One interesting and very positive quality of modern political systems is that many countries have developed strong institutions which support social systems and improve the quality of work that is done within the society: doctors, dentists, engineers and lawyers must pass board exams, teachers must be certified, and certain professions the candidates must pass a civil service exam.

And yet in one of the most glaring holes in democracy or even pseudo-democracy is the completely unexamined acceptance of any citizen who wishes to run for an elected office, regardless of qualifications (aside from age and citizenship.) There is absolutely no assessment of a candidate’s fitness for office, whether intellectually or psychologically. Something is highly paradoxical here – that the very people who guide the life of a political system would not be required to even pass a simple test of geography, or political history, or basic economics. Election of candidates running for high public office is so often based on personality, networks, appearance, charisma and financial resources. It would therefore be quite wise to base the future criteria on two important tenets: evidence of a basic level of knowledge about the world, and assessment of psychological health.

Tests for Political Candidates

Considering the immense responsibilities of politicians in a system, it is not unreasonable to ask that they be able to take a test showing their proficiency in critical areas. Just as is required of doctors, engineers, and teachers, politicians should also meet criteria for the job they are applying for. Having a basic knowledge of political science and economics, geography, domestic and international law, foreign policy, pedagogy, basic knowledge of cultures and languages around the world, philosophy, and environmental sciences among other relevant topics would improve their chances of making wise and well-informed decisions on the job. Certainly, any high-level politician surrounds herself with a group of experts to advise her, but the more knowledge she herself has, the better she will be able to integrate and utilize the information given to her by her experts. It also has great implications in the realm of foreign policy and international relations.

Is there any reason for a politician NOT to demonstrate a minimum level of competency in such areas before being elected, or taking office?

Psychological Evaluation

Screening and evaluating the psychological profile of such candidates would be another important step in confirming the readiness of a political candidate, albeit a more challenging one to implement. Politicians are tasked with the daily decision-making of running any political system or a democracy, often under duress. A preliminary and basic psychiatric evaluation of top politicians could potentially save nations from the worst-case scenarios of unnecessary wars and conflicts. At minimum it could prevent or prepare for mental instability that could lead to poor decision-making. It may not be an exaggeration to consider that the catastrophe of WWII might have been avoided if the psyches of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler had been psychologically screened before their elections. This suggestion carried out by an independent psychiatric committee in every political system in the Second Enlightenment is a groundbreaking proposition in establishing healthy politics and maintaining a sane society without an unstable or malignant narcissist political leader.

In the Second Enlightenment, this manner of filtering would permit only the qualified candidates to participate in the election, and will keep the truly unfit ones out even if they are rich, have extensive power networks, or a charismatic personality. This kind of sieving through the candidates is unfamiliar to our existing political systems, but its implementation could keep nations safer, just like a patient’s life is safer in the hands of a qualified and competent surgeon. It is difficult to imagine what would make such a basic evaluations undesirable, and the improvements to the system could be substantial.

After passing a political “board exam” and undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, candidates would then have the typical public dialogues with constituents that are standard during the campaign process. People would likely feel more faith in such qualified candidates’ leadership and such candidates would be more convincing to their nation and the rest of the world. Wise and balanced and qualified politicians could take their country into the broader family of nations with respect and knowledge, desiring good will and security for all.

The potential alternative is the emergence of politicians who with exposure to power, gradually progress along a trajectory of an unhealthy mental state that transfers to their political mind and political actions: political psychiatry.