FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Compared to peer countries, the US is particularly dominated by older elected officials; one in five congressmen is over the age of 70, making it one of the nation's oldest professions...
When Nancy Pelosi announced last week that she would seek another term in the House of Representatives, the news was met with some disbelief.
While some Democrats relished the prospect of two more years working alongside an experienced stateswoman, many other political observers were less enthused.
That's largely because Speaker Emerita, as Pelosi is now known, will be 84 when the next US election rolls around, and her decision comes at a time when older candidates have become a major issue in American politics.
The United States is an outlier even in a world where most lawmakers are much older than the general population.
Compared to peer countries, the US is particularly dominated by older elected officials; one in five congressmen is over the age of 70, making it one of the nation's oldest professions.
This trend has prompted calls for maximum term limits, mandatory retirement and even mandatory mental competency tests for those over 75. Last week, Republican Congressman John James introduced legislation to bar those who would be 75 or older from running for president, the vice president. - president or member of Congress.
" For democracy in general, it's good to have turnover [of leaders] ," says Daniel Stockemer, a political studies professor at the University of Ottawa who has researched age representation around the world, including the US.
That doesn't mean older members should be kicked out, he argues, but room should be made for new entrants rather than letting "the same people run the show."
Non-representative democracy
The response to Pelosi's statement is the latest flashpoint in a larger debate about the growing gerontocracy in the US. The announcement, by a member first elected in 1987, follows concerns about the health of older senators, including Republican Mitch McConnell, 81, and 90-year-old California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The octogenarian McConnell twice froze mid-sentence while speaking to reporters, prompting a consultation with a congressional physician and the senator's "neurological team."
Feinstein, the chamber's oldest member, took an extended leave of absence this year after a bout with herpes. As a result, it made it difficult for Democrats, who have a slim majority in the Senate, to push through nominees and legislation. Although Feinstein will retire in 2024, she has resisted calls to retire early amid long-standing concerns about her memory.
Concerns about his health have also plagued Joe Biden, the oldest president in US history, who at 80 is running for re-election in a possible matchup against Republican front-runner Donald Trump, 77. Both men have been asked by former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, 76, to "step aside" and make way for the next generation.
In August, a poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed that three-quarters of the public think Biden is too old to serve another term, including more than two-thirds of Democrats. .
However, the concern about America's gerontocracy is twofold: while there are concerns about physical fitness and mental capacity, a political class dominated by the elderly has other consequences.
Similar to other minority groups, the severe underrepresentation of young people likely means that their interests are not being adequately addressed by policymakers, social scientists argue, which may contribute to political apathy among young people.
Legjislativët duhet "disi t'i ngjajnë popullatës për të marrë vendime që i ngjajnë asaj që dëshiron popullata e përgjithshme", thotë Stockemer.
Në SHBA, megjithatë, mosha mesatare e Senatit dhe Dhomës së Përfaqësuesve është rritur përgjithësisht që nga fillimi i shekullit. Kjo është në kontrast me Gjermaninë, ku mosha mesatare e Bundestagut ka rënë që nga viti 2013, megjithëse tendencat kanë mbetur pak a shumë të qëndrueshme në vitet e fundit në dhomat e ulëta të parlamenteve britanike dhe franceze, sipas të dhënave të mbledhura nga studiuesit në Universiteti i Otavës.
Dhoma e Përfaqësuesve e SHBA është gjithashtu më e vjetër se homologët e saj në vendet e tjera të G8, me një moshë mesatare prej 58 vjeç. Në Senat, kjo shifër shkon në 65, që do të thotë se gjysma e senatorëve janë ose në ose përtej një moshe që shpesh lidhet me daljen në pension. Duke marrë parasysh se këto mosha janë llogaritur në lidhje me fillimin e seancave të kongresit, ata që janë në detyrë do të jenë edhe më të rritur në kohën kur të mbarojnë mandatin e tyre.
Me vetëm rreth 7 për qind të Kongresit nën moshën 40 vjeç, kjo mund të mos jetë shenjë e mirë për përfaqësimin dhe miratimin e ligjeve për çështjet për të cilat interesohen të rinjtë amerikanë, siç është veprimi më i madh për klimën.
Zyrtarët e zgjedhur sillen ndryshe gjatë debateve legjislative sipas moshës së tyre dhe "me sa duket edhe kur zbatojnë politika", thotë Jon Fiva, një profesor i Shkollës Norvegjeze të Biznesit i cili ka studiuar se si mosha, gjinia, prejardhja e klasës dhe përfaqësimi urban-rural në parlamentin e Norvegjisë ndikojnë në diskutimet e politikave.
Beteja e shekujve
Mosha po shfaqet si një gabim i ri politik që ndonjëherë mund të mposht edhe besnikërinë partiake. Thjesht të qenit demokrat ose republikan nuk vendos për pikëpamjet e një personi.
“Do të kishte rëndësi nëse keni një demokrat të ri apo të vjetër, apo një republikan të ri apo të vjetër”, thotë Fiva.
Although the gap between the age of legislators and the general population is particularly wide in the US, the underrepresentation of young people in policymaking is a worldwide problem.
According to new data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an international organization of national parliaments, only 2.8 percent of lawmakers globally are under 30 years old. By comparison, roughly 18 percent of the world's population is between 18 and 29 years old.
Many challenges block potential younger lawmakers from entering office: lack of political connections and endorsements, limited fundraising power and legal minimum age restrictions. / Adapted "Pamphlet" from "Financial Times "
Lini një Përgjigje