for senior power in local politics. On March 2, 1999, a gated retirement community in Orange County, California, known as Leisure World, incorporated with three adjacent senior-living facilities and several businesses to form the first city in the nation—Laguna Woods—almost exclusively populated by seniors. An immediate threat to the community’s lifestyle—the building of a nearby airport—set off city incorporation and allowed the residents to fight the airport more effectively. City-generated revenues are mostly dedicated to satisfy the needs of senior residents and finance age-relevant services such as building golf cart trails for nondrivers. This case suggests that, when crises arise, “able seniors” may become influential political activists. Although the senior power model may not be robust on the federal or state levels, it may become more so on the local level.