To make a real change in society, younger generations should be integrated into the government and older generations should be phased out.
Over the last few years, there have been some prominent examples of old age and its effects in the government. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are prime examples.
There was a lot of discussion about President Joe Biden’s age during the beginning of the last presidential election campaign, when Biden had moments of apparent confusion. Biden eventually dropped out of the presidential race, and former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in.
President Donald Trump has had questions asked about his age and behavior as well. He was seen with facial drooping, which can be a sign of a medical issue, at one public event, and had his photo taken at another with his eyes closed.
Neither of these men should have been allowed to run for president in the first place. Even before Biden started showing signs of aging, The New York Times found that 79 percent of Americans favor age limits for elected officials.
Some other prime examples of old age affecting the government are Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who serves as a representative today at 85 years old, and was Speaker of the House for many years. Also, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is 83 years old, earlier this month appeared to fall to the ground unprovoked while talking with reporters.
There should be age limits and term limits to ensure that leaders are in the prime of their lives. Too many current members of government are not.
For example, the minimum age for president is 35, but there is no maximum age. This means that even if the candidate isn’t coherent, they can still campaign to run the country, which should raise concerns.
In addition, many younger members in the House of Representatives have been more outspoken and determined, such as Democrat Jasmine Crockett and Republican Brandon Gill.
For example, according to House.gov, in 2024, Crockett partnered with the Biden-Harris administration to provide an $80 million Department of Transportation grant to help the community in her district. Gill, meanwhile, has been vocal in supporting President Trump’s agenda.
To be clear, no, teenagers should not run the government. But the older officials are only bringing about more chaos and close-mindedness. Overall, older generations may have the experience, but there should be term limits to get more young adults involved to bring about change.
