Bill Clinton joined President Joe Biden in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act when he arrived at the White House in the early months of 2023. It was difficult to ignore the fact that Clinton had been in business for three years and that, at the age of 77, he is in some ways three years younger than Biden.
The second senior to hold the Oval Office is Biden, who is 80 years old. His main rival, original President Donald Trump, is 77. According to a Monmouth University poll conducted in October 2023, almost three-quarters of voters believe Biden is too old to run for office, and almost half believe Trump is as old as he should be.
President George H. W. Bush, my former boss, wisely decided against challenging Clinton once more in the 1996 vote. He would have been 72 years old at the 1997 inaugural if he had run and won.
Instead, he delighted in a fantastic follow-up that included skydiving, grandkids, and charitable causes. The question of why Biden and Trump, who are more than 15 years older than the typical American retirement age, are reapplying for one of the hardest jobs in the world is raised by Bush’s post-presidential living and American principles of retirement in public.
a preference for older folks
Two of the three oldest presidents to have ever held office are Trump and Biden. Before Ronald Reagan took office, William Henry Harrison held the distinction of being the oldest leader always elected for 140 times. Reagan was 69 years old at his first inaugural in 1981, while Harrison was only 68 when he took office in 1841.
Reagan was the oldest man to have ever held the office of leader when he retired at the age of 77. After Reagan and Biden, Trump left company at the age of 74, making him the third-oldest person to do so.
The median age in America is 38.9 years older, according to the Census Bureau. However, with the House and Senate having typical age of 58 and 64, both, the term” gerontocracy” is frequently used to describe the governing class of the country.
The name” government by the old” is defined by Teen Vogue, which just published a narrative explaining the term to younger citizens. Gerontocracies are more prevalent among spiritual authorities like the Vatican or Iran’s ayatollahs. During the Cold War, they were also prevalent in socialist ruling boards like the Soviet Politburo. Old leaders are less common in democracies.
The White House is beyond.
There are other aging US leaders besides Biden and Trump; there is a nonpartisan tendency among Democrats and Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democrats Chuck Schumer, both of whom are 72 years old. Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, was really re-elected and is 90 years old with no plans to retire. 81-year-old separate senator Bernie Sanders has made no mention of retiring.
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California and former Speaker of the House, only announced that she is seeking reelection for her 19th whole term in office at the age of 83. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who serves as the nonvoting member from Washington, DC, and Bill Pascrell Jr., both of New Jersey, are 86 years old.
Both California Democrat Maxine Waters and Kentucky Republican Harold Rogers are 85 years old. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland, is 84. None of these lawmakers have stated they are retiring, and the list goes on.
A few years back, a local doctor from Capitol Hill made headlines when he admitted to filling the treatments for members of Congress’ Alzheimer’s medications. The third-oldest House and Senate since 1789, each of the 20 oldest members of Congress is at least 80 years old.
delayed pension
What’s happening around?
Due to inflation or a lack of benefits, the majority of baby boomers who postpone pensions do so because they cannot afford to stop working. However, each of these social figures has a sizable banks balance; many of them are businessmen. In addition to Medicare, they may also receive state pensions and health care rewards if they retired. Therefore, it’s not possible economic for them.
According to one theory, it’s defense. Nobody enjoys being reminded of their own deaths. I am aware of people who associate retreat with death, frequently because of acquaintances they know who passed away shortly after stepping down. This may help to explain why Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Senator Dianne Feinstein both served for such a long time before passing away at the ages of 90 and 87, both.
Some view it as identity-driven. Many of the top leadership I’ve observed have put in so much effort over such a long period of time that their very identities are entwined with their positions. Additionally, years of hard work prevent them from having habits to pass the time in their later years.
Ego is another idea. Some legislators believe they are essential and the only people who could possibly carry out the task. They don’t specifically seem modest.
In the social sphere, their curiosity is frequently also related to energy. These are the people who ask themselves,” Why wouldn’t I want to stay casting the vote in a House or Senate that is sharply split, or stay giving speeches and flying around on Air Force One as leader?”
Why so few of them want to leave is understandable.
Years restrictions?
Age restrictions for national elected office have been called for. When many, federal law enforcement personnel are required to retire at age 57. The same goes for regional park rangers. However, there is no upper age limit for the most difficult job in the world.
There are other options available to those who believe that compulsory retirement is insensitive and subjective. Democratic candidate Nikki Haley has called for mandatory mental competency tests for elected officials who are 75 years of age and older, though she has stated that passing would not be a requirement for office and that failing wouldn’t be grounds for removal.
A poll conducted in September 2023 reveals that vast majority of Americans support skills assessment. The general public would be able to distinguish between sharpened and unsharp people in this way. To me, it seems like a good idea.
The same goes for being kind enough to pause and consider people. and having the insight to understand that life is short and involves more than just going to work. And having the kindness to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans, as the country’s second-youngest president, John F. Kennedy, previously said.
I’m 70, so I have a lot of sympathy for these people, but 80 seems much younger than it used to, in my opinion, says my partner professor Larry Sabato, chairman of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. But no, it’s absurd. We must resume electing individuals in their 50s and earlier 60s. Additionally, the poll reveals that the majority of Americans do respond,” Amen, nephew.”
Mary Kate Cary is the chairman of Think Once and an adjunct professor of politics at the University of Virginia.
Under a Creative Commons license, this essay has been republished from The Conversation. Read the article in its entirety.