To become president of the United States, the candidate should be thirty-five years old or more. Other requirements include being a United States citizen born in the country and residing in the U. S. for at least fourteen years.
Explanation:
President elections in the United States contain several stages, which the candidates follow, but there are three fundamental limitations, set by the U. S. Constitution, which determines who can run for president. The first is the minimum age, which should be no less than thirty-five years. The minimum age to run for president is determined in order for the candidates to be mature and developed enough to be able to be the head of the country.
The minimum age was set when the Constitution was written, but there are no facts, supporting, that at 35, the person reaches some intellectual peak. Now people are also starting to question why there is no maximum age.
The reasons for introducing this requirement include the decrease in mental agility, as not only different mental abilities sharpen as the person grows older, but some skills also worsen. Another reason is the older people’s inability to follow all the modern ways and techniques, so they tend to have more conservative ideas and views. However, no amendments are being planned to add the maximum age for president.
Other than minimum age limit, requirements to be president of the United States specify the citizenship of the candidate. The person must be a natural-born citizen of the U. S. to take part in the elections. Originally, only those being born within the United States’ borders were considered to be citizens. In the modern days, children born to U. S. citizens outside of the country inherit citizenship and are natural-born citizens too.
The last requirement determining the eligibility of the candidate is the residence. Living in the country for at least fourteen years is obligatory. This limitation is set with the purpose of making sure that the candidate knows the major events and changes in the United States and is able to act accordingly. This also allows us to know the needs of the general public and be able to solve the existing problems.
These legal requirements are the only official limitations to run for president, but there are some unwritten qualifications for president, which are also expected to be followed. Most presidents in the history of the United States have been religious, military experience is also common, as well as charisma and public speaking skills. Previous political experience is also a common expectation, but not all candidates have it.
Moderate political views are preferable compared to a very radical candidate with extreme ideas. Setting a presidential campaign costs a lot, although some amount is gained by fundraising, coming from sponsors or organizations candidate still needs to finance their campaign. That is why access to a money resource is also an important feature.
All the official and unofficial requirements can help a person to participate in elections, but the process of electing the president of the United States is rather complicated. So even if all the aforementioned rules are followed, the person is not guaranteed to win the elections. The election process is described in detail in the scheme, which shows both the requirements and the stages of the presidential elections process.
