Photo Credit: Vox.com
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 46th President of the United States, is now the oldest President ever elected in American History. At the age of 78, President Joe Biden took office and took the title from The Honorable Ronald W. Reagan. The 40th President of the United States was formerly the oldest, leaving office at 77 years old. Lately, we have noticed an uptick in older people taking office. The Honorable Donald J. Trump, Sr., 45th President of the United States, was formerly the most senior President elected to their first term at 70 years old. Presidents have typically been on an older side of the age spectrum; with age comes the expectation of wisdom and leadership. In the colonial era, people like President George Washington and Secretary Alexander Hamilton often wore white wigs to look older to play the part of leadership and wisdom.
Nevertheless, we encounter an issue with older people being elected as leaders. A commonly held conception among younger people is that older people do not like change and are less likely to take a notion from the ideas and recommendations from younger people. Older people have also proven that they do not think that young people have the skills necessary to make decisions for the world that they will indefinitely inherit and a world that they will soon no longer see.
(Shop here)
However, the big question is, should we lower the age to run for office or add an age cap to run for office? That is for we the people to decide. We could not put it immediately in congress because most of them would be voting to not have a job if we added an age cap. After all, most of them are well in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. In fact, the approximate average age of the Senator is 63 years old.
Photo Credit: TheWashingtonPost.com
Although, having 18-year-olds run the Senate also not be a good idea because the lack of life experience to make decisions at the federal level may interfere with their ability to do so. We must consider that the diversity of having younger people mixed with older people makes for well-discussed legislation that better reflects younger people’s ideas and instills older people’s knowledge.
My 1st recommendation would be to lower most all ages to run for office to 18. For some reason, this nation has multiple definitions of what age makes a complete adult and what decisions they can and cannot make. At 18, you can vote, join the military, and buy a gun; however, you cannot buy tobacco products or alcohol until you are 21. Why are there two different ages for adulthood and decision?
Photo Credit: www.IKnowPolitics.org
If you lower the age to 18, it will encourage younger people to run for office. For example, the age to run for the United States House of Representatives is 25 years old; however, most who run are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Lowering the age to 18 may encourage younger people to run under the typical age range, such as people in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s. 18-year-olds are typically too focused on other things rather than politics; however, the ones that take an interest in it are mature enough to handle a position like this.
My 2nd recommendation is that no one over 75 should be in office. Ages in the rage of late 60s, 70s, and 80s are retiring age, and people in that range should not be in office making decisions at that time.
We all know that our elected officials are too old and that young people feel unheard in government. This leads to the many protests we have trying to light a fire under those in office to represent us in the way we have asked them to. We must take more drastic measures as a society and push for policy that changes age requirements for office. I believe genuinely this will only benefit the nation rather than hinder it.
Shop what you value here.
Our growth will be substantial when we have younger people help plan for future industry in society. This is why I am running for office myself, Justice of the Peace in my county, where my slogan is: “The Future Leading The Future.”
I believe we can achieve this if we continue to do the work of making issues heard and pushing for a logical age policy!
Comments