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wedrifid comments on Our House, My Rules - Less Wrong
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You assume that age is the correct parameter. There are others that are perhaps more relevant.
More relevant, maybe, but age seems to be the simplest and the easiest to put into law.
Other viable conditions could be some academic achievments, or financial independance ... these would be good, but age is just simpler.
In the case of political office, how about simply the ability to get the suckers to vote for you?
That one's easy, it's self-correcting. Others - alcohol, sex, voting - are not.
alexflint: We would have to enforce each of these below some age. It's never going to be a good idea to let two year olds hold political office and drive cars, and I think this holds for every one of the items you've mentioned. The debate is only which age is the correct cutoff, and I agree that this parameter may need re-evaluating.
When I saw this my answer was, "No, age is not how we should decide this. Skill and comprehension is. But these two made me rethink the matter. . .
wedrifid: In the case of political office, how about simply the ability to get the suckers to vote for you?
Emile: That one's easy, it's self-correcting. Others - alcohol, sex, voting - are not.
If we had a tests to see if we were ready to assume the responsibilities involved then the tests might be flawed, or even deliberately sabotaged to prevent or mislead the thought processes of those taking it.
Maybe this is why they rely on age instead. It will block those already prepared to handle whats involved, but reduces mistaken or malicious meddling .