Churn

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the issues of entrenchment and lack of churn in both the tech industry and politics, arguing for the need for term limits and mandatory retirement ages for elected officials and judges to promote innovation and better representation of the population.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Entrenchment in Tech and Politics

1. What are the key issues with entrenchment in the tech industry and politics?

• In the tech industry, companies like Google and Meta have a track record of abandoned projects, but this has earned them substantial profits for shareholders through playing defense rather than innovating.
• In politics, incumbents remain in power for long periods due to a system that tilts towards the status quo, with the U.S. House reelection rate in 2020 being 95%.
• This leads to a government that is out of touch with the changing needs of society, as representatives struggle to understand new technologies and societal changes.

2. What are the proposed solutions to address these issues?

• Imposing term limits on elected officials and judges to promote more churn and new ideas.
• Implementing mandatory retirement ages to address the cognitive decline that comes with aging, as the average age of U.S. representatives is significantly higher than the average American.

[02] The Need for Churn and Representation

1. Why is churn important for both businesses and governments?

• In business, churn is necessary for growth and innovation, as companies need to shed slow-growing products, fire unproductive employees, and evolve with the market.
• In government, churn is needed to ensure better representation of the population, as the current government skews much older than the general population.

2. How does the age of elected officials impact their ability to effectively represent the population?

• Younger people (under 40) have seen their wealth and share of GDP cut in half, partly due to a government that does not represent their interests.
• Elected officials who are much older than the general population may struggle to understand and address the needs of younger generations.

3. What are the potential benefits of implementing age limits for elected offices?

• It could lead to a more physically and mentally robust leadership that is better able to shape policies that address the needs of the population.
• It could promote more diverse representation and new ideas, rather than the status quo being maintained by long-serving incumbents.