Should politicians have to pass a competency test to be elected?

Both voters and politicians should be required to pass competency tests. Representatives should be required to sign a contract (that they can write, but must make public) that binds them to their campaign promises - and makes them subject to lawsuits if they violate the contract.

Well much of the politicians in office now are pretty much the voters fault. We are their employers yet we let them get away with being immoral, incompetent etc because we choose a party and defend thier actions because we hate the other guy. No corporation in the world would tolerate some of their behavior, why should we.

Since we live in a republic, isn't it natural that we will have idiots as our representatives sometimes? Stupid people need to be represented too.

If the voting public were more informed and involved, we would weed out the incompetent candidates. It's up to the voters to be vigilant, not the politicians.

No...people who VOTE should have to pass a competency test. If voters educated themselves on the issues and the candidates rather than voting straight party lines, the country would be a better place.

Voter apathy is terrible in this country...made only worse by voter stupidity.

That is an interesting question. What kind of test and who would give it. There are a lot of politicians out te=here.

They already have tests like that for gov. workers. Any test they could come up with would be a receipe for disaster. Until the corruption is in check, such things would be worthless.

no, whomever the majority votes for is the person who gets elected (most of the time), to do otherwise would be anti-democratic, if the majority wants to elect an idiot and ruin this country they should still be free to do so

I would not support that, although it is tempting to say "yes" because in the case of Dictator Dumbya, he would never qualify for even a dogcatcher position. Down with Dictator Dumbya!!!

The voting precess is supposed to take care of that. It certainly looks like we may want to implement a competence test to vote. lol.

ABSOLUTELY! You have to take tests to become a postal carrier, a secretary, and many other government positions, why not elected officials and appointees.