The presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump will mark the oldest combined age between candidates in history, renewing concerns that the U.S. government has become too old. Since its establishment in Article II of the Constitution, the executive branch has always had an age limit – just not the age limit one would think. In the 1780s, the founding fathers were not concerned over an elderly government, but a youthful, more immature one. Thus, in order to hold the Oval Office the age requirement of 35 was born.
As Biden’s first term as President comes to a close this year, Americans remember the highs and lows. From supporting large economic growth coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic to worsening an already concerning border and immigration crisis, Biden has done many things in his time as President. The question now turns to his age, with a Monmouth University Poll finding that 76 percent of surveyed registered voters believe Biden is too old to serve another term. In recent years, age has become a more prominent factor in deciding who may hold the highest position in the U.S. government, and Biden certainly is not arguing his case well. In many instances, Biden can be seen looking lost. According to NBC, “Biden twice referred to conversations he’s had as president with foreign leaders who’ve long since died. In his remarks Thursday night [Feb. 8, 2024] defending his competency, while talking about the war in Gaza, he referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as being the head of Mexico. White House press aides have downplayed such lapses as the sort of mistake anyone in public life can make.” And again, Biden misspoke, this time with the entire government and nation watching. As reported by Yahoo News, “President Joe Biden has been branded ‘pathetic’ for saying the wrong name in his State of the Union speech when he spoke about a nursing student whose murder by a migrant has become a touchstone issue in the U.S..” These mistakes are unacceptable for a president and significantly hurt public opinion. Furthermore, these mistakes may be taken as a sign of declining mental cognition. Junior Asher Lampa states that “a candidate’s mental health is an important consideration for the presidency because it impacts their ability to lead effectively and make rational decisions.” With both primary candidates aging, there are major concerns for either to lead the country effectively.
Some solutions to mitigate these concerns have been offered. One such solution is a measure to ensure the physical and mental readiness of the president. According to ABC, “The measure would create an expert panel–with members appointed by Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate–to conduct a medical exam at the direction of Congress to ‘determine whether the President is mentally or physically unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office,’ according to the text of a version of the proposal introduced in 2017 by Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland.” These medical tests prove to be controversial as some argue it is for the safety of the nation while others say that it is unnecessary and can be abused. Freshman John Flangas says, “Mandatory psychological evaluations for candidates are necessary to ensure they’re mentally fit for office.” Another proposed solution reported by The Week is “a ‘mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.’” This was proposed by presidential aspirant Nikki Haley, yet “the constitutionality of such a proposal is deeply uncertain.” There is also the question of whether these tests should be made public. Many argue that these tests should remain private and not have an influence on voters, for if the tests were made public, false reports may become weaponized as acts of blatant propaganda. Additionally, there are many successful qualities of being president that cannot be measured by simple tests. Some of the best presidents in history were not the smartest in the nation, but they were so great because of the characteristics they held that cannot be measured by simple tests. Sophomore Jessica Lee states, “A presidential candidate should be determined and have a clear vision.”
Whether a cognitive test will ever be implemented in the future is impossible to determine, however, it cannot be denied that with age comes a decline in mental capacity. Of course, the rate and age of decline will always differ amongst people, but the fact still applies. Additionally, it does not help that holding the position as President of the United States is an extremely stressful and taxing job. According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, of the 37 presidents from 1776 to 1974, “ Eighteen (49 percent) Presidents met criteria suggesting psychiatric disorder: depression (24 percent), anxiety (8 percent) bipolar disorder (8 percent), and alcohol abuse/dependence (8 percent) were the most common.” Leading the world’s strongest country is one of the most difficult jobs imaginable, and as senior Maxwell Knight says, “A candidate’s mental health is important for the presidency because it reflects their ability to handle pressure and make sound decisions.” Assessing the sanity of a candidate has always been done by the people of the U.S., yet tests could serve as a requirement for eligibility just like age. Thus, it should be considered for its efficacy in deciding the presidency as the debate over such tests continues on.
