Full and every trial by ordeal.
this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
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One month, working a typical retail minimum wage job, only living off of your earnings. (This includes restricted access to credit, housing, etc.)
I honestly think if politicians had to live solely on the median income in the state or country they represent, we'd be seeing a lot more legislation that's in the interest of the working class. Or a lot more corruption and under-the-table dealings, but certainly one or the other.
Straight up, all state and federal politicians should be paid minimum wage by hour. The only way they get a raise is if everyone gets a raise.
This is how you get intense corruption
As opposed to the honest and pure politicians we have today...
I know you mean this well, but the solution for "bad" is not usually "worse"
In the same vein, better is not perfect. There are hundreds of things wrong with our political systems and no single thing will fix all of it. Getting paid more than could ever be reasonable does not stop these people from doing everything they can to get more so whether they get more money or less won't change the corruption you're taking about. That's a separate problem with separate answers.
We might have to agree to disagree here. I'm not even sure politicians are paid unreasonably well imo.
But I guess my main thing is that I don't believe perfection is attainable. All we can do is get close enough. We're definitely not there yet, but I think we gotta keep taking steps in the right direction
One month is not enough to really feel the overwhelming distress of living paycheck to paycheck kicking in.
That's not nearly long enough. Nine months may be.
While campaigning? (Once announced) This will shorten campaign cycles.
While campaigning, cycles shall not be amended.
Need this for the Fed chairman also and Secretary of the treasury also.
My country doesn't have a president or equivalent. Our top leadership is a council of 7 people deciding by majority vote.
The test is they're required to give me a million dollars. If they're unable to do so because they don't have access to a million dollars, they pass. If they do, I get a million dollars and they fail
Write a 2-page essay, by hand, covering why the US Constitution lays out the government it does. Do this alone with a proctor watching. The paper will be anonymously graded by a panel of high school teachers. If you get less than an A, you can’t run.
Also take AP Government and History tests. Also need an A on those.
Finally, live 6 months on your country’s median income in your country’s capital city. No outside help. Apply for, and take on a job where you aren’t “running” something, but rather “doing” something.
Known individual human Ted Cruz does NOT need to know the population of Iran in order to invade Iran!
'President' is mostly a ceremonial office, so they should be able to smile and wave, entertain any visiting dignitaries, and read out whatever speeches Parliament writes for them in a pleasant voice. A feel-good origin story would be a nice bonus.
High speed crash test
No religious affiliation. No investments. Masters in any of the social sciences/humanities. Business majors excluded without exception. No crippling debt (normal debt is fine, just don’t be someone who owes the mob or the Russians or something). Ideally a member of some sort of marginalized community.
Someone humbled and without any aspirations for power. Basically, I want someone in power who very much does not want power.
Vice had a short documentary segment on Cherán, which kicked out their corrupt police, a cartel and outlawed political parties, and now their government is elected by show of hands. They had an interview with one of the candidates who used to work at a university, who said they actually didn't want to be elected because it was a massive cut to their salary, but it's the will of the people and it looked like they would be the favorite candidate.
I'd test their ability to admit that their gut instinct is wrong, their ability to empathize with the marginalized, and their ability (and willingness) to navigate the limitations of the presidency when congress is bought.
I'm not gonna bother thinking up a test for each of those things.
- Are you a felon?
- Are you a sex offender?
- Have you been close friend with a notorious pedophile?
- Have you organized an insurrection to steal the elections?
- Are you a fascist?
- Does anybody say of you that you're a fascist?
If the canditate failed any of the above, I'd pass.
But of course, it's not like it was possible to know any of these things before 2024 (random date chosen for no particular reason...)
Me calling "fascist" to all citizens of the country so they are all inelegible for president.
I’d give him or her a pass
I know what you mean, but 'give them a pass' typically means to overlook bad behavior and not hold them accountable, not to pass on electing them.
Oh yeah well spotted 🙂 I'll fix that for sure
Hidden camera, 'abandoned' box of fundraising candy with a few bars left and an envelope of money ($80). The bottom of the box has a mailing sticker on it to Jamal Brown's address (that is actually to a low rent accomplice's home). The trick is finding a likely place the candidate would reasonably find this while alone. Does candidate leave it or take it? Does the box make it to the address intact?
They must summarize Marxism-Leninism and how it's application effects the country and some potential tweaks necessary for it to be properly enacted to the best capacity.
I'd bring a 4 year old that I've just filled with carnival food to their home office. I want to see how this person reacts to a child throwing up on and possibly breaking their things. I wanna see how they as an adult handles a situation that is no one's fault but needs handling
Probably one year of 24/7 unnoticed full surveillance.
Creepy, illegal and highly unethical. But at this point that's the only way to know someone enough to trust them for such a high power position.
ability to run a mile
queue TOS fight music
Not much really. As a German, our president is mostly just representational, so just don't be a scumbag and don't be a Nazi or Nazi-adjacent would do fine.
As a German I would say test that they actually keep up with all their duties. I feel like for many years ours do a terrible job, but at least they don't try to overthrow the government or anything. So... test that they know and are willing to perform their duties:
The president's most prominent powers and duties include:
- Proposing the chancellor to the Bundestag
- Appointing and dismissing the chancellor and their cabinet ministers
- Dissolving the Bundestag under certain circumstances
- Declaring the legislative state of emergency under certain circumstances
- Convening the Bundestag
- Signing and promulgating laws or vetoing them under certain circumstances
- Appointing and dismissing federal judges, federal civil servants, and commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the Armed Forces
- Exercising the power to pardon individual offenders on behalf of the Federation
- Awarding honors on behalf of the Federation
- Representing Germany at home and abroad
Currently, German presidency is a deportation track for political pensioners.
Find some way to test their empathy. Hell, just give them the test from Bladerunner
Have them demonstrate an understanding of reasons in the “What We Owe to Each Other” sense then have them provide their reasoning in that sense for all of their policies. Those that can’t are not fit for office, those that can could be understood well enough to judge for fit for duty.
See if they sympathize with fascism by analyzing their response to inappropriate jokes.