Survey: what do you think should qualify someone to be a future US president?

[Anonymous]

Right now, the only constitutional requirements to be president are the following: be a natural born US citizen, be at least 35, be a resident in the US for at least 14 years, and you can't run after you've served 2 terms. That's it!

If you could add or take away some requirements below in the survey, what would you advocate for:

1. Age minimum/maximum: yes or no?
2. Should they have been born in the US or just have lived here for a certain amount of years?
3. Would you require military service or no?
4. Should they have a clean police record or just not committed major crimes?
5. Should they have to disclose their taxes or that's their business?
6. Should they be married or doesn't matter?
7. Should they be required to have a college degree or no?
8. Should they be required to pass mental/physical testing or no?

[abc3643]

I'll take #8.

They should be required to take the full-length MMPI. (*)

However, that's not realistic, probably unlawful, and could be abused. I say "unlawful" because I believe, in many states, taking a psychological examination (and having it evaluated) as a requirement before taking/being given a job is unlawful. (Personally, that's a shame; if I owned a company, I'd want to use an MMPI to make sure I don't get nutjob employees and ensure good team chemistry.) Since being elected President is tantamount to being hired for a job, this becomes an issue.

BUT, ANY candidate for any federal elective office should be able to pass the same type of citizenship test that we require of immigrants when they become citizens. That would prevent idiots like Trump from becoming President unless he studied.

(*) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557525/

Definition/Introduction
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is the most common psychometric test devised to assess personality traits and psychopathology. This data can be used to draw conclusions about the test taker’s psychopathy or to interpret psychological characteristics compared to the norm.

...

Testing is administered through 567 true or false items using a booklet with an accompanying answer sheet. The responses are then hand-scored and plotted on an X-Y graph; a separate version is used for male and female respondents.

The X-axis is comprised of 14 scales. The first four ‘content scales’ judge the validity of the test attempt and include:

? to represent the number of questions completed incorrectly, either with no attempt or both ‘true’ and ‘false’ selected
L for ‘Lie’ to represent an attempt by the respondent to misrepresent themselves in a more positive light
F or ‘frequency’ to gauge random response as well as the respondent’s exaggeration or downplaying of symptoms
K to gauge ‘defensiveness,’ or evasion of stressful content
The 10 remaining scales known as ‘clinical scales’ are designed to measure for the presence of psychiatric syndromes, including:

1 or ‘Hs’ for hypochondriasis
2 or ‘D’ for depression
3 or ‘Hy’ for hysteria
4 or ‘Pd’ for psychopathic deviate
5 or ‘Mf’ for the continuum of masculinity-femininity
6 or ‘Pa’ for paranoia
7 or ‘Pt’ for psychasthenia or obsessive-compulsive tendency
8 or ‘Sc’ for schizophrenia
9 or ‘Ma’ for mania
0 or ‘Si’ for social introversion.
The Y-axis statistically standardizes the grading received on each scale in a range of T-scores from 0 to 120. A mean score is 50, and 82% of respondents are considered the normal population falling between 30 and 70. A T-score greater than 70 indicates psychopathy in that category.

[BCA6010]

Ideally, I would force an annual cognitive test on all federal elected officials, regardless of age. The 35 minimum is fine. The problem with taking a test is that results can easily be manipulated or "pencil-whipped."

The birth requirement should stay. I could maybe entertain an argument for candidates who were brought over before they started schooling.

Military service requirement definitely not. This is a weird one that a lot of people seem to fetishize as if it would prevent getting involved in pointless wars despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Veteran status doesn't actually tell you much about the quality of their leadership - ask anyone who has ever served and we will tell you that a huge chunk (possibly a majority) of the veterans who get into politics after the military are either nothing special, or actually pretty bad.

If I answered this ten years ago, I would say that their record would need to be spotless. Now however, I think that full public disclosure of a criminal record is all that matters, and let the voters decide.

No to tax returns. However, I'm of the opinion that anyone elected to public office at the federal level, or serving as an appointee should be barred from participating in the stock market or holding corporate board seats, among other things.

Marriage and a degree shouldn't matter in terms of eligibility; that would be up for voters to determine whether or not it matters.

For testing, see my first answer.

[Anonymous]

1. Age minimum/maximum: yes or no? YES
2. Should they have been born in the US or just have lived here for a certain amount of years? YES
3. Would you require military service or no? NO
4. Should they have a clean police record or just not committed major crimes? YES
5. Should they have to disclose their taxes or that's their business? NO, THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS
6. Should they be married or doesn't matter? DOESN'T
7. Should they be required to have a college degree or no? NO
8. Should they be required to pass mental/physical testing or no? YES!!!

[purplepoppy]

An IQ test and a criminal record check. I'd also extend the criminal check to friends and family.

[NamerOfStars]

Age requirements are reasonable; I don't know if I'd put an upper cap on it, but they SHOULD be able to pass a basic general knowledge/civics test (administered by a neutral party, which I admit would be hard as hell to find), and be required to do a lap around the White House grounds. They don't have to RUN the whole distance, but should at least be able to jog it.

Citizenship and residency requirements are fine, but the idea that you have to be born here is insane- IF you actually are. I'm not aware of the phrase "natural born citizen" appearing in any earlier legal documents (I'm not saying it isn't, just that I don't know), and the Founders didn't explain it. Technically, it could disqualify people born from C-sections.

[OlderAndWiser]

The Constitution is interpreted on the basis of what those words and phrases meant at the time it was drafted. I don’t think C-sections were being done in 1789.

[NamerOfStars]

@OlderAndWiser They aren't called "Caesarean" because of the salad. But if you rely on the political language of the time, you have no explanation for elections being held on "the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November", which allowed for changes in the order of days of the week, but not months of the year.

[goaded]

No, it's not. You also have to have not "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof", "having previously taken an oath... to support the Constitution of the United States"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_3:_Disqualification_from_office_for_insurrection_or_rebellion

[goaded]

Oh, and the "natural born" part may have been overridden by the 14th Amendment, too. (They're explicitly given equal protection under the law, and the constitution is the law.)

[Anonymous]

There should be an upper age limit as well as a base. No president should be over the age of 65 when elected. Because that would put them into their 70s as a president if they win a second term.

Not just a college degree but a PhD should be required. They should also have to pass a medical exam.

Marriage is not important. Tax disclosure should also be a requirement and no previous serious convictions. Things like parking/speeding fines are ok. Other minor misdemeanours are also fine.

They should also not be a religious leader like a pastor, Rabbi or an Imam or something. Church and state need to be separate.

The president should also be required to be male. Women belong at home in the kitchen and not in public office. lol just kidding.

[pickles77]

They should probably be born here. But also there should be a test to make sure they are fully functional. That there is no brain damage or memory issues etc. they need to be sharp and well equipped such an important position. Literally our lives could depend on that.

[Anonymous]

They must have well adjusted children and a genuine tie to the country, it's history, it's culture and most importantly it's multi-generational people - the everyperson.

The current threshold is fine, but I'd add these requirements.

[rigmarole]

I think what's laid out in the constitution is reasonable. Nothing should change about that.

[JacobJordan]

Who cares. When you people going to realize the politicians are lining their own pockets and doing nothing to help the vast majority of people.

[DryGermanGuy]

Age maximum of 70, given the current situation.

[Billlewis]

Someone who doesn't bitterly hate the country would be a good place to start.

[Danny_dan92]

Isn’t an idiot.




Put’s America First.

[Paris13]

Brains. xxoo

[NamerOfStars]

She said "President". Not "zombie".

[sawno]

Votes