Last week, PBS NewsHour reported on the investigation about Joe Biden holding on to secret documents he should not have been holding on to. The investigation hinted that Mr. Biden may not have a sound memory. For some reason, the Biden administration felt it needed to get in front of this claim. So Mr. Biden attacked the attack on his health. It was not convincing.
For at least a year, I have seen his TV persona fade. This recent public appearance was more forced than natural. What’s happening when the TV cameras are not turned on? If this man wins the presidency in 2024, he seems unlikely to finish it with a sound mind. Remember Ronald Reagan?
I know I am being politically incorrect on Medium, but Mr. Biden should have announced he would not seek the nomination six months ago. Make way for the Democrat Party to find a new leader.
Some tinkerers of Western democracy suggest age limits will solve our problems. Would it be likely that the democratic tinkerers could come to some kind of unity on competency tests? Especially with both sides suspicious of the other side getting an electoral advantage? There a lot of talk in the grandstand, but no action on the playing field is likely. Or perhaps better stated, this issue is just a distraction for what is really ailing American democracy.
The Canadian example
Somehow in Canada we have already solved the problem of politicians being too old. But the solution just kind of happened, not because of any master plan. We just don’t have any 80-year-olds hanging on to whatever power they previously had just because their fingernails are still growing.
It is quite common for back-bench MPs (Members of Parliament) and their provincial counterparts to retire after two elections. The reason is three-fold.
First, being an elected politician is grueling work. The party wants these politicians to be out there in the public, which means attending many public events, pressing the flesh, and talking to people. Add in the travel time from the capital to the constituency, and there isn’t that much opportunity for a personal life; Canadian politicians have an 80-to-100-hour work week.
Second, these politicians eventually figure out they are not that influential. The real influence belongs to the cabinet, prime minister’s office, and senior civil service. Hence the dreams of shaping legislation from the back-benches are kind of squashed.
Third, there is a retirement plan for MPs, MLAs, and MPPs if they spent six years as a back bencher. This pension plan gives them in a comfortable retirement after two elections. So the politicians have incentive to stay beyond one term, so the parties and legislatures keep some backbench experience. In other words, the pensions kind of cow the politicians to accept their low level of influence, while performing drudgery in the partisan trenches for two terms.
Some of these back benchers stay a third term, maybe hoping for a cabinet post. But after that term, most of these backbenchers drop out of public life.
Despite elections changing out MPs and many MP retirements, there are a few 20+ year veterans in the back benchers. Somehow, they like this lifestyle and societal position. If their health is OK, the party likes them, and the voters like them, then that’s OK. Our legislatures need a few old dogs around to guide the young pups coming in. And the internal party elections have a way of weeding out deteriorating health problems.
If back-benchers want influence, they need to move into cabinet. Maybe one in five gets this opportunity. But if they felt burned out as a back-bencher, they will be really burned out as a cabinet minister. Few ministers go beyond two terms.
When a cabinet minister resigns, he or she often cites a return to family life as the main reason. But these people knew political life was hard on families before they entered public office.
A political career in Canada is tough enough for healthy, robust politicians.
Back to the USA
Here is my hypothesis on the excessive longevity of American politicians. Unlike their Canadian counterparts, American legislators can sit on powerful committees that have influence on various arms of government. So there is the aphrodisiac of true power. And this “executive” function creates a willingness to stay longer.
Of course, I should mention that to get one hour of committee work, the legislator probably spends 20 hours of politicking to get it. For some reason, this trade-off is acceptable for most American political players. But explaining this trade-off in any more detail would require an essay of its own.
Incumbents also have the advantage of long-term fund-raising connections. If these connections still get the result they are looking for, they will still support an ailing politician for his or her re-election.
Age/Term limits in the TDG
For those readers who are not familiar with my work, I have an alternative democracy called Tiered Democratic Governance (TDG). To explain this system very briefly, there is a new electoral structure AND a new way of reaching decisions. It will produce the kinder, wiser democracy we so yearn for.
As for age and term limits, the TDG will run on these principles:
· If the representative is doing a good job, the TDG elections will likely keep that representative in place.
· If the representative is doing a really good job, the TDG elections might move that person higher in the TDG.
· If the representative loses interest in governance, has serious health challenges, or gets a little too far into corruption, the TDG elections will just “unelect” that person. No drama necessary.
TDG elections are annual, so TDG representatives will be “put to the competency test” every year.
The TDG will have 20+ years representatives in governance. If they are doing a good job, why not?
Some veterans will rise to the higher tiers; others will spend their TDG service at the lower tiers. Nothing is wrong with either kind of long service. Long-term TDG experience will still be valuable in all tiers.
But no one stays on the job forever. There will always be new people entering the TDG governance. There will always be a mixture of the old guard to provide experience and new blood to bring new ideas and energy.
The lower tiers of the TDG will be mostly volunteer service, maybe 20 hours a month.
At the higher levels, time commitment increases. Eventually, the TDG becomes a full-time job. However, I hope the TDG does not burn out its representatives at the higher levels. They need personal lives and recreation to do well in governance. But I will leave the TDG builders to design the TDG for this effect.
But because the TDG relies more on institutions than individuals, someone like Joe Biden — in whatever weakened state he may be in — could still be elected to the highest tier. He will be one of several high-tier members, so all the strain of political leadership won’t be on his shoulders. The tier may value his experience over his health challenges — and assign him appropriate responsibilities for that health. If the annual TDG elections keep putting Mr. Biden in TDG governance, then the TDG has spoken. No need to debate on whether he is competent or not.
Canada has solved the age/term issue without a lot of rules. So, too, can the TDG.
The TDG will solve other democracy problems with far fewer rules.
Rather than hope and wish for some age/term limits and/or competency tests, check out this new system of governance.
Published on Medium 2024
