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American History and Civics test for Political Office?

Should public officials have to take a test in American History and Civics to run?


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Painter

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I've noticed that many of our Politicians holding national office are severely lacking in knowledge in Civics and American History.
Most of the idiotic things I have seen are coming from the Right. But I am sure there are examples from the Left too.

I feel that a person should have to pass basic High School American History and Civics questions in order to run for office.
Having a High School diploma is not good enough. I want to see them actually tested.

I do not want people in charge of our Government and our Nation's future who think that the founding fathers eliminated slavery, or who think that America was founded on the Christian Religion.
 
No test. It's pointless, its design would be the cause of much dispute and resources, and you would not increase the quality of representatives nor increase the likelihood of better policies.
 
Given a bit of time any one would pass such a test, and there is no way to test effectively for a broad depth of history and civics. Totally pointless.
 
I've noticed that many of our Politicians holding national office are severely lacking in knowledge in Civics and American History.
Most of the idiotic things I have seen are coming from the Right. But I am sure there are examples from the Left too.

I feel that a person should have to pass basic High School American History and Civics questions in order to run for office.
Having a High School diploma is not good enough. I want to see them actually tested.

I do not want people in charge of our Government and our Nation's future who think that the founding fathers eliminated slavery, or who think that America was founded on the Christian Religion.

Actually, that's what the staff is for (lawyers, PoliSci majors, etc). The politician is a manager and deal maker to get things done; or at least that's what they're supposed to do, even though making deals isn't very popular in this highly partisan time we live in.
 
I've noticed that many of our Politicians holding national office are severely lacking in knowledge in Civics and American History.
Most of the idiotic things I have seen are coming from the Right. But I am sure there are examples from the Left too.

I feel that a person should have to pass basic High School American History and Civics questions in order to run for office.
Having a High School diploma is not good enough. I want to see them actually tested.

I do not want people in charge of our Government and our Nation's future who think that the founding fathers eliminated slavery, or who think that America was founded on the Christian Religion.

True. And we sent an ambassador to an Arabian capital who thought NATO was a country in an interview.
But I think it would be a very good idea, if politicians had to know their ways around economics, sociology, law, history and physics. How high is the probability of getting that to happen?
 
I've noticed that many of our Politicians holding national office are severely lacking in knowledge in Civics and American History.
Most of the idiotic things I have seen are coming from the Right. But I am sure there are examples from the Left too.

I feel that a person should have to pass basic High School American History and Civics questions in order to run for office.
Having a High School diploma is not good enough. I want to see them actually tested.

I do not want people in charge of our Government and our Nation's future who think that the founding fathers eliminated slavery, or who think that America was founded on the Christian Religion.
Nah, they'd just pay off the proctors, promising them a position on their staff.

Besides, it's not their knowledge (or lack thereof) of American History or basic Constitutional knowledge that's the issue. It's their utter disregard and disdain for it.
 
I've noticed that many of our Politicians holding national office are severely lacking in knowledge in Civics and American History.
Most of the idiotic things I have seen are coming from the Right. But I am sure there are examples from the Left too.

I feel that a person should have to pass basic High School American History and Civics questions in order to run for office.
Having a High School diploma is not good enough. I want to see them actually tested.

I do not want people in charge of our Government and our Nation's future who think that the founding fathers eliminated slavery, or who think that America was founded on the Christian Religion.
If you don't want ignorant employees in Washington, do you part by not hiring them. Requiring a history test for office would require amending the Constitution. A test, in and of itself, is not going to solve or stymie what we are seeing, so long as the employers are willfully ignorant, apathetic or uninvolved. Voting is but a part of the whole process, in my opinion.
 
you know i think this would be a good idea. to get citizenship foreign immigrants have to take a test on american history. This test is extremely difficult and requires hours of studying. As such, it is a statistical fact that people who immigrated to america generally know more of american history than most Americans. So shouldn't we hold the runners of our country to the same standards?
 
you know i think this would be a good idea. to get citizenship foreign immigrants have to take a test on american history. This test is extremely difficult and requires hours of studying. As such, it is a statistical fact that people who immigrated to america generally know more of american history than most Americans. So shouldn't we hold the runners of our country to the same standards?

YES! :lol:

Greetings, JJB3333. :2wave:
 
I would be for it if they had do it while doing a WWF wrestling match. If we are going to spend tax dollars the public might as will get some enjoyment out of a political leader. :mrgreen:
 
If you don't want ignorant employees in Washington, do you part by not hiring them. Requiring a history test for office would require amending the Constitution. A test, in and of itself, is not going to solve or stymie what we are seeing, so long as the employers are willfully ignorant, apathetic or uninvolved. Voting is but a part of the whole process, in my opinion.

And the other parts of it? consider that we trust these men and women to run our entire country. If they cant even pass a simple exam saying they know our history, can we really trust them with our future

"Those whom are ignorant of their history are doomed to repeat it."
 
Greetings polgara. How are you today. :2wave:

Doing well, but it does seem like a "let's really pick on each other today" kind of day. Are people just disgusted with everything at the moment, and it's just a way of venting?

How's everything with you?
 
Doing well, but it does seem like a "let's really pick on each other today" kind of day. Are people just disgusted with everything at the moment, and it's just a way of venting?

How's everything with you?

i think its just one of those venting days. Comments that seem stupid to us that we would normally just ignore now just make us want to slap some common sense into them.

I'm doing well. a little busy with collage work right now but figured id take some time to do this. Arguing is very calming.
 
And the other parts of it? consider that we trust these men and women to run our entire country. If they cant even pass a simple exam saying they know our history, can we really trust them with our future

"Those whom are ignorant of their history are doomed to repeat it."

It is up to the employers to properly vet prospective employees. People need to stop playing the victim. There is no power in it.
 
I'd be more interested in each prospective candidate writing a complete job description for the office they intend to hold. That would be interesting.
 
If you don't have to pass a test of civics in order to vote, then you should have to pass one to be voted into office.
 
Actually, that's what the staff is for (lawyers, PoliSci majors, etc). The politician is a manager and deal maker to get things done; or at least that's what they're supposed to do, even though making deals isn't very popular in this highly partisan time we live in.

But if the politician is not an expert they will not know when to truly follow the advice of the expert staffer. We don't put in generals that don't understand and study warfare into power and hope they listen to their staff.
 
But if the politician is not an expert they will not know when to truly follow the advice of the expert staffer. We don't put in generals that don't understand and study warfare into power and hope they listen to their staff.

The test we give is the election process.

The problem isn't that the politicians don't understand basic history and civics.

The problem is that the average voter doesn't understand basic history and civics.

If we did give politicians a test, the voters still wouldn't have any way to understand whether the test given was a true test of the relevant information required to be an elected official.

In fact, we see debate here everyday regarding both history and civics.

Why should we assume that people that are less informed than the membership here could determine the validity of the test questions and what would be considered the correct answers?
 
How about passing one to get on this forum??? Hmmm.
 
Why should we assume that people that are less informed than the membership here could determine the validity of the test questions and what would be considered the correct answers?

For the same reason Doctors, Lawyers, Fire Fighters are tested... so that people doing the job are actually qualified.
 
For the same reason Doctors, Lawyers, Fire Fighters are tested... so that people doing the job are actually qualified.

Doctors and lawyers are licensed by the state to practice their profession, Firefighters are trained for their own safety, but politicians are elected by people that can't even balance their own check books or know the difference between a country and a continent. As long as politicians are elected, and not hired through an application process that requires prerequisite qualifications, we will get what we've always gotten, politicians. The politicians staff are the ones that have to go through the application process and have to have the requisite civic qualifications. That was my point about the staff being the receptacle for civic knowledge, not the politician. Plus, most people that are actually smart enough to be the type of politician that fit the requirement of the thread title, wouldn't want to be a politician, because they're smart enough to stay as far away from politics as possible.
 
Why do I get the sense that people who advocate tests for everything are really just trying to artificially limit the pool of candidates to people who are just like themselves?

It's almost as if they believe the only people who could pass the test would be people like themselves in terms of values, beliefs, conclusions, etc.
 
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