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How to become President?
Lend your expertise: what does it take to become President?
Note: Given the growing interest in the politics field, we're inviting our experienced professionals to share their knowledge.
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3 answers
Michael L.
Senior Consultant
7
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi! I left this answer elsewhere and I'll share it here for posterity's sake!
Aiming to become president is one instance of "shoot for the moon, if you miss you land amongst the stars." In other words, if you don't become president, the path to becoming president will likely land you a successful career.
The previous commenter gave you some important notes on eligibility and odds. I will give you a possible, albeit traditional roadmap, but first I want to give you a piece of advice. Read every presidential biography in order, but between each biography, read something relevant about that time in history: trade, wars, law, politics, international relations, economics, geography, state vs. federal rights etc. but also focus on disenfranchised people of the time (especially early America) such as treatment of Native Americans, slavery and treatment of people of color post slavery, as well as women and LGTBQ+. These issues are independent of your political leanings as they still permeate into politics today and are important to be knowledgeable on. This project is a very daunting task, it's nearly 100 books. But you want to be president, and you need to be smart and informed; this life will be filled with hard work and difficult decisions.
Roadmap (I am going to make this open ended for other viewers, but do note that each president has had their own path; the path below is very one-size-fits-all):
High school:
- Get very very very good grades. Get a top percentile SAT score. You want to aim to go to an Ivy League school or school of equivalent prestige (Stanford, MIT, or perhaps a military academy), if you want to know why Ivy League, look at the education of the presidents for the past 20 years. You will want to be in AP and/or IB.
- Get very involved with school and your community. Try to be good at everything: sports, music, and leadership. Become class president. Become president of clubs. Start a club/interest group- this is important as it will show college admissions that you have ambition. Attend girls state or boys state. Become an eagle scout or get a Girl Scout Gold Award. Join your school's mock trial or a local youth court. If your area has RYLA, then get involved there too.
- Writing and public speaking: Get every chance you can to write and speak as you will need to be good at these things.
- Political advocacy and community involvement: Start volunteering for local political campaigns, do regular community volunteer work at places such as homeless shelters. Pick the political issues you believe in and begin advocating, fundraising, and building a public presence. Protest but don't get arrested as you will need a security clearance one day.
- Cultivate a safe social media presence, stay out of trouble, and stay away from illicit substances. The world of government service and politics is one of decorum and good behavior and if there is something bad that can be dug up from your past, your opponents or a background investigator will find it.
Undergrad:
- Get as close to a 4.0 GPA as possible. Be a good student, go to class, participate in class, and study hard.
- Continue cultivating and protecting your public image- this will be the beginning of your political career and you don't need any scandals any time in your career. Be careful what you say or do in general but especially in front of a camera.
- I mentioned that a prestigious school is important, but it's not impossible to become president without that education. President Biden attended a public school for undergrad. You'll likely be majoring in history and/or political science (or international relations which falls within political science) with a pre-law track. You can major in other things, just know that a career in politics usually means law school is on the horizon.
- Make good relationships with your professors as you will need letters of recommendation. You may also want to try to get published in research journals with the help of your professors- this is another thing to cultivate your public persona as it will show your expertise.
- Internships: You will really want to have an internship on Capitol Hill with your local representative or senator. This will come through your volunteer work with their office. You may also want to seek out internships with your local and state representatives. Internships within other government agencies ranging from the DoD, Treasury, DOJ, FBI, CIA can be just as helpful but the political internships are far more crucial. The UN, IMF, World Bank may also be options.
- Continue getting involved with your college and your community as mentioned before. Colleges also have class presidents. If you choose to join Greek life or a secret society like Skull and Bones (this is present at Yale), these are great opportunities for networking and leadership but be aware of your public image and do not let it affect your grades. Join an improv or public speaking group to continue honing your skills. Start participating in local politics- attend city council meetings and acquaint yourself with your local council members.
- International Experience: Become fluent in foreign languages. Study abroad. Volunteer or intern with international organizations. This is not 100% needed, but you want to be president so becoming "worldly" is important.
- Begin studying for the LSAT- like I said, law school is on the horizon.
- If you ended up at a military academy, pick a job/MOS that will make you happy, but do seek out as many development and promotion opportunities and as much as possible. Joining the military is a major commitment and you should really only do it if your heart is set on it, but it is also a career decision so you should make the best of it by doing the best you possibly can at your job, cultivate good relationships with leadership, use the military's opportunities to further your education, seek out DC based postings and rotations, and of course network.
*It's always good to have a few years of work experience before graduate school, but it's not required. Work experience could range from congressional staffer, business/industry, consulting, paralegal work, tech industry, defense/aerospace, or perhaps get a civilian (non-political) job for the federal government.
Graduate School:
- It's the truth that many powerful politicians come out of Harvard or Yale law school so we are going to stay with this traditional track. Many politicians have other non-law careers such as business, tech, medicine, or military to name a few but this is the one size fits all model and truthfully, anyone can run for office.
- Attend an Ivy League Law school- especially Harvard or Yale. Be in the top of your class and write for top law journals.
- Internships: Intern with the Department of Justice, specifically the US Courts/Attorneys' Offices, the Southern District of New York being the most prestigious. Intern with big law firms which could hopefully land you a job after law school.
- It's likely best to focus on trial, criminal, or constitutional law
- Again, stay involved with your community, politics, and your university, but this could be difficult as law school is hard.
Career:
- You may want to start in big law or public law. Looking at the resume of many politicians, they often will swap back and forth a few times in their careers, but public law will be your straight shot.
- Stay involved with your community, local politicians and representatives, and local businesses. Fundraising is key in political campaigns.
- Run for office: You may want to run for local or state office before running for congress but it's possible to bypass. Make a name for yourself here.
-Run for president
Aiming to become president is one instance of "shoot for the moon, if you miss you land amongst the stars." In other words, if you don't become president, the path to becoming president will likely land you a successful career.
The previous commenter gave you some important notes on eligibility and odds. I will give you a possible, albeit traditional roadmap, but first I want to give you a piece of advice. Read every presidential biography in order, but between each biography, read something relevant about that time in history: trade, wars, law, politics, international relations, economics, geography, state vs. federal rights etc. but also focus on disenfranchised people of the time (especially early America) such as treatment of Native Americans, slavery and treatment of people of color post slavery, as well as women and LGTBQ+. These issues are independent of your political leanings as they still permeate into politics today and are important to be knowledgeable on. This project is a very daunting task, it's nearly 100 books. But you want to be president, and you need to be smart and informed; this life will be filled with hard work and difficult decisions.
Roadmap (I am going to make this open ended for other viewers, but do note that each president has had their own path; the path below is very one-size-fits-all):
High school:
- Get very very very good grades. Get a top percentile SAT score. You want to aim to go to an Ivy League school or school of equivalent prestige (Stanford, MIT, or perhaps a military academy), if you want to know why Ivy League, look at the education of the presidents for the past 20 years. You will want to be in AP and/or IB.
- Get very involved with school and your community. Try to be good at everything: sports, music, and leadership. Become class president. Become president of clubs. Start a club/interest group- this is important as it will show college admissions that you have ambition. Attend girls state or boys state. Become an eagle scout or get a Girl Scout Gold Award. Join your school's mock trial or a local youth court. If your area has RYLA, then get involved there too.
- Writing and public speaking: Get every chance you can to write and speak as you will need to be good at these things.
- Political advocacy and community involvement: Start volunteering for local political campaigns, do regular community volunteer work at places such as homeless shelters. Pick the political issues you believe in and begin advocating, fundraising, and building a public presence. Protest but don't get arrested as you will need a security clearance one day.
- Cultivate a safe social media presence, stay out of trouble, and stay away from illicit substances. The world of government service and politics is one of decorum and good behavior and if there is something bad that can be dug up from your past, your opponents or a background investigator will find it.
Undergrad:
- Get as close to a 4.0 GPA as possible. Be a good student, go to class, participate in class, and study hard.
- Continue cultivating and protecting your public image- this will be the beginning of your political career and you don't need any scandals any time in your career. Be careful what you say or do in general but especially in front of a camera.
- I mentioned that a prestigious school is important, but it's not impossible to become president without that education. President Biden attended a public school for undergrad. You'll likely be majoring in history and/or political science (or international relations which falls within political science) with a pre-law track. You can major in other things, just know that a career in politics usually means law school is on the horizon.
- Make good relationships with your professors as you will need letters of recommendation. You may also want to try to get published in research journals with the help of your professors- this is another thing to cultivate your public persona as it will show your expertise.
- Internships: You will really want to have an internship on Capitol Hill with your local representative or senator. This will come through your volunteer work with their office. You may also want to seek out internships with your local and state representatives. Internships within other government agencies ranging from the DoD, Treasury, DOJ, FBI, CIA can be just as helpful but the political internships are far more crucial. The UN, IMF, World Bank may also be options.
- Continue getting involved with your college and your community as mentioned before. Colleges also have class presidents. If you choose to join Greek life or a secret society like Skull and Bones (this is present at Yale), these are great opportunities for networking and leadership but be aware of your public image and do not let it affect your grades. Join an improv or public speaking group to continue honing your skills. Start participating in local politics- attend city council meetings and acquaint yourself with your local council members.
- International Experience: Become fluent in foreign languages. Study abroad. Volunteer or intern with international organizations. This is not 100% needed, but you want to be president so becoming "worldly" is important.
- Begin studying for the LSAT- like I said, law school is on the horizon.
- If you ended up at a military academy, pick a job/MOS that will make you happy, but do seek out as many development and promotion opportunities and as much as possible. Joining the military is a major commitment and you should really only do it if your heart is set on it, but it is also a career decision so you should make the best of it by doing the best you possibly can at your job, cultivate good relationships with leadership, use the military's opportunities to further your education, seek out DC based postings and rotations, and of course network.
*It's always good to have a few years of work experience before graduate school, but it's not required. Work experience could range from congressional staffer, business/industry, consulting, paralegal work, tech industry, defense/aerospace, or perhaps get a civilian (non-political) job for the federal government.
Graduate School:
- It's the truth that many powerful politicians come out of Harvard or Yale law school so we are going to stay with this traditional track. Many politicians have other non-law careers such as business, tech, medicine, or military to name a few but this is the one size fits all model and truthfully, anyone can run for office.
- Attend an Ivy League Law school- especially Harvard or Yale. Be in the top of your class and write for top law journals.
- Internships: Intern with the Department of Justice, specifically the US Courts/Attorneys' Offices, the Southern District of New York being the most prestigious. Intern with big law firms which could hopefully land you a job after law school.
- It's likely best to focus on trial, criminal, or constitutional law
- Again, stay involved with your community, politics, and your university, but this could be difficult as law school is hard.
Career:
- You may want to start in big law or public law. Looking at the resume of many politicians, they often will swap back and forth a few times in their careers, but public law will be your straight shot.
- Stay involved with your community, local politicians and representatives, and local businesses. Fundraising is key in political campaigns.
- Run for office: You may want to run for local or state office before running for congress but it's possible to bypass. Make a name for yourself here.
-Run for president
Jerry Tingstad
Professor/middle school teacher/48 years
95
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jerry’s Answer
First, Mr. German's answer gives one a good deal of information.
Second, I have no information regarding your educational background. A good knowledge of United States history I would think is very important. And not just political history. Knowing the dynamics of this country's growth and development (including the dynamics of immigration involving both the willing and unwilling) can give an individual a measure of confidence in where they "fit" in the system. And then the offerings at institutions of higher learning. Beyond high school history and courses in Political Science. American Government and Politics. Constitutional Law. State and Local Government. Public Administration. Those would be the basics. Back to history. Modern European History (French Revolution and beyond), British (distinct and they do not necessarily see themselves as European and played a huge role in the development of our modern world), Asian, Middle East, the Americas and on. Harry S Truman was the only president who did not attend college or university; though he did read every book in his local library.
Which brings me to a question: how much reading do you do? Books and newspapers. Or are you staring at a screen? The advantage of a physical book or newspaper is one can easily go back and forth.
Then a good knowledge of our presidents is quite helpful. Different presidents entered the office through different routes. Early on being a Founding Father (or the son thereof\) was quite helpful. Being a "war hero" was helpful for others. Being part of a political family is yet another route. Being in the right place at the right time: the death of a president. Starting from nothing. At the bottom and working one's way up. Political circumstances were such that it all simply fell into place. A particular political party couldn't come up with a candidate with enough support and they pick a compromise. The political/economic/social circumstances were such that a particular type of candidate became the choice. The constitutional rules for becoming president worked to the advantage of a particular candidate (winning the presidency is not a matter of getting the most popular votes, it's a matter of winning a combination of states to give one an absolute majority of electoral votes).
First, get yourself a decent education. Especially history and politics; at least with regard to your question. You will then be able to fit United States presidents in the types outlined in the above paragraph.
For most candidates for our presidency becoming one involves a tremendous amount of work, energy, time, sleeplessness. and... luck.
You'll need it.
Second, I have no information regarding your educational background. A good knowledge of United States history I would think is very important. And not just political history. Knowing the dynamics of this country's growth and development (including the dynamics of immigration involving both the willing and unwilling) can give an individual a measure of confidence in where they "fit" in the system. And then the offerings at institutions of higher learning. Beyond high school history and courses in Political Science. American Government and Politics. Constitutional Law. State and Local Government. Public Administration. Those would be the basics. Back to history. Modern European History (French Revolution and beyond), British (distinct and they do not necessarily see themselves as European and played a huge role in the development of our modern world), Asian, Middle East, the Americas and on. Harry S Truman was the only president who did not attend college or university; though he did read every book in his local library.
Which brings me to a question: how much reading do you do? Books and newspapers. Or are you staring at a screen? The advantage of a physical book or newspaper is one can easily go back and forth.
Then a good knowledge of our presidents is quite helpful. Different presidents entered the office through different routes. Early on being a Founding Father (or the son thereof\) was quite helpful. Being a "war hero" was helpful for others. Being part of a political family is yet another route. Being in the right place at the right time: the death of a president. Starting from nothing. At the bottom and working one's way up. Political circumstances were such that it all simply fell into place. A particular political party couldn't come up with a candidate with enough support and they pick a compromise. The political/economic/social circumstances were such that a particular type of candidate became the choice. The constitutional rules for becoming president worked to the advantage of a particular candidate (winning the presidency is not a matter of getting the most popular votes, it's a matter of winning a combination of states to give one an absolute majority of electoral votes).
First, get yourself a decent education. Especially history and politics; at least with regard to your question. You will then be able to fit United States presidents in the types outlined in the above paragraph.
For most candidates for our presidency becoming one involves a tremendous amount of work, energy, time, sleeplessness. and... luck.
You'll need it.
JOHN German
90
Answers
Bluffton, South Carolina
Updated
JOHN’s Answer
Hello:
Via the constitution:
"The U.S. Constitution states that the president must:
Be a natural-born citizen of the United States
Be at least 35 years old
Have been a resident of the United States for 14 years".
- https://www.usa.gov/requirements-for-presidential-candidates
- https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C5-1/ALDE_00013692/
Beyond those minimum requirements wisdom, informational education about these would also help:
- political landscapes now and past
- foreign policies
- foreign nation's past and current circumstances
- state-by-state stances on various legislations
- country-wide laws
- grasping past presidents and what benefited their presidencies and/or limited their presidencies
- education, at least basic, on economy and other realms of US
- confidence, integrity, decision-making, etc. (for good, honest leadership that would benefit the nation and not their own interests)
- and more
So, the more one understand about various aspects, the higher the potential one can gift their presidency a more informed selection with their thoughts - including picking those around you who have that knowledge you lack or do not have enough of.
Grateful within your imprints.
God Bless,
John German
Via the constitution:
"The U.S. Constitution states that the president must:
Be a natural-born citizen of the United States
Be at least 35 years old
Have been a resident of the United States for 14 years".
- https://www.usa.gov/requirements-for-presidential-candidates
- https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C5-1/ALDE_00013692/
Beyond those minimum requirements wisdom, informational education about these would also help:
- political landscapes now and past
- foreign policies
- foreign nation's past and current circumstances
- state-by-state stances on various legislations
- country-wide laws
- grasping past presidents and what benefited their presidencies and/or limited their presidencies
- education, at least basic, on economy and other realms of US
- confidence, integrity, decision-making, etc. (for good, honest leadership that would benefit the nation and not their own interests)
- and more
So, the more one understand about various aspects, the higher the potential one can gift their presidency a more informed selection with their thoughts - including picking those around you who have that knowledge you lack or do not have enough of.
Grateful within your imprints.
God Bless,
John German