That is good Foxy, but you also have a passion to discuss many policy issues.

That is the key point for myself. Passion for issues will lead a minister to learn all relevant information to resolve an issue, so I do not see why any type of education will make the key difference.

Of course, brilliance will indeed differ from person to person, but I cannot see why a law or economics degree will make that much difference.

The basics of both law and economics are not that hard to understand, and ministers have a lot of expertise they can draw on to help him or her shape their policy option to submit to cabinet.

Degrees most certainly are a bonus to natural competence but they can't create it !
Common sense is the other important ingredient & that doesn't come from a Degree either !
On the contrary, we've witnessed the killing off of common sense by Degrees !

Dear Chris,

The reason I mentioned law and economics earlier is
because I thought that the study of those subjects
would train and encourage a person's analytical skills
plus the ability to think clearly using logic and
reasoning as well as training people to be thorough
and pay attention to detail which I felt were good
skills for ministers to have. I did not mean that they
all should study law and economics - I only commented
on those subjects because it seems that many of our
politicians do have those backgrounds.

You mentioned Winston Churchill, Frederick Douglass, and
Abe Lincoln. Three exceptional human beings with exceptional
talents.

Winston - belonging to the British Aristocracy and a
graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Brilliant
orator. Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, orator,
writer, statesman - incredibly talented as was Abe
Lincoln - lawyer - self taught and in 1836 at the age of 25,
he obtained his law licence.

As you said - passion and talent - a hard thing to beat -
even harder to have.

Dear Indy,

It does take different skills to be able to
handle a unruly classroom or work in an emergency
department of a large hospital. Skills that are not
taught when studying medicine or getting your
teaching diploma. It takes certain talents that no
everyone has.

certain talents that no everyone has.
Foxy,
Agree unreservedly & that's why it is up to others to make the many realise that & stop demanding equal Rights & opportunities when it's clear that they're not suited for a position simply because they want it & applied for it !
They must accept that they can or rather should only be engaged in activities they can contribute to not just benefit from. Society has to benefit so that individuals can benefit !

We have expensive public servants who are employed for their qualifications. They advise politicians. The system works, with some of our best - wisest - politicians having little formal education of any kind. We need aware human beings in government, not narrowly educated academics.