Federal and State Officials

High School

Courses in government, civics, and history will give you an understanding of the structure of state and federal governments. English classes are important because you need good writing skills to be able to communicate effectively with constituents and other government officials. Math and accounting courses help you to develop the analytical skills needed for examining statistics and demographics. You should take science courses because you'll be making decisions concerning health, medicine, and technological advances. Journalism classes will help you learn about the print, electronic, and broadcast media and the role they play in politics. Take public speaking classes because communicating verbally is fundamental to a career as a public official. A foreign language (especially Spanish) will come in handy when interacting with constituents who do not speak English.