Why is the U.S. president getting older and the Canadian prime minister getting younger?

Mondo Social Updated on 2024-03-07

CBC reported that Biden holds the record for the oldest ** in US history, and as time goes by, the US ** usually gets older, which is not only a matter of Biden's personal age, but also the social and political trend of the United States, the aging of leaders.

However, this is not the case with Canada's prime ministers.

An analysis of the ages of the leaders of the two countries shows that the age of the elected leaders of the United States is on the rise. The average age of the elected** between 1875 and 1899 was 53, while the average age of the Prime Minister of Canada was 64 during the same period.

In the last 25 years, the average age of the United States** is 63, and the average age of the Canadian prime minister is 52.

Both Trump (70 years old at the time of his inauguration) and Biden (78 years old) have repeatedly highlighted this trend. Of all candidates in the U.S. this year, including those who have played the show, only two out of every seven candidates are under the age of 70.

In Canada, the downward trend towards the age of prime ministers is likely to continue. If held today**, the 52-year-old Trudeau, who highlighted the youthfulness of his candidates in his 2015 campaign, will now be the oldest of the major party leaders.

"Being able to get a nomination and then win a ...... position," he saidIt's so much money that it takes longer to accumulate, so people have to be older. At the same time, in Canada, the cost of running for party leadership is not high. ”

Semla Sevi, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Canada, pointed out that Canada's electoral system gives party members more power to choose party leaders, while the American ** system gives political parties less control over the selection of candidates.

Canadian political parties generally do not prioritize political experience, but rather on the affability, charisma and public recognition of their leaders. This makes it easier for more inexperienced politicians to emerge from within," said Sevie, who has done a lot of research on demographics in Canadian politics.

In this day and age, the age gap between the prime ministers of the United States** and Canada has never been greater, at 29 years.

While this is an interesting little thing, history shows that this gap may not be that significant. Bayer points to a gap high point in history between the U.S. and Canadian prime ministers: the times of Prime Ministers Reagan and Malrony, when he was 28 years older than prime ministers. The two men were on the same page on many things, and their relationship laid the groundwork for the Acid Rain Treaty and the Canada-US Freedom Agreement.

The Acid Rain Treaty refers to the United States-Canada Air Quality Agreement, signed in 1991 to address transboundary air pollution by reducing emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and the two countries have committed to taking concrete steps to reduce emissions of these pollutants and to regularly review progress to ensure that the goals are met.

"They're really close to each other," Bayer said. ”

While there may be many reasons for this divergent trend, Gerald Beyer, associate professor of political science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, is quick to point out one point: the high cost of the U.S. election campaign.

Conversely, Pierre Trudeau (father of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) and Nixon had a notoriously cold relationship. They are only about six years apart in age, but their ideologies are far apart.

Pierre Trudeau and our dearest ***

Trudeau had told ** in 1971 that his relationship with Nixon was "not close and there was no great friendship." About a month after Trudeau uttered the words, Nixon called Trudeau an "arrogant nerd," and decades later, people heard the words from recordings of conversations.

Trudeau also had to deal with a cold personal relationship with the head of state of the United States. In 2019, after the prime minister was caught making not-so-flattering remarks about Trump, Trump scolded Trudeau for being "two-faced."

In the early days of Biden's presidency, the relationship was also volatile for Trudeau due to the cancellation of the pipeline project and the emphasis on economic protectionism on the election campaign.

Age brings wisdom, but it can also bring real worries, Byer says: "As you get older, ......Health problems will follow, and we will never be able to get a clear picture of the advanced age** or the health of the Prime Minister."

A YouGov poll conducted last year showed that American voters are very concerned about this issue. The vast majority of people believe that there should be an age limit for those who hold the **.

Health issues aside, the lack of young representation in any group poses a challenge to the democratic process.

"It is essential for democracy that all population groups in society are fairly represented in institutions such as parliament," Seve said. However, despite the fact that young people make up 20 to 30 per cent of the global voter-age population, they are consistently underrepresented in the political process. ”

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