2. POLITICALLY INCORRECT: IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS. By T.S.Khanna,September 20,2017

FOUNDATION FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT,

2.  POLITICALLY INCORRECT:  IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS
                                BY T.S.Khanna, September 20, 2017

NOTE:   Political correctness consists in ignoring or hiding or fabricating facts by the contesting candidates or parties to mislead voters to gain votes at the cost of doing what is right for the society.
 It hurts the society.
 Another thing  that is hurting the US is the axiomatic belief that "ours is the best form of government", implying that there is no room for improvement.  Going counter to this belief is also politically incorrect.  
 Our progress in political institutions has not kept pace with the progress in technology.  From technical perspective, we have a solution to every problem; from political perspective, we have a problem to every solution.  To keep standing on the shoulders of the Founders is to avoid the responsibility of building our own shoulders.
 In the Politically Incorrect series of short articles on various aspects of the US government, we have set aside the political correctness.  Here, the purpose is to invite attention of the learned people to identify and shore up the shortcomings in the government.

At intense moments in history, memorable statements are made by great men creating a significant impact on public psychology.  Taken out of the context, literal meaning of such statements can  be misleading.

The axiomatic belief that everyone is equally qualified to hold any elected office is rooted in the Declaration: "........All men are created equal."  Apparently, all men and women are not created equal as we note from the difference in their physique, looks, and intelligence.

However, the enduring interpretation and the purpose of the statement is still valid:  all men and women must have an equal treatment under the law and equal opportunity to compete.  This interpretation allows us to adopt adequate requisites to install the best talent of the society in elected positions by allowing citizens an equal opportunity to meet the adopted requisites and compete for an elected position.

The quality of elected officials also depends on the quality of voters.  We believe it is equally important to adopt adequate requisites for voters as well.

To initiate discussion on the subject, some requisites for candidates and voters are suggested:

Candidates;

1. Must be US citizen by birth (for all elected positions, to avoid silent invasion on American culture),
2. Fluency in English language (Reading, writing, speaking)
3. Minimum age 30 years, maximum age 65 years,
4. Must have paid income tax for at least five years,
5. Only one term for any one position (to restrict career politicians),
6. Free of any felony conviction or drug addiction,
7. Good credit rating,
8. Knowledge of the US history, government philosophy, its structure and operations,
9. Familiarity with the various sociopolitical groups of the constituents,
10. Completion  of prescribed voluntary public service or under study specific to the elected position.

Voters;

1. Must be US citizen,
2. Fluency in English language (reading, writing, speaking),
3. Minimum age 25 years,
4. Must have paid income taxes for at least two years,
5. Free of any felony conviction or drug addiction,
6. Knowledge of the US history, government philosophy, its structure and operations.
7. Develop and adopt a merit system for voters to give greater voting weight to the voters who contribute more to the society. 
8. Non-voters may not be allowed to participate in politics.

For an equal opportunity for the prospective candidates and voters to qualify, courses/training facilities may be provided at the existing schools and colleges.