Soman Chainani and Amna Nawaz discuss politics for young Americans on 'Settle In'

Key Concepts

• Age Eligibility for Presidency: The debate regarding the constitutional age requirements for the U.S. Presidency.
• Political Alienation: The feeling among young voters (18–29) that they lack representation in government.
• Gerontocracy: The trend of increasing median ages in the U.S. House (58) and Senate (65), leading to a potential future where centenarians hold high office.
• Downstream Political Engagement: The theory that allowing youth to run for the highest office would incentivize participation in local and state-level politics.

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1. The Argument for Lowering the Age of Candidacy

Author Soman Chainani argues that lowering the voting age to 16—a trend seen in some European and South American countries—is the "wrong solution" to the problem of youth political engagement. Instead, he posits that the focus should be on lowering the age requirement to run for President.

• The Inconsistency of Rights: Chainani highlights a paradox: at 18, a U.S. citizen can marry, take on debt (mortgages/credit cards), vote, and serve or die in the military, yet they are legally barred from seeking the highest office in the land.
• Addressing Alienation: Citing an NPR poll, Chainani notes that 70% of young Americans (ages 18–29) feel unrepresented by current politicians. He argues that allowing young people to "fantasize about leadership" and actually run for office would bridge the gap between the aging political establishment and the youth.

2. Political Realities and Youth Energy

Chainani observes that while young people are currently the "engine" of political campaigns—volunteering, canvassing, and creating digital content—they are excluded from the actual ballot as candidates.

• Case Study (Zohran Mamdani): Chainani points to the success of figures like Zohran Mamdani as evidence of the untapped political power of youth. He argues that if influential young political figures were allowed to run for President, it would bring millions of young people "off the sidelines."
• The "Outside Voice" Perspective: Chainani acknowledges that because he is an adult, his advocacy for teenage presidential candidates is taken more seriously than if a teenager were to suggest it themselves.

3. Impact on Downstream Races

A central pillar of Chainani’s argument is that opening the Presidency to younger candidates would have a "supercharging" effect on local politics.

• Methodology: In school simulations, Chainani observes that when students are asked to consider who among them could be President, it fosters a sense of ambition.
• The Ripple Effect: He suggests that this conviction doesn't just stop at the Presidency; it encourages young people to run for school boards, town councils, and other local offices, creating a pipeline of younger, more representative leadership.

4. Notable Quotes

• "We are getting to the point with life expectancy where 100-year-olds are going to be in the Senate and House, and potentially the Presidency. And yet we can't have, you know, an 18-year-old who was allowed to vote also run."
• "I don't know if the 70 and 80-year-olds are crushing it, you know what I mean?" (In response to whether a teenager is qualified to be President).
• "If you just open up the Presidency, I think you supercharge all the downstream races... to young people."

5. Synthesis and Conclusion

Soman Chainani’s perspective challenges the traditional view that political maturity is strictly tied to age. By contrasting the high median age of current U.S. legislators with the active, yet disenfranchised, youth demographic, he argues that the current system fosters alienation. His proposed solution is not merely to expand the franchise (voting), but to expand the eligibility for leadership. He concludes that by allowing young people to run for the highest office, the U.S. could revitalize its political culture, increase voter turnout, and encourage a new generation of civic engagement at every level of government.