John Paulos proposes that presidential candidates be tested with logic puzzles. Wanna Be President? Pass This Test.
These puzzles shouldn't be difficult since, after all, the primary job of the president is to enforce the Constitution, ensure an honest and open administration, and, in some generalized sense, make things better.
For this task, judgment and wisdom are more essential than the ability to solve puzzles. Nevertheless, I think some non-standard questions like the following would help winnow, or at least chasten, some of the candidates.
Here's one that's a simple test of deductive reasoning:
Imagine there are three closed boxes, each full of marbles on a table before you. They're labeled "all blue marbles," "all red marbles," and "blue and red marbles." You're told that the labels do describe the contents of the boxes, but all three labels are pasted on the wrong boxes. You may reach into only one box blindfolded and remove only one marble. Which box should you select from to enable you to correctly label the boxes?
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