CenterlineRight: Mandatory Retirement plus Term Limits plus Government equals “?”

With our second elderly president in a row, the death of one older U.S. Senator, and the critically-ill condition of yet another elderly U.S. Senator…should we as a nation be considering some way to insure that our government is populated by individuals who are at the top of their game age-wise? And if so…precisely what does that mean?

We all know older folks who are sharp and physically fit, and we all know older folks who are mentally limited and out of shape. For that matter, we all know younger folks who are in the same conditions. While granting the fact that the mental and physical capacity of the average 72-year old American varies widely, there is little doubt that in most cases…our mental and physical abilities diminish as we age.

If we as a country chose to age-limit our federal elected officials, there are many questions to be considered. “Which” officials will be affected? Presidents…Senators…Representatives…SCOTUS Justices…Cabinet Appointees…Federal employees…??? Exactly “what age” would be the limit? 68…72…75…??? Would the limit come into play at the “time” of election/appointment or “during the term” of election/appointment? Is this age issue in any way related to the idea of term limits?

Although a Venn diagram might show a significant overlap between the principles of age limits and term limits, they are really two separate issues with two distinctly different goals. Age limits would be an effort to insure competent mental/physical condition while term limits would be an effort to eliminate career politicians. While it is true that age limits might preclude an exceptional individual who happened to be above the age limit from serving in public office, the clear goal of the rule would be to exclude the more common occurrence of the age-impaired individual who is somewhat limited in their ability to perform their duties.

Term limits would be an effort to prevent the isolating effect the WDC environment has on those elected officials who lose connections with their constituents over the life of their elected careers. As Congressional terms stack up for an individual…it is clear that their power, influence, and wealth quotients increase dramatically. Term limits would also likely deter the myopic and institutional thinking that has become so prevalent in our government. It perhaps offers a better supply of new thinking and fresh approaches to America’s civic challenges.

One of the detrimental effects of term limits would be the inability of extraordinary leaders to serve beyond the period of their term limits. Once again, just as in the age limit calculation, the cost must be weighed against the benefits….with sharp attention being paid to the likelihood and frequency of each.

There is a legitimate argument to be made that free and fair elections negate the need for either mandatory retirement age limits or the imposition of term limits. However, the historically overwhelming success of incumbency in our Congressional Branch of government and the lifetime-appointment status that oftentimes occurs in our Judicial Branch might somewhat mitigate that notion. Do we have complete and total faith that our elections are free and fair? Does the power of incumbency provided by our current system unfairly tilt the balance to those who hold the office rather than those who seek the office?

All things considered, it strikes me that in both cases…a discussion about the thoughtful, deliberate, and equitable establishment of both federal government mandatory retirement and term limits would be time well spent. When we consider the mental and physical demands placed upon our presidents and then view the before-office and after-office images of them, it is clear that the presidency takes a heavy toll on its occupants. A disjointed and divided Congress as we now have is not well served by members who are either lost or limited in the performance of their duties due to age considerations. The damage to our legal system that has been realized by aged rogue judges has severely tarnished the reputation and credibility of the courts.

Once again, age affects us all in different ways and some are far less impacted by it than others. It is also undeniably true that intellect, character, physical durability, and competency are not necessarily commensurate with one’s age. There are likely as many young fools as there are old fools.

But age is the ultimate warrior and remains undefeated. The harsh reality is that the human condition, in all of its aspects, wears down with advanced age. There is no shame or dishonor in acknowledging this fact. A life well lived is a monumental achievement and a blessed gift; but the simple truth is that in this world, there are various jobs and responsibilities that are age-appropriate. When we consider the vital role of our government…we should carefully consider that truth.

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