“Age restrictions and democracy. Introducing an age limit for elected politicians may be sound, but illiberal – The Economist January 11, 19:33 NV Premium Share: Trump becomes US president at 78 (Photo: REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo) America’s political gerontocracy — a sign of deeper problems, not their cause, writes Leo Mirani, The Economist’s Asia correspondent. The material was published in a special issue of NV Svit magazine”, — write on: ua.news
Trump becomes president of the United States at the age of 78 (Photo: REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo)
America’s political gerontocracy is a symptom of deeper problems, not their cause, writes Leo Mirani, The Economist’s Asia correspondent.
The material is published in a special edition of the magazine NV The world ahead of 2025 under the exclusive license of The Economist. Reproduction is prohibited.
The 2024 US presidential election was a turning point in many ways, not least because it opened the way to the highest office for a convicted felon for the first time. But they also set another precedent: taking age into account when running for president. American voters, Democratic influencers and, ultimately, President Joe Biden himself concluded that 81 was too old to run for another four-year term. Is it acceptable for democratic societies to legislate age limits?