To the Legislatures of All Fifty States and the United States Congress:

Modern democratic governance assumes that individuals seeking public office have the psychological stability needed to use power responsibly. Recent research in psychology, public administration, and leadership shows that this assumption is no longer valid. Traits like sociopathy, psychopathy, and antisocial personality types fundamentally clash with the responsibilities of public authority. Still, there are no legal measures to stop people with these traits from holding elected or appointed office.

This petition urges state legislatures and the United States Congress to introduce laws requiring mandatory psychological screening for anyone seeking or holding positions of public authority. These screenings should evaluate for sociopathy, psychopathy, and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) using accepted clinical tools administered by independent, licensed psychologists.

We, the undersigned, call for legislation requiring that:

1. All candidates for public office—local, state, and federal—must undergo psychological evaluation prior to ballot qualification.
2. Individuals who meet clinical thresholds for sociopathy, psychopathy, or ASPD shall be disqualified from appearing on the ballot or holding public office.
3. All appointed officials must meet the same psychological fitness standards, including:
   • State and federal judges
   • Cabinet members
   • Agency heads
   • Commissioners
   • Regulatory board members
   • Senior executive branch officials
4. All individuals appointed to fill vacancies (including interim or emergency appointments) must undergo screening before assuming authority.
5. All individuals confirmed by the Senate or state legislatures must meet psychological fitness requirements as a condition of confirmation.
6. All individuals with discretionary authority over public safety, public funds, or civil liberties must meet these standards, including:
   • State attorneys general
   • District attorneys
   • Inspectors general
   • Election administrators
   • Law enforcement oversight boards
7. All psychological evaluations must be conducted by independent, licensed psychologists with no affiliation to political campaigns or parties.
8. All results must be reviewed by a nonpartisan state or federal psychological fitness commission, modeled on existing public‑safety standards.

Why this reform is necessary
Research shows that individuals with sociopathic or psychopathic traits are disproportionately drawn to positions of authority because political environments offer power, control, public visibility, and opportunities for manipulation. These traits predict chronic deceitfulness, retaliatory behavior, emotional volatility, and a lack of empathy — behaviors that directly endanger democratic institutions and public safety.

Every major public‑safety profession in the United States requires psychological screening: law enforcement, military command, aviation, child welfare, and federal security roles. Public office meets and exceeds these risk thresholds. The absence of psychological standards for political authority is a preventable vulnerability that exposes the public to measurable harm.

Our demand
We call on every state legislature and the United States Congress to pass laws establishing psychological fitness standards for public office, ensuring that individuals who wield political power possess the emotional and ethical capacities required for responsible governance.

No empathy, no office. No exceptions.