Educational requirements for Congress and The Office of the President? Nevermind, not needed!

As we continue to grow the gap between the wealthiest of Americans and the ever-eroding middle class, it is now a necessity for citizens who are looking for jobs to have an advanced degree.  An MBA, Masters in Education, Masters in Organizational Leadership, M.A., and Ph.D.s are now needed to compete for jobs that were once considered entry level for baccalaureate degrees merely fiteen years ago.  We have watered down a college degree so much that a bachelor’s degree is now equivalent to high school diploma (for reasons see my blog below regarding For-Profit Piranhas).   I start with this to make a very distinct point; if we as job seeking individuals have to continuously obtain greater educational experiences and advanced degrees to qualify and be considered for employment, our elected leaders should be as well!

Over the past few years, and especially the past couple weeks, I have witnessed firsthand how incredibly ill-prepared and ill-informed our potential Presidential candidates are.  Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Dan Quayle, Michelle Bachman, etc., etc., etc., have made a mockery of what running for President or being in office requires.  On campaign trails, educated candidates, including President Obama, have been criticized for being too educated.  Is there such a notion?  Too educated?  Converserly, there should then be an argument for not having enough education to run for office. 

Now, I do not discredit that there are numerous individuals who have done amazingly well despite not having a formal education.  However, it is imperative that we have advanced degree requirements for all members of Congress and the office of the President.  We entrust these leaders with our safety, well-being, future and livelihood and yet we do not hold them accountable to continuously seeking knowledge and to navigating the very same academic requirements that we insist on other individuals in all sectors of society.  Given the direction and utter divisiveness that permeates our political landscape, not to mention their job approval ratings, our leaders are failing us.  They are a product of a failing K-12 educational system that does not teach individuals how think critically and they are prisoners to a corrupt two-party system.  

As a graduate student I am inundated, in every class, to think critically and with an 'interdisciplinary' approach.  I would argue that, as a whole, our leaders are incapable of doing this, simply because we do not hold them accountable to having any form of an advanced degree.  It is a shame that leaders who continuously make fools of themselves are still front-runners for the most visible and imperative job in the entire world. 

We have regressed so far as a country that we tolerate such idiocy.  As Congress stumbles and remains impotent regarding the economy, education and the jobs crisis and focus on issue like reaffirming “In God We Trust” as our national motto; it is no wonder that we are headed in the direction we are; I would argue there are more pressing issues.

As Albert Einstein once said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death”.  It is a shame that mnay do not hold our leaders and presidential candidates to this standard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJvF0JzBVxI&feature=player_embedded

Robert