Elective Office

[JOEBIALEK]

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.

 

[A18]

What an awful idea. No one but a career politician could ever be elected to high office.

[A18]

By the way, where do you get these socialist hack pieces you post every month or two?

[© tweed]

By the way, where do you get these socialist hack pieces you post every month or two?

He probably writes them.  He doesn't just post them here, I've seen them at other boards too.

[© tweed]

Look here:

http://knoxville.wate.com/sound_off/index.php?action=profile;u=301;sa=showPosts;start=0

http://discuss.agonist.org/yabbse/index.php?board=;action=usersrecentposts;userid=7254;user=JOEBIALEK

-The last post of the above is idential to this thread we're in now.

-------------

Do a google search of joebialek and alot of these come up.

[Emsworth]

It's a terrible idea. The People should not be forced to choose only from among candidates who follow some arbitrary path.

The idea was, incidentally, tried in the Roman Republic (the "cursus honorum"), and was, in my opinion, something of a failure.

[Joe Republic]

This really is an awful idea.  It means everybody in the higher echelons of power will be ridiculously old.

[MODU]

Bad Idea.  Sorry bud.

[Virginian87]

What a crazy idea.  The whole point of democracy is that it rules out specific career paths to higher government.  This idea will lead to oligarchy, and thus eliminate our democratic form of government.

[JOEBIALEK]

good points...

[© tweed]

good points...

Even this is a good point:

Look here:

http://knoxville.wate.com/sound_off/index.php?action=profile;u=301;sa=showPosts;start=0

http://discuss.agonist.org/yabbse/index.php?board=;action=usersrecentposts;userid=7254;user=JOEBIALEK

-The last post of the above is idential to this thread we're in now.

-------------

Do a google search of joebialek and alot of these come up.

[© tweed]

HOLY CRAP LOOK WHAT I FOUND

http://teenforums.studentcenter.org/viewtopic.php?t=169234

OLD SOCIALIST HACK JOEBIALEK POSTS ON THE STUDENT CENTER FORUMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow.  Just when you think you can't find him on one more website.....

he shows up again.

[Citizen James]

Gee, a political spambot.  Now where have I seen that before...

Oh, right, all the moronic talking points memos that politcal hacks of all persuations are constantly parroting.