You know, sometimes I wonder if democracy is really the best form of government.  If you look at who gets elected in to the myriad of positions… well, just how qualified are these people?  They come from all kinds of backgrounds and often get elected not necessarily because they’re better, but because they have the money, connections, personality, or what have you.  What do they actually know about politics and running a country?  I think it’s good to get people from a broad range of professions and experience, but I also think everyone running in an election should pre-qualify, either with courses, a test, or both.  Why shouldn’t the future mayor, governor, or president have to first learn a little something about policymaking and how previous legislations may or may not have worked?

I wish there was some sort of vocational school or graduate/post-graduate program that all elected officials had to go through prior to running.  I mean, in a way the royals got it right.  Future kings and queens are bred to be the leader of a country.  They learn a particular set of skills, are exposed to a particular set of experiences, and are expected to behave in a certain way as well.  What do we require from our presidents, senators, and state leaders?  Nothing concrete as far as I’ve seen.  So why not take a lesson from the monarchy structure of governing and combine it with the oh so free democracy we have?  Letting democracy run free might not be the best way to run a country.  Let’s breed our future leaders much like scientists are – through a rigorous set of requirements to prove competency in the appropriate areas.