I have to say, I'm not ready.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

12. Well, some of the European countries

Get help with candidate selection by having strict requirements to run for, say, Parliament. Or, in the case of the UK, disqualifications. Yes, certain people cannot run for MP:

* Judges
* Police
* Active military members
* Civil servants
* Depending on the country within the UK, anyone under a bankruptcy, debt restriction or sequestration order cannot run for office. It's a nice way of saying you must be financially responsible to run for office. Tends to cut down on that bribery problem a fair bit.

France requires that candidates for office must be 18, a French citizen, qualified to vote, and can't have a record of a criminal conviction or adverse judicial decision. Oh--and they must have a bank account. I always found that one amusing.

European election seasons are short because these simple requirements to run for office eliminate many of the problems that make US elections such a cock up. Not to mention removing from the candidate pool some real dirtbags, like, oh, TFG. He couldn't have even attempted to run for office in most of Europe over his bankruptcy history alone.

Imagine the heartache and suffering the US would have avoided (and could still avoid) if rules like these existed to run for office.