Do you like politics? For many kids, politics seems like a subject that's mainly just for adults. After all, it can be difficult to keep up with all the policies and positions and never-ending debates.
For some kids, however, politics seems like a natural calling. Perhaps you have a parent, friend, or family member who holds a political position at the city, county, state, or even national level. When you know someone who holds a political office, it's much easier to take a personal interest in the things they do.
Of course, politics affects all of us. When you begin to work at a job and make money, you become more interested in where all those tax dollars taken out of your paycheck go. You can get interested in politics way before you have a job, though. For example, student government often gives students their first taste of politics and what it means to represent others.
Some of our Wonder Friends may have even thought about being President of the United States. What do you think it would be like to be the most powerful person in the world? That's what some people say, since the President of the United States is considered the leader of the free world.
Does that sound appealing to you? Would you like to live in the White House? Wouldn't it be cool to fly on Air Force One whenever you need to go somewhere? You've probably been told that you can be anything if you set your mind to it. So do you want to be President of the United States?
If so, you need to hold your horses. There's no big rush. You have plenty of time to make a plan that will get you to the White House. Why? Kids can't be President of the United States!
That may seem unfair if you have some really great ideas and had your heart set on moving into the White House soon. The Founding Fathers who created the United States Constitution had their reasons, though.
The drafters of the Constitution set forth the requirements to hold the office of President of the United States in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5. According to that section, the President of the United States must:
- be a natural-born citizen of the United States;
- be at least 35 years old; and
- have been a permanent resident of the United States for at least 14 years.
Obviously, requiring a president to be at least 35 years old rules out kids, but is that fair? Given the responsibility of the position, it's probably a good idea that the president should have finished school and gained a great deal of life experience before taking over as leader of the free world.
So, if you want to be President of the United States one day, you now know the basic requirements. Of course, to reach your goal, you're going to need much more than these three basic conditions fulfilled. You will need to gain experience that will make you an acceptable candidate to millions of people across the country. Researching the history of past presidents will help you gain an understanding of the many paths that different individuals have taken to the White House.