Recently, a debate about age limits in politics ignited throughout America, from the media to conversations at the dinner table. From Dianne Feinstein to Mitch McConnell, this debate has people wondering: is it time to rethink age limits on politicians in the United States?
On July 26, Senator Mitchell McConnell, 81, froze for about 30 seconds during an interview. According to NBC News, a spokesman for McConnell said that he “felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference.”
Likewise, according to CBS News, Senator Dianne Feinstein had been hospitalized for shingles, which led to her developing encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain. Due to these health issues, she had to step away from Congress for three months. There were also concerns from her staffers regarding her short-term memory loss, which could have impacted her ability to debate in the Senate and vote on key issues in her Senate Committees.
Feinstein died earlier this month.
These incidents have raised the question of instituting age limits to run for or stay in political office. While some may consider this biased against elderly politicians, it is really a concern for the politician’s well being and status.
For example, the longer someone spends working in politics, the more wisdom and experience they have to offer to their voters and the American people. But the longer a politician spends in office as they grow older, more issues like health conditions arise, impeding their ability to propose legislation and take effective action on current affairs.
As America grows, we need fresh, new ideas for our democracy – which ultimately affects the rest of the world. Those who are in the position of needing to make important decisions for the country must be physically and mentally capable of doing so without a concern that one’s health can delay or jeopardize that decision.
A solution is to promote age diversity when it comes to politics instead of enforcing strict age limits, on both young and old. This will allow for individuals from different age groups to help with political processes. Being able to have different points of views from those who have lived through different points of time could help provide a backbone for not just America, but the world’s politics.
