Out With the Old: Should We Impose Age Limits on Politicians?

It’s clear that the United States has a problem with aging politicians. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the most likely candidates running in the general presidential election next year, are 80 years old and 77 years old. They are among many of our most prominent government figures to be part of the oldest generation, with Senators Schumer and McConnell joining them in their 70s and 80s, respectively. According to FiveThirtyEight, today’s Congress is the oldest in American history.

Though it is important for our leaders to possess seniority and experience, recent incidents have shown that our politicians might just be getting too old. Biden and Trump both regularly commit speaking gaffes at rallies and speeches, and Senator McConnell has had numerous concerning episodes of freezing up in front of the press. This issue extends beyond simple optics. At age 90, the late Senator Diane Feinstein had to be reminded to “just say ‘aye’” by a colleague when voting on military budgets (NPR). At one point, Feinstein had to be absent from the Senate for months due to health complications with shingles and as a consequence of her vacancy, held up Democratic efforts at confirming judicial appointments (Vox). It’s terrifying to think of similar situations that the leader of the free world could find himself in. 

This has serious policy implications. Research shows that the identity of members of Congress—including factors such as age, gender, and race—can influence their positions on certain issues and the way that they prioritize them. Given that 48% of the 177th Congress are part of the baby boomer generation, even though they only make up 21% of the American population, a disproportionate amount of time may be spent on the concerns of older adults. Political scientists James M. Curry and Matthew R. Haydon found that older Americans are more likely to introduce legislation targeting senior issues. This could very possibly lead to neglecting issues that are important to the younger generation of America. For instance, climate change is a significant threat to our lives but its biggest impact will not be felt for years, yet the senior focus in Congress could give it little attention. 

According to a CBS News poll, 73% of Americans believe that maximum age limits should be enacted for elected officials. Surprisingly enough, this is true across many demographics, including age and party. Common arguments against age limits include believing that it will lead to less experienced politicians and that age maximums would be discriminatory. However, they are commonplace in other government positions. For example, pilots are required to retire at 65, air-traffic controllers at 61, and foreign-service officers at the State Department at 65. Furthermore, we’ve had an age minimum for congressional and presidential candidates since the ratification of the Constitution — if age minimums aren't ageist, why are age maximums?

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that we’ll see such a drastic change in American politics any time soon, given the political capital needed to pass any such legislation or constitutional amendment in our highly polarized climate. Age limits for politicians are just another example of essential political reforms in this country that have yet to be passed. 

by ATREYI BASU