October 24, 2011
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Intelligence
Should IQ be a factor in the election of public officials?
How big a part should native intelligence play in elections?
Would you support a candidate based mostly on his/her IQ? Why? Why not?
Should IQ be a factor in the election of public officials?
How big a part should native intelligence play in elections?
Would you support a candidate based mostly on his/her IQ? Why? Why not?
Comments (16)
Apparently most voters are suspicious of a “too intellectual”candidate. I wonder why that is.
In recent years who do you suppose the smartest US president has been? The dumbest?
I think IQ should be a factor, but not anywhere near the top of the list.
A more important factor is just general knowledge, especially of history, the constitution, and laws. We see many candidates (mostly in the GOP) that seem blissfully ignorant in those areas.
I think that sometimes IQ can get in the way of compassion. Yet, we need to have leadership that is wise in application of intellect and order. So, I think that more than intelligence we need to seek wisdom in our candidates for public office, and a willingness to be held accountable. Mr. Obama has a high intellect, but I think poor wisdom. It was said of Adlai Stevenson that he was very intelligent, but people did not trust him. Thus the people voted and elected Eisenhauer, twice. And we got Richard Nixon introduced to the oval office, as his VP. Might have been better to have given Stevenson a chance.
If they’re smart enough to get elected, I say keep’em.
No, an analysis of history shows that the US presidents with the highest IQ’s did the worst jobs. Obviously, basic intelligence needs to be there, but the smartest people don’t usually make the best leaders of people.
I am more worried about what they will actually DO, and what they are capable of doing, not how capable of holding information their brains are.
Well we see where we ended up with George Bush. That guy didn’t use his mandatre with intelligence rather with intuition and intuition is all about survival in the short run not in the long. The intellectuals in this country made the difference. They work on both sides of the aisle. So, next time around America, don’t vote for the handsome guy or the guy who kisses the babies or knows how to work the crowd, Vote your conscious and by no means allow the news or the paper influence your decision. Cause they have a power plan of their own that doesn’t include middle America.
New research suggests that misinformed people rarely change their minds when presented with the facts — and often become even more attached to their beliefs. The finding raises questions about a key principle of a strong democracy: that a well-informed electorate is best. -NPR
Tychecat seems to be right, judging by the responses here. Most American voters tend to be suspicious of those of us who are Too Smart, but I am confused by the comments about Wisdom being more necessary than intelligence. What’s the difference between Wisdom and Intelligence?
@Pickwick12 - I would like to see some evidence supporting the idea that the US Presidents with the highest IQs did the worst jobs. Why don’t the smartest people make the best leaders?
@Socrates_Cafe - Three presidents on the list of estimated highest presidential IQs are John Quincy Adams, Jimmy Carter, and Chester Arthur, who weren’t stunningly effective, and they’re joined as well by Thomas Jefferson, who was an excellent statesman but not great a president. My own view of intelligence and leadership is that the very most intelligent people (speaking of the highest 1-2%) are often best as idea people, people behind a more populist face who serves as the out-front leader. I don’t claim that that’s the gospel truth necessarily, just that it’s my own opinion.
Incidentally, I don’t distrust intelligence. I score highly on IQ tests myself. I just tend to think the most eggheaded among us are often better at supplying ideas than being out front, myself generally included.
@Pickwick12 - You are correct about the problem a high IQ person has relating to or being trusted by most others. There has been some research on this and the cut-off seems to be in the 140-150 range. The IQ required for Mensa membership is about 135 – that’s the upper 2% of the population; an IQ of about 157+ puts you in the upper 0.1% of the population. {Note: if this includes you, send me a message and I’ll tell you how to join TNS, if you’re interested]
Many have tried to guess the IQs of our presidents – they seem to have no trouble with the dumbest (Warren Harding) – but argue about the smartest. Jefferson is supposed to be among the top along with Adams (both) and Carter. Probably Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, Cleveland, and maybe FDR, and Clinton for sure (don’t discount his home-boy ways). Many years ago I asked my college prof (who had served in his cabinet) about how dumb Eisenhower was – he set me straight very forcibly. Apparently Ike was always very much on top of things and very much always in charge, despite his fatherly bumbling appearance.
We tend to elect smart people president – but often that is not the primary reason and some (like Clinton) play down their intellect. GW Bush obviously had other problems that over-rode his intellect – he is short, somewhat insecure, and very much aware that his parents preferred his younger brother Jeb. Thank God we haven’t had Jeb on the national scene – he makes his older brother look like santa.
I don’t know what FDR’s IQ was, but he was deemed to be very intelligent as well as well educated. The people I grew up with were much impressed by his apparent intellect/education and formal speech. It seems to me that education, while necessary to get almost any job now, is not valued as much as it was when I was young. In my junior high class of approximately 30, a little over half went on to high school. Only about half of my high school class went on to college – I don’t know how many finished. But education was harder to get in those days and way more appreciated then than it is now. And the GOP seems to have attracted those who either aren’t blessed with adequate IQs or don’t care to use them. Personally, I’ve never had a problem with smart people!
@anniemomz - Hi Annie, LOL I’ve never been bothered by smart people either. I don’t think the problem with the present-day GOP has much to do with intelligence – they tend to be more highly educated than Demos – probably because the Demos play to the working classes, who are traditionally under-educated.
Rather the problem seems to be that the GOP has been captured by and is controlled by a class of Americans who are decidedly pragmatic in their thinking and who really believe that they are the “Real American Upper Class”and the rest of us are “Supporting Classes” and that consequentially, the upper class needs come first. This is not a new attitude, either in the US or in the World. Globalization has led to a sort of leveling of the playing field and these üppers”see their natural world domination being challenged. The only way they think they can respond is to shore up their position in the US by controlling the politics. They are actually willing to spend more attempting this than any increase in taxes (The Demo solution to current economic problems) would cost them.
Most of us ünderclasses”tend to admire the “Uppers”and aspire to join them, which gives them a certain advantage. Currently they realize that a very smart member of a despised minority had become the most powerful man in the world (according to the latest Forbes Magazine) and the rightly feel that he has the best chance to change the current political situation in America. It will be interesting to see how far they will go and how successful he and his somewhat disorganized political party are in whipping them into line.
IQ is a variable. It can change over time. It also means different things in different environments. So while one’s IQ does play a part in selection of a candidate for elected office, it certainly can not be the only factor that should be considered. The ability to learn quickly is no substitute for wisdom.
@thereluctantsinger - You are right about IQ changing over time. It apparently may change as an adolescent matures and certainly may decline in old age (Tell me about it!)
The relationship between IQ and wisdom is one open to some argument – I would say that you can be pretty smart and still not be very wise, but I’m not sure you can be very wise without being pretty smart – what do you think?
NB: When my namesake visited the Delphic Sybil, he was told “Socrates, no man is wiser than thee” What do you suppose the sybil meant?