One of the ambitious proposals put forth by former Vice-President Al Gore was the "re-invention" of government. While the Clinton Administration may have made some progress towards promoting greater efficiency, the result was that government actually grew in size mainly because of bureaucratic self-perpetuation. No one in the United States would disagree that the reduction of government waste should be given top priority. However, before tackling such a problem, one must examine the root causes and not merely treat the symptoms.

When our founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they deliberately left out the "structural path" of elective office but were very clear on names of offices, branches of government, duties of elected officials etcetera. However, what they failed to foresee was the need for elective offices to follow a required path. For example, take the leader of the executive branch; if a person wants to be elected president of the United States, they must first serve as mayor of a city, commissioner of a county and then governor of a state. The two-term limit (eight years) should also be extended to include these lower chief executives as well.

The legislative branch should have a similar path. If one wants to be elected United States senator, they must first serve as a U.S. congressperson from that state. Before serving as a congressperson, they must serve as a councilperson of a city, representative of a state and then as a state senator. The two-term limit should apply here as well.

As for the judicial branch, a United States supreme court justice must serve as a municipal court judge of a city, common pleas court judge of a county, circuit court or district court judge of a state, appeals court judge and state supreme court judge. The two-term limit would apply here also.

Furthermore, the education of these candidates to-be should entail the equivalent of earning a bachelors degree, masters degree and a doctorate in philosophy degree. These degrees must be earned prior to running for elective office. Besides providing a focused academic training it will promote a greater maturity in our candidates before they experience the rigors of their first elective office.

Few could doubt that this path would provide good practical training for those seeking higher office while at the same time establishing a track record that voters could more easily analyze and understand. The two-term limit would allow greater participation because the office would be wide open every eight years. This would force the elected official to properly execute his/her duties and not be as influenced by the various special interest groups.

Government today is often seen as part of the problem rather than a solution to the problem. Perhaps if the United States would consider a path of development for its "philosopher kings" public trust would return and something may actually get done.

Interesting proposal, but it seems to me that such a system would merely ensure that those elected to high office were well and truly ensconced in the political world. That is, you would eliminate the "maverick" politicians, the folks who get mad as hell about some issue and decide they're gonna run for office and "shake up the system". Instead, you would create a very specific and insular political class; "politician" would become a career in itself, rather than something you get into after you've served in the military, or worked as a lawyer or judge or businessman or whatever. While there is certainly something to be said for having politicians with PhDs, our system is founded on representative democracy, and the idea that anyone could rise up to become senator or even president. Restricting political service to the educated elite would only serve to further distance politicians from their constituents. While I love the idea of "philosopher kings", our system is designed to prevent "kings" of any kind, philosopher or otherwise.

Bachelors
Masters
Phd
Then City Council
Mayor
Governor (2 terms)

Jesus our presidents are going to make Reagan look like a spring chicken.

It is the electorate's fault...if you want to stop someone who is not intellectually curious from becoming president? Educate the electorate...here are some tips to smell b.s.

A 10,000 square foot home is NOT a ranch.
A person born in New Haven, Conn...is NOT a Texan.
Anyone with degrees from Harvard and Yale is NOT a COWBOY.
Someone who cannot drink alcohol...is NOT someone you want to go out and have a beer with.

H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956):
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more
and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and
glorius day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at
last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

If we want a government that represents the best interests of the people we neeed to remove the profit from serving in said government. Requiring representatives to follow a path to higher office would only serve to increase the likelyhood of corruption.

Another drive-by pasting. How about quoting a source next time?

If we want a government that represents the best interests of the people we neeed to remove the profit from serving in said government. Requiring representatives to follow a path to higher office would only serve to increase the likelyhood of corruption.

Another drive-by pasting. How about quoting a source next time?


nmnmnmn

Your proposal sounds good in theory. But, I think that it would be horrible in practice. I have had some experience in dealing with "professional" legislators on the state level and a lot of experience with judges at the state and federal level. Although there are some good men and women who have spent decades moving up the ladder in elective offices or judicial offices, in general, the best legislators and judges that I have encountered have been people who have had an extensive work/professional life before they began their legislative or judicial service. If one were to have a path such as you suggest, whether one could serve in high office would be determined decades in advance by the initial selection process. I'm not sure if you really would want a country run by people whose only goal in life at 18 or 22 was to be President of the United States or a Senator.

There are several systems that look a lot like that which you suggest. Most European countries have a professional judiciary where men and women enter at the beginning of their careers and work their way up the judicial hierarchy. The French government also has a hierarchy that begins with one's being admitted to elite schools such as Sciences Po -- most of the recent Presidents and Prime Ministers of France have been Sciences Po alumni. Most of these systems work well, but I think that all of them can be criticized for their being very insular.

The best example of a political system that works the way you suggest and of the negative side of such a system is the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. There is a clear hierarchy of education and jobs that leads to a priest's becoming a local church official, bishop, archbishop, cardinal and, ultimately, pope. If you ever have had an extended conversation with a Catholic bishop, archbishop or cardinal (I have had a few), you will come away with the feeling that they are very well educated and qualified and good meaning, too. But, there is a distance between them and the real world that is palpable. Recently I was at a small, private lunch with a well-regarded Catholic prelate -- the subjects of discussion ranged over many topics. The prelate was well informed and very persuasive. But, I also had the feeling that we were talking to him through a glass window. The best example of the problem with the hierarchical system is reflected by how the Catholic Church dealt with priests who were molesting boys. The Church's initial reaction was not to protect and deal with the victims, but to protect the offending priests. Clearly the hierarchy of the Church had a greater affinity for its own priests than for the people they allegedly serve. I think that politicians in a system such as you suggest would have the same worldview -- politicians of all stripes would be enriching and protecting the political class at the expense of the people.

If we want a government that represents the best interests of the people we neeed to remove the profit from serving in said government. Requiring representatives to follow a path to higher office would only serve to increase the likelyhood of corruption.

Another drive-by pasting. How about quoting a source next time?

This guy writes these things himself as far as I can tell, about once a month. Then he posts them (identically) all over the Internet. That doesn't make them unworthy of comment, but I find it kind of wierd.

Not sure that accomplishes anything but might eliminate good people from office.

This guy writes these things himself as far as I can tell, about once a month. Then he posts them (identically) all over the Internet. That doesn't make them unworthy of comment, but I find it kind of wierd.
That's pretty much what I meant by 'drive-by pasting.' He posts then jets, rarely, if ever, engaging in the discussion he started.

That's pretty much what I meant by 'drive-by pasting.' He posts then jets, rarely, if ever, engaging in the discussion he started.

jambalya is too busy trying to destroy the good work of the movement we follow his pursuits throughout the internets and have tracked him hear a few times he will not get away with spreading this talk about good government and democracy for democracy is a dream a myth in twooo8 when jeb is the only man on the ballot to vote for and recieves his mandate to serve for life jambalya and his like will be the first to be reprogrammed and it will make a clockwork orange look civilized by comparison we dont make you stop thinking about sex we just take the tools that you use to have it that is one thing the movement will be good for
dont hate me because i ended the last sentence with a preposition it doesnt make me a bad person

jambalya is too busy trying to destroy the good work of the movement we follow his pursuits throughout the internets and have tracked him hear a few times he will not get away with spreading this talk about good government and democracy for democracy is a dream a myth in twooo8 when jeb is the only man on the ballot to vote for and recieves his mandate to serve for life jambalya and his like will be the first to be reprogrammed and it will make a clockwork orange look civilized by comparison we dont make you stop thinking about sex we just take the tools that you use to have it that is one thing the movement will be good for
dont hate me because i ended the last sentence with a preposition it doesnt make me a bad person


He must be stopped!

He must be stopped!
Do you really think that we can be stopped (insert long maniacal laugh here)??

Do you really think that we can be stopped (insert long maniacal laugh here)??
No need to try, really. You libbies are your own worst enemy. ;)

No need to try, really. You libbies are your own worst enemy. ;)
(whilst reading)"....d@mmmm....he's right..."

good points

As for the judicial branch, a United States supreme court justice must serve as a municipal court judge of a city, common pleas court judge of a county, circuit court or district court judge of a state, appeals court judge and state supreme court judge. The two-term limit would apply here also.

Some of the best supreme court justices had never held a judgeship before being appointed to the court. A fresh viewpoint can prevent the same errors from being over and over again.