Would limiting the age of the President to 70 be something you’d support? Why or why not?

I'm more concerned about insuring presidential candidates were screened mental health and intelligence. Age is usually a quick indicator, but not the end all be all to determine the mental stability to run anything. People can be just as bad as dementia patient without advanced age. Catch myself with biases against old folks all the time, but not all old folks are lost causes

If air traffic controllers have to retire at 55, airline pilots at 65, then the guy who can order a nuclear attack can certainly be pushed out at age 65.

I would endorse making candidates age 70 and older to take an unbiased nationally televised cognitive test in order to be deemed fit to run. Failure to pass the cognitive test permanently disqualifies the candidate from pursuing and/or holding the office of President or Vice President.

No one older than 65 should be running the few world

Depends on how stupid the population in my country is. Here in Sweden we have no age limit, but our average age of Parliament members is 50, so it's not a problem for us at all.

60 max for all three branches, please.

I'd make the age limit 65 years old at inauguration. That would have eliminated: > Biden (78) > Trump (70 - 1st time) > Reagan (69) > W H Harrison (68) > Buchanan (65) None are among our finest presidents.

Give a candidate the same screening process that is needed to get a job at the secret service or something similar.

It should be limited to 60, your body amd mind just kinda start to fall apart after that point, and I don't think someone should be making decisions that aren't going to affect them pretty soon

Limit the age to 65, make it so convicted felons cant run and fully prohibit the trading of business stocks for not only the president but also senators, congressional members, state representatives and Supreme Court Justices.

I'm tired of people who won't live long enough to see the consequences of their actions making decisions for the rest of us.

Just make cognitive and physical tests public. If voters still vote for that shit well.... Old people deserve representation too. In a true democracy you must respect that. Just give the voters the important information they need to decide. No secrets

I am all for age limits. I'm all for term limits. But let's just be honest with ourselves and each other about what we're doing here. We're trying to create mechanisms that transfer the responsibility for sustaining our republic away from voters and into the hands of laws. There is no term limit or age limit that will fix how many people vote for policies that don't even benefit themselves or their families, let alone anyone else. This is not a problem that can be solved with limits. We have a deep cultural rot that cannot be fixed with limits. Electing a 40 year old that doesn't give two shits about the climate is not one iota better than electing a 98 year old that doesn't give two shits about climate.

Old people become president because the public elects them. If they public didn't want old people, they wouldn't elect them. We don't need a law restricting the presidency to an age limit. That being said, I think a better solution would be to instill term limits on congressmen. Joe Biden served five terms as the senator from Delaware (elected 6 times). Had he been limited to two, he would've been out of office in 1990 and forced to find a new job in Washington or Delaware. He would've either made a run in 1992 (which he already did in 88), or shot for a cabinet position. Either way, it would be unlikely for him to still mount a presidential bid in 2020. Incumbent politicians are always the heavy favorite for re-election, that's why term limits is important. It would prevent these politicians from getting to an age where it becomes a problem. In the case of Trump, he's just a freak of nature. He literally broke every rule in the political play book and still got elected. An age restriction would've prevented him as president, but his age isn't the worst thing about him

Don't care about age... IQ tests should be mandatory

I can't stay in my job until I'm 80 and I am just a shitkicker.

If we're talking 70 does that mean if someone would turn 70 somewhere during a Presidential term he or she isn't eligible? Someone 62 couldn't be a two term President?

A democracy should work by voting the best candidate, let the ppl decide. The real problem isn’t and age restriction, it’s a candidate choice restriction. The two party system is broken

Like trump or the republicans care about troop deaths.

Not just the president, all politicians. I would also put term limits on all political positions.

No. Bernie Sanders would have been an exceptional President. The more productive move would be eliminating the electoral college.

Yes. Old people should not run the world.

You have to be a minimum of 35 to run for president, that's 17 years after adulthood. The average US lifespan is 79 so you should knock off 17 years from the top, but I'll be generous and say 65. You've a 30 year window to be president.

Yes. Term limits for everyone.

Can't age past 60 in office. Or limit to 50 to run. I'm done with these dinosaurs.

No. I know plenty of people north of 70 who are sharp as tacks, and I can't support a program that creates a precedent that arbitrarily takes rights away from people because, reasons.

I am not American. But I would support an age limit - maybe not 70, but certainly an upper age limit. I would certainly support such a thing in my own country (Australia) but electing doddery old idiots has not been an issue here. It would need to be phrased something like "no candidate who exceeds the age of <70 years> on election day/inauguration day is eligible". This allows someone to be elected prior to the cut off, serve out a full term but no more than that. Far easier than replacing someone mid-term I think.

We could go lower

I wouldn’t support it. I think most attempts to create hard barriers for holding elected office are misguided at best, even when they sound reasonable and “common sense”. I think we benefit by having as few restrictions as possible, with the determiner of fitness to lead being in the hands of the electorate. Yes, people can and do make terrible decisions, but if you can convince ~50% of America then America deserves it. And if someone was going to cheat to get elected, no laws passed change that. If we had to legally assess competence to hold office, it sure as hell should be DIRECTLY measuring competence, not some vaguely correlated secondary statistic like age. There are laser-focused 90 year olds and completely incompetent 50 year olds, so why would you use a measure like age that is only “likely” to get it right rather than directly measuring some other capacity?

No. Because it would be excluding some of the best people. Joe Biden was the most successful progressive president since LBJ. Part of his success in legislation achieved against stiff resistance came because of his (and others’ - Pelosi’s, Schumer’s) experience, and experience often comes with age. LBJ and FDR were considerably younger, so age clearly isn’t everything, but exclusion of candidates that are too old should be done by the voters.

Absolutely. They are not looking at the future, as they won't be existing in it. The elderly are looking out for themselves and their families alone.

No. If you don't want a 70 year old as president, don't vote for them. You get the people you vote for. Half the people in the US don't vote (way more don't vote in state and local elections). Just putting arbitrary criteria for office holders to make up for the disinterest of the electorate is a stupid idea.

Abolish the Presidency. Clearly our Constitution does not go far enough guaranteeing the rights of individuals and limiting the power of the state. Checks and balances have failed completely and the system is captured. Any system of governance which vests so much authority in one human being has proven to be a recipe for disaster again and again. Instead of freeing mankind from the shackles of monarchy, the system that mistrusted concentrated power is hacked to create King-lite. The founders didn't go far enough. They created an officer who can pardon his seditious allies and launch aggressive quagmire wars with zero ability to stop him, perfectly legally. Gave them the legal framework to legislate and corrupt themselves right back into tyranny, convincing themselves it was constitutional all the while. Nine unelected wizards in robes proclaim that crime is fine when the president does it. They hold show trials in the Senate, refusing to hear evidence that the President blackmailed a foreign ally, or launched an attack on Congress, or committed espionage. The rot is complete. Decisions not made through consensus and cooperation directly with the People alone should hold no power whatsoever. As a citizen I say we should consider abolishing the Presidency altogether.

Age should not be the only criteria for office. A cognitive examination and mental acuity test all overseen by three qualified professionals should be mandatory. This should be for both elected and appointed officials.

I think the limit should be zero years old

I'd argue it's still too high. The people in power need to be in touch with modern issues and be able to understand them. The president in particular needs to at least *appear* to be in touch with the reality the citizens face.

I am a great believer in age restriction on certain jobs. I know that it seemed incredibly unfair to people who do keep their skills and wits about the into old age, but everyone is 'fine' until their not. Everyone reaches a point where they have to give up something because they can't do it anymore, and some people will refuse even when they become a danger. Its like driving or being a doctor. Believing you can still perform heart surgery at 65 is very different than actually being able to.

I can't help but think we somehow figure out how to make people live much longer without any ill physical or mental effect, and then this law just screws people in the opposite way. For that reason: "No person shall be eligible for the Office of President whose age, on the date of the general election, exceeds 85% of the national life expectancy at birth."

It would already have been a law to begin with had 70 been a typical age to hit.

Tie it to the age you can collect social security. If politicians want to run when they're older, they are gonna have to piss off a LOT of people to do so. And if we don't want older people to run, we'll have to increase social security taxes.

maybe you should start with scratching lobbying and the extreme amount of money spent on running (and the amount of money needed) in the first place - maybe you wouldn't end up with greedy demented presidents who doesn't care about anything but personal gains

It should be 50 at most. If people have to retire at 65, why on earth would anyone trust them to run anything? It's stupid to let an 80+ year old run a country.

65

Yes! If you don’t care about the future of this planet. You should be disqualified.  On the other hand. How do you change any law in an oligarchy?

Hard yes

Limiting all positions of power to 50 at the highest would be a good start. I'm tired of old decripit fucks calling the shots knowing full well they won't have to live through the consequences of their decisions and leaving us to clean the mess they create

In the Netherlands, the average age of a prime minister is 55, seems reasonable and i don't think anyone has ever had a problem with it.

I work at a big fortune 100 financial firm; every CEO and all managing partners are shown the door at 65...this seems like a good policy. 

Id support that, however term limits for everyone in the senate and congress is a must

Unnecessary. Voters will screen overaged candidates. We might get one or two doofers, but that requires special conditions. In the case of Trump I, Biden, and Trump II, it was a boomer generation that skewed the voter base. Now that the boomers are dying off and the remaining generations are disgusted with geriatric politicians in office, we should see their number drop. BTW, do you remember that old senator crapping his pants at the podium?

I am really tired of these posts. There is no "test" that can disqualify someone running for president that would be better than simply not voting for: - people who are obviously too old and out of touch - pedofiles - convicted felons - racists - rapists - idiots All the same problems with old demented people are also available in young people. The electorate get what it wants one way or another. Rather than test the candidate, test the voter. tbh, I am not in favour of that either tho.

While corruption and money are the entire reason for your country the rich old men will keep getting elected.

Yes. Or younger like full retirement age 67 before end of term. So cant run older than 62 or 63..

How about 65 or even 60?

You guys have a lower age limit to become president at 35 years old, so I don't see anything wrong with a upper limit.

Yes, but it's tough to follow through without violating age discrimination laws. I think the best way to implement would be: If you're old enough to be collecting social security, I think you should be disqualified from any federal position, whether by vote, appointment, or hire.

*all elected positions in government

Not in Brazil, thanks.

Well, President is just a ceremonial role. It's not rare thst people end up becoming 80+ during their tenure. Then again, the President is appointed by the parliament so it's unlikely they would choose someone incapable.

Umm no.. thats whats voting for... what would a country do if the person they want for the president is 71 years old.. seems really dumb when you can just not vote for the guy

Absolutely. I would even lower the age to 67. I would also support every candidate running for federal office take and pass a constitutional law course. This way, they know exactly what they are swearing to uphold!

How about if we do the world a favor and we limit the age of the USA worldwide military empire to 70, instead of obsessing over which mass murderer manages it?

Yes, but it’s probably more important to make sure they’re not a rapist or a paedophile.

65

70? Make that shit 55.

Would you support limiting the IQ of the president to 70 or over?

yes. go lower even. 50? maybe even 40?

Yes

If someone is unable to work in a normal job due to their 'age,' then they have no business running a country.

I am against it principally, but clearly we need this because we just cant be responsible with the ability to select old people as an electorate

I generally think that taking decision making rights away from the democratic process and putting them into the hands of laws is a poor idea. We should just stop electing senile old men in the primaries. Both parties did it last election. Just stop.

I would support until retirement age. Thats it.

Not American. Uk perspective. Upper age limits is likely a good thing if the leaders can move to a place where they can advise/give perspective. Politics should represent the people, but elder politicians represent a smaller demographic. The House of Lords is where we park our elder politicians who still have a lot to contribute. (Most of the 900 + lords go there to free up safe seats in the commons to younger people and get a day rate as a pension, but there are “working peers”) What would be nice for world leaders is that we could get a balance of ages and experience - generally you need 15-20 years in policy areas / international relations/ government to understand the nuances. Otherwise you make fast decisions without checking for the unintended consequences of your actions. I’d say 35/40-65/70 is a good age range upper and lower bands. Mixes energy and experience.

F*** yeah.

Sounds to me like hiding a bigger issue that the executive branch has too much power. Power should primarily be invested in the legislature with the president as more of a figurehead. The other option would be to force a separation between the legislature and executive meaning you have a different set of parties at the congress and presidential levels.

No

Even better, limit it to (age of retirement - 8) to ensure the president won't be in office past when Americans are expected to work.

I'd rather they be required to pass a civics test, be mentally healthy and be required to give up all investments while in office. Same for any elected officials. 

Yeah but I'm tired already.

Tough question, 75 let them enjoy retirement at that age. Past 75 sure be given a mental test every year just to make sure we don't start a war due to dementia or hallucinating thoughts. Maybe younger, different way of thinking new generation style...more in tune with the world?

100%. We can no longer pretend that the pretense of wisdom outweighs the the rate of cognitive decline coupled with the lack of ‘skin in the game.’

They should mandate both maximum age and limit all external income.

I just want to add that the more significant reason to do age limits in the here and now is because it would dictate which generation takes the seat. If you limit it to 50you get a genx president. 40 you get a millenial. 

Regardless of the issue of mental health, I don't want a super old president making massive decisions for several younger generations that they aren't connected to, and knowing that they aren't going to live to see those decisions over time. I want a younger leader who is making decisions, because they will directly effect them and their family in their life time.

I'd rather have term limits for legislators and Supreme Court justices

I'd limit all government positions to 50 at starting and 60 incumbent. People who have no stakes on the future should not make decisions when they're not going to live with the consequences.

I’d limit it to 55 and also make it so that term limits were not only 2 terms, but 2 non consecutive terms so while in office they don’t waste time campaigning

No public servant (or elected official) should hold office above the general retirement age. I'd put retirement age at 65.-70.

Absolutely. There are lots of things people can do after retirement age. Being leader of the free world isn't one of them.

President should be between 30 to 60 everywhere in the world. 70? No... How many 70 years old don't understand some new technologies? Or society trend? People who can't understand what's going on shouldn't be regulating what's going on. I know some people in their 90s play video games and use internet, but I think we need a more general rule and 60 years old seems good to me. Maybe 65 but I think it's pushing it.

I don't think the issue facing america was that Trump was allowed to run, I think the issue was that he won. How are you going to fix that?

Whole heartedly.

MKe it 60

70 is still too old

I would agree with a 60 year old age limit. A 70 year old is too old to be President cognitively.

70? I'd prefer 50

Mandatory retirement from public office for all elected and appointment positions within the government at 60.

30-50 tbh. F*** the old people. 

I would say no one in power should be older than 70. Senators, congressman, presidents. None of them, you should be allowed to make decisions that you won't live to see the consequences of

The US is so weird for even entertaining the idea of seniors in seats of power. 70 is already way too old. Where I'm from, the average age of politicians is around 40.

Should be at least the same as the retirement age.

Yes, no one should be able to run for US President after the official retirement age.

Which president? President of the United States? I'm canadian, so it's not something I'd be voting on. I don't think arbitrary age limits for politicians would really solve anything and they'd distract from real solutions. A good rule-of-thumb is that real solutions tend not to have arbitrary numbers in them; real solutions tend to be formulated to adapt automatically to whatever the relevant numbers are, even if they change.

As long as we do that with all politicians.

Take the average life expectancy of an American and subtract 16 years from it. They should have to in average deal with the consequences of their actions for 12 years. Whatever trump or Biden do, there is a high likelyhood neither will see their legacy and see the consequences.

Limit it to 55, f*** that shit

Not constitutional, so “no”

Yes, things are changing so fast in this world. I'm not convinced someone of that age is in touch with the latest advancements in tech and culture.

No one above the age of 60 should have the power to run nations.

No, it needs to be ALL politicians and civil servants and forget the cognitive test, just ban everyone over 70 from running.

One part of me thinks yes. The other part thinks that Obama was a very young president and it's not like he governed differently due to it.

A max of 65 when they leave office, and not permitted to take office without passing psychological testing to ensure s/he is not a psychopath

Retirement age, 65.

It should be equal to the retirement age.

I feel like 70 is way too old. 60 should be the top age allowed. We need people that are actually invested in living for a while in charge of things. No more old fucks on their deathbeds sacrificing the futures of the youth for monetary gain and political favor.

Discrimination by age, gender, skin or colour is egregious because these are immutable character traits and reveal little about a person's character, abilities, virtue, or leadership. For logical consistency I oppose a minimum age for election to office. If the electorate, in their combined wisdom, choose to be represented by an 18 year old, that's on them.

They don't allow me to be President as a 32 year old. Clearly age matters to the process. Why should someone like me kept out but someone too old be permitted?

62. For f*** sakes at retirement age retire, don't go and f*** everything up for the next 2 generations.