More CPAs in politics

Tonight on election night, I randomly asked myself: how many politicians are CPAs? I never thought about CPAs occupying the sphere of governmental power, but rather I saw them in the background supporting elected officials.

Of course, I consulted big brother Google and found out that there is/was a Congressional CPA Caucus with 7 members in the House of Reps. 2 democrats and 5 republicans, which puts the estimated percentage around 2%. I am not surprised at all.

I also asked big brother about the number of politicians who have law degrees. The answer was estimated at 40%. Again I am not surprised.

I also asked Google if there was ever an accountant as president. No, nada, zero. Now, I am disappointed.

I am going to be biased and fully transparent about my bias and proclaim loudly that we need more CPAs in politics. We need professionals with a trained appreciation of the facts, actual facts (not alternative facts), auditors with a kink for details, reconciliation nerds, and most of all doers. We need less talk, fewer arguments, and better journal entries with supporting documents, and detailed reconciliations of all promises and budgets.

We need more accountability and who can do this? CPAs! It is in their name, their nature, and their vocation to be fair while being practical, and conservative in taking risks, but also consistent in their methodology of the truth.

I am now curious if there has been any research about CPAs in government. I do know that I voted for state auditors and other positions like that before. Unfortunately, I never took the time to consider their qualifications in my selection. I have failed to do proper due diligence. Just like the accounting profession, the AICPAs, and all the states’ CPA boards, all the accounting firms, all the accounting classes have failed to instill political ambition in the heart of CPAs. And you wonder why there is such a decline in the number of prospective CPAs...

Would CPAs govern and legislate better? Yes and YES.

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