President Biden Just Turned 80 Years Old- the oldest president in the US history
The U.S. Constitution does not establish an age limit for the presidency, and as a result, the matter is open to interpretation. Theoretically, someone could be elected president at age 35 — or even younger, if the individual were to assume office following the death or resignation of a sitting president.
The question of presidential age has come into sharp relief in recent years as the country has elected an increasingly diverse group of leaders. In 2016, 70-year-old Donald Trump became the oldest person ever elected to the presidency. And now, Biden is the oldest president of the USA, he just turned 80, and the issues of old age and related to age health issues are back in the spotlight.
The average life expectancy in the United States is about 78 years, meaning that Biden has already surpassed the average by two years. And while there is no hard and fast rule about when someone is “too old” to serve as president, some experts say that 81 — the age at which Biden would be sworn in for a second term, should he win re-election in 2024 — is the cutoff.
At that point, they say, the cognitive decline that comes with age could start to impede a president’s ability to make sound decisions and effectively lead the country.
The brain begins to change in one’s 70s, and even more so in the 80s
“We know that changes in the brain begin to take place in one’s 70s, and even more so in the 80s,” Dr. James C. Huysman, a clinical psychologist and author of “The Age of presidents: How age affects presidential performance,” told Business Insider.
“These changes can include a decrease in processing speed, executive function, and short-term memory. All of these can affect a person’s ability to make quick, decisions, think abstractly, and plan strategically.”
There is some evidence to support the idea that an individual’s cognitive abilities do decline with age. A study published in PLoS One in August found that, on average, people’s performance on tests of memory and reasoning skills declines by about 0.05% per year after the age of 50.
But it’s important to note that not all cognitive abilities decline at the same rate — and some remain relatively stable into old age. Moreover, the effects of age-related cognitive decline are not uniform across the population. Some people experience very little decline, while others experience a more significant decline.
So while the question of whether there is an age limit for the presidency is a valid one, it’s also one that doesn’t have a definitive answer. It’s ultimately up to the voters to decide whether they are comfortable with a candidate who is over the age of 80 — and whether they believe that person has the mental and physical capacity to serve as president.
Source: Business Insider
This article was created by Artificial Intelligence PRAI.co
