It’s Time to Update the Constitution

The position of President was created for any natural born citizen who has reached the age of thirty five. So that means anyone from Bill Gates to that neighbor who doesn’t believe in dinosaurs can aspire to attain the most powerful office in the United States. Except when the founding fathers sat in a room and debated the creation of the executive office at the Constitutional Convention in 1786, they had a distinct idea of who would run for election; educated men who owned land and had previously served the government. Until the election of 2016, every President has fit this ideal as previous statesmen, lawyers, and military generals proved they were fit for the job. Now, President Donald Trump, the billionaire real estate businessman shows to voters that the position is available to anyone with a pulse as he continuously flip flops on his politics and tweets his way into partisan civil war.

Now that the United States is currently about to enter its strangest election in history (seriously it feels like a fever dream) the candidates being Donald Trump, a businessman with no experience in government and who until a few weeks ago claimed that the “Chinese virus” was a hoax, Kanye West, a successful rapper known for his nonsensical preaching; and Joe Biden, a man who will be reaching his 90s by the end of his presidency; I would like to pose an important question: what really qualifies someone to be the President of the United States?

In addition to being a role model, the president is in charge of representing moral and political justice domestically and internationally. They should also promote anti-racism, peace, and keep civility between parties. Specific powers stated in the Constitution are commander in chief, to sign or veto bills, pardon criminals, appoint Supreme Court Justices, department heads and ambassadors, commission officers of the armed forces, negotiate treaties, and pass executive orders. While these are all the official duties of the POTUS, unofficially, they can propose bills to congress which gives them a dutiful role in lawmaking. The president also has influence over the congressional budget as they must submit a budget request every fiscal year and furthermore approve the budget that Congress decides on. The executive is also responsible for dealing with natural disasters, national emergencies, and pandemics. The bottom line is that the Prez has a lot of power and influence over everything the government, military, and citizens do. Therefore who is elected to do this job should not be taken lightly, although it frequently is (Only 61.4% of the voting age population reported voting during the 2016 election according to the United States Census Bureau)

So, there should be an amendment to Article 2, Section 1 of the US Constitution, the article which states the eligibility requirements to become president. The proposal is to add more qualifications to prevent the election of inexperienced and unfit presidents who are more likely to commit crime, divide the nation, and cause disaster. Of course, experienced presidents can still do damage, but it is less likely if they are familiar with a governmental environment.

Excerpt from the original article: “No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.” (The United States Constitution: Article 2, Section 1)

What should be added:

~ The person must show evidence of experience in public service or local, state, federal government, military, or law. Otherwise, if the person cannot prove that they have experience in one of these fields, they can take an examination to prove they have a thorough understanding of government and military. The person must also show evidence of having completed an education.

~The person is not eligible for the Office of the President if their age has exceeded a number equal to the average life expectancy in the United States at the time of election or if their age will exceed this number while serving as president.

How many Presidents can you list off of the top of your head? 5? 10? Perhaps all 45? No matter how many you listed, I’m positive that one of them was the first — George Washington. This is the man our capital city is named after and whose head is carved into a mountain in South Dakota, a state located only three borders away from a state which shares the same name as him, whose face is on all of our dollar bills and quarters.

The reason Washington is remembered with so much respect is because he was an honorable man who led the military in the Revolutionary War, was a key influence in the creation of the constitution, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a reputable president who served his constituents and kept the union intact.

In school and while playing games, many people have also confused Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton as Presidents. It is reasonable to confuse these two men for presidents. They were both highly educated, intelligent men of their time who had important roles in the Revolution and the founding of the Constitution. Though they lack the title of President, both worked in incredibly influential positions in government, and their work remains impactful on America today. While people that mix up Hamilton and Franklin as presidents likely do so because they hear about them all the time in school, this also shows that these men fit the widespread idea of what a president is. If someone like Hamilton could write 61 Federalist Papers and establish the U.S. Coast Guard, and still not be president, then how can voters possibly believe that Donald Trump, Kanye West, or Joe Biden are on the same level as any of the 44 previous Presidents?

An experienced and educated President is a must because every day they dispatch and command thousands to millions of people in the military, bureaucracy, and our law making branches. College educated people typically have higher communications skills, and critical thinking and comprehension skills. Furthermore, someone who has worked several years in a branch of government, law, or military is more likely to make the right decisions as president than someone who hasn’t, because for years, they have been making these same decisions on a smaller scale. They have been interacting with the public, and learning how to elevate their community. They are also involved and supported by a community of people who work in different governmental departments, which gives them background knowledge of what it’s like to work in or alongside a variety of essential government services.

Wouldn’t you be furious if you’d been working all your life to become manager of the company you work at and suddenly an 18 year old with no previous job experience stole that position away from you because the employer liked their funny joke? That is what is at risk with future elections. Candidates who are less experienced gain more votes because of their ability to entertain, appeal to and charm the audience. The president, just like any other high management job position should be experienced, educated, and knowledgeable in the field of politics and government. A businessperson may be well accessed on the economy, but United States politics do not rely on the economy alone.

There must also be an age maximum because it is inevitable that old age causes immobilizing health issues, memory loss, and fatigue — all of which may prevent a president’s ability to serve their constituents. Ronald Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in his last term. FDR’s famous fourth term was cut short when he died at 63 of polio. The average life expectancy in the 1940s was 60 years old. Joe Biden, if elected for two terms, will be almost 90 when he leaves office. This is about 12 years over the average life expectancy [78] in the United States. While Biden and all other politicians’ fervor for serving our nation in their old age is admirable, it is also concerning. We are left wondering if the strange and offensive things they say are because of their aging minds or because they mean to be harmful. I wouldn’t trust my grandmother with the nuclear button, she would lose it within the first five minutes.

In reality, as the new era of Twitter brings new voices to light, we must consider who really is qualified to hold the most powerful office in the country. Imagine the Senate’s confusion when an inexperienced president nominates a random, dangerously unqualified person to the Supreme Court. The president is also the one person that changes millions of lives with one signature.

Do we want our next president to be remembered as a Donald Trump or a George Washington?