Take a look at our Constitution, specifically Article One, Section Eight, which describe the powers granted to Congress, our national legislative branch.
Based upon these 18 powers/responsibilities please share what qualifications or experience do you believe members of our legislative branch should have in order to carry out these powers well.
As is our practice, comment below and then reply to the comments of two others.
An important qualification that members of the legislature should have in order to carry out these powers well is to have received an education. In order to be confident that they are carrying out these responsibilities to the best of their ability, being educated is important. Specifically, clause 8 states, "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts..." Having a knowledge of topics and information is extremely important in order to be able to complete this duty.
ReplyDeleteSakari
DeleteI agree- having an education is really important, especially to promote education to other citizens.
I agree - it is very important that America's representatives be educated or have experience in the proper fields.
DeleteI didn't think about this clause, but I agree. The legislature should reflect the people, and the ideals of education in America.
DeleteI agree! Education is very important to the success of a legislative body.
DeleteI agree! An education is so important for all aspects in life, especially with a government position.
DeleteI completely agree, uneducated government employees is a recipe for disaster, and could lead to chaos if they don't know what they are talking about or have strong critical thinking skills.
DeleteSakari
ReplyDeleteA qualification I think legislative members should have is a specific degree in politics and/or economics. Since these clauses talk about taxing and foreign relations, being educated in how exactly these things work is extremely important.
I agree. Our members of government should be qualified in economics and politics.
DeleteI definitely agree because most of the duties for Congress fall into these different subjects.
DeleteI agree because having a job is a legislative member requires experience in all categories.
DeleteI think that it shouldn't be a requirement for them to have a degree in politics and/or eco because other degrees might also be useful, bringing new point of view to the government as well as not constricting legislative members.
DeleteI agree, having a degree in politics and/or economics would be greatly helpful in our leaders, as they do utilize those skills the most, but perhaps other degrees and knowledge can be used as well, so everybody does not look at an issue through a particular lens that they learned to look at things with.
DeleteI don't think that there should be any mandated requirements to run for House or Senate. That would be somewhat elitist and would unfairly target certain types of people. However, I (personally) would want someone who is experienced or at least knowledgeable in economics, politics, and the military to represent me. After all, the bulk of Congress' duties and powers fall under these three categories.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is difficult to create requirements that are not oppressive to certain types of people, however, I do agree that I would also want someone well versed in those areas.
DeleteI agree that requirements shouldn't be too strict, because representation is important, and a branch that holds so much power should be diverse and include every perspective.
DeleteI'm very interested by your point that there should be no mandated requirements. I completely agree that there should be no limiting, unfair, or biased requirements to run for office, but I'm interested to what extent you think this should apply. After all, it makes sense to have certain standards which all candidates must meet (like age, qualifications, capabilities, etc.) but it's too easy to make those requirements "elitist," as you say. In an ideal world then what would be the perfect conditions that would ensure good candidates but also be fair and reasonable for everyone? Just a thought for a rainy day...
DeleteNadim Spohr
DeleteI agree that there shouldn't be requirements for running for the position of an elected representative, but at the same time, the person needs to know what they're doing. It is true that the current requirements tend to oppress some types of people rather than others, but at the same time, if you don't have requirements, it is possible that incompetents could be voted into office. My opinion is that there should be requirements, but they shouldn't be biased and make it harder for some people to get into office rather than others.
It's an interesting and more populist take to have. I can understand wanting to let everyone run for Congress if they want to.
DeleteI agree. In an ideal society, everyone can run.
DeleteI agree! some people don't have the resources that others do, and denying them just because it's unavailable to them is unfair. But, it is also important to have someone educated, experienced and well-versed in their area.
DeleteI disagree, there should be requirements but not strict ones, for instance they should have a background check to see if they have a criminal record. It is a simple qualification but neccesary.
DeleteThis is definitely an interesting take, as stripping the requirement barriers would definitely open up the spaces available for who can run and who can't, but at the same time, it does also run the risk of a tyrant or somebody who doesn't know how to handle power getting elected to office, so there is a real catch in place here. It is understandable however, the idea of letting anyone who wants to run the ability to do so.
DeleteNot only does the legislative branch hold a lot of power and responsibility, but these powers cover a fairly wide variety of topics, and all of them are important. I think in order to trust a legislative official with trade and economy regulations, taxing, and military decisions, they would need to be educated in these fields. Not only should they be knowledge about policy and what makes a government succeed/fail, but they should be exposed to the voices of the people, so they can make considerate and smart choices.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Congress members must be well educated and knowledgeable about these fields in order to properly carry out their duties. Without a good understanding of the world around them (particularly the fields you mentioned) they are bound to make poor decisions and lead the country to chaos.
DeleteNadim Spohr
DeleteI agree with the point that the representative needs to be educated well, especially since they essentially are choosing the fate of the country. If they aren't educated, then they won't really know what is OK to vote yes on and what isn't.
I agree, important decisions can't be made correctly without proper education and knowledge on the issue at hand.
DeleteSince a lot of the powers revolve around money, foreign relations, and general governing, Congress members should be experienced in finances, history, and global governments. This is similar to the requirement of being educated, but it focuses more specifically on these three fields and doesn't require formal instruction. For finance they should have a thorough grasp on the economy and how it works, as well as good personal finances to show they know what they're doing (not that they have to rich, only stable financially and making good financial choices). They should also be familiar with global history so that they have a good understanding of cause and effect, how government's work, what has worked in the past, and what to avoid in future. Lastly they should have a good education on current global countries and their governments which would help with foreign matters and general knowledge on governing.
ReplyDeleteI really like how in depth you were as far as the foreign relations requirements, I agree that it is so important to know in depth about what you are working with.
DeleteNadim Spohr
ReplyDeleteThe most important qualification that a member of Congress must have is a sense of knowing what people actually want and/or need. The whole point of a representative is to let the American people have a say in governmental affairs by choosing representatives who hold those beliefs and policies. These people are going to be the ones who present bills in congress, and vote to either pass or reject a law that is going through that house. If the representative is out of touch with the people they are elected to represent, then they have essentially failed at their job.
I agree because they are being elected for the sole purpose of representing the people in government.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMembers of Congress should have to be well-educated individuals in order to prove their scholastic aptitude. This would also help to prevent Congress from falling into populist traps from, frankly ill-experienced, "everyman" politicians. They will essentially be guaranteed to have the mental fortitude to carry out their responsibilities in a safe and intelligent manner.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. Making education a qualification, means that now the vast majority of qualified people are rich whites.
DeleteI agree, knowledge and experience comes as an important qualification in order to hold a high withstanding job.
DeleteI agree. People in government need to be smart in order to be good leaders. It is essential for anyone in the job.
DeleteEthan Lader
What is your definition of "well-educated"? If it is a degree and prestigious university. then I will have to disagree. This qualification excludes many highly intelligent people who could be fit for the position, but is lacking in their official education.
DeleteI think that there should be no qualifications. when you make qualifications, you are denying people from certain backgrounds a chance to run.
ReplyDeleteI think that although these qualifications may deny people unfairly, they are necessary to have a competent and well running government.
DeleteEducation is an important requirement for members of the legislature to have in order to effectively exercise these powers. Being knowledgeable is necessary in order to feel assured that they are carrying out these roles to the best of their abilities, It is extremely important to have a knowledge of topics and information in order to be able to carry out their governmental job
ReplyDeleteI agree. People that have power should be smart and well educated individuals, especially when they’d re meant to represent you.
DeleteEthan Lader
I believe that members of the legislative branch should have basic qualifications that won’t prevent anyone reasonable from running for office. Given how complex this is, and how over time this changes, no specific criteria can be fit to be used for this indefinitely.
ReplyDeleteEthan Lader
I think something that is extremely crucial for the members of the legislative branch is having an education. An education is so important for everything in life. However, there are people that don't have that open to them even though they are perfect for the job. This does become somewhat elitist. Also, I think that the members should have some experience of power so they don't walk in having no idea what is going on
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, for such an important position one should most definitely have some form of education.
DeleteFor the Legislative branch, qualifications are necessary because in the position they will have a great deal of power. So, it should be necessary for they person to have education, specifically a degree in economics, and politics. The person must have no criminal record. They should also demonstrate leadership and loyalty to the country.
ReplyDeleteYes, I like the part about demonstrating loyalty and leadership to the country.
DeleteI agree with your point about how much power they have, but I don't agree that they can't have a criminal record. The prison/justice system is extremely problematic and there is more to the issue than just criminal record vs. no criminal record.
DeleteI think that the most important requirement to be a member of the legislature is that you have to be educated. This is an extremely important role, that comes with a lot of responsibility and power. If someone holding this position isn't properly educated, they can make decisions that may not be as informed as they should. If you don't properly know or understand what you are making decisions about then how can you possibly make a good choice?
ReplyDeleteI agree, education is a really important requirement.
DeleteI think that the most important requirement for members of legislature should be that you need to be educated. This requirement is obviously flawed, since the education system favors those who have more money and have a higher social class, but education is still essential to be a critical thinker and be a strong legislature official.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's a complicated issue.
DeleteI totally agree that any requirements, even just on their education, hurts poorer people.
DeleteI believe that some of the most important and required qualities that members of the legislature branch should have is being down to earth with the real world, and having a sense of what life is like for the everyday person, so they would be able to empathize with the average American. Far too often, there are people in positions of power who have "lost touch with reality," and think that everybody is able to live like them, so they aren't in a correct mindset to be able to help out the average person to the best of their ability. Having a good education, knowledge, and not being afraid to take risks is important as well, but knowing the common struggles of the everyday person is especially important too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. We need someone who will listen to us and our opinions, but still keep everything in check. Just like you said, a relatable person is more fit to do so then a highly educated person.
DeleteAn extremely important qualification for the members of the legislative branch is experience and knowledge in their fields. I couldn't say that an education is an important qualification because there are those who are more worthy of the position but lack the official education to rise up to the position.
ReplyDeleteI agree, experience is important.
DeleteI also agree with you about experience. They should be experienced enough to make smart decisions.
DeleteAn important requirement for members of legislature should be that they're educated specifically on the issues they're meant to address.
ReplyDeleteIt's essential that members of the legislative branch have experience and a high level education. The Constitution gave the U.S government a multitude of new powers. They could levy taxes, control trade, and had to govern all the people under America. So it's imperative that any member is competent enough to contribute to running a country.
ReplyDeleteI agree that they must have an education. It is an important task with a big responsibility and a lot of decisions to make so they must be educated.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAn important requirement to be a member of the legislature is that you have to be educated. The job comes with a lot of influence and power. In this position, one must be able to make decisions that are well-informed, and proper education is necessary for this.
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the most important requirements for being a member of the legislature is to be educated. Being a member of the legislature is an important task so the person with that task must be educated and experienced so that they can make the best decisions possible. However, I do think that some requirements can be biased or unfair towards groups of people and I think it is extremely important that there are no unfair requirements.
ReplyDeleteI believe members of the legislature should have knowledge about finance and law as well as current events. They have to deal with those issues a lot, and their opinions on these need to be well informed so they can make good decisions that effect everybody positively.
ReplyDeleteI believe that requirements for members of the legislature should be that they should have an extensive education because the members had an immense amount of power and an uneducated person in power would lead to many issues.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this post Property agent course
ReplyDelete