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| Can we tell if Donald Trump has a high IQ? | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Question: How often does President Trump talk about IQ? | Question: How often does President Trump talk about IQ? |
| Answer: All the time. | Answer: All the time. |
| When Mr Trump recently boasted that his IQ was higher than Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's, it fit a pattern. | When Mr Trump recently boasted that his IQ was higher than Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's, it fit a pattern. |
| In 2013, he tweeted that his IQ was "much higher" than Barack Obama and George W Bush. | In 2013, he tweeted that his IQ was "much higher" than Barack Obama and George W Bush. |
| He has also claimed a higher IQ than comedian Jon Stewart and British star of The Apprentice, Lord Sugar. | He has also claimed a higher IQ than comedian Jon Stewart and British star of The Apprentice, Lord Sugar. |
| Despite this, Mr Trump has never revealed his own IQ. So can we work it out? | Despite this, Mr Trump has never revealed his own IQ. So can we work it out? |
| What is IQ? | What is IQ? |
| An Intelligence Quotient is a score given to someone after taking an intelligence test. | An Intelligence Quotient is a score given to someone after taking an intelligence test. |
| There is no single "IQ test" - Mensa accepts results from more than 200 tests, including its own. Some tests last an hour, while some have no time limit. | There is no single "IQ test" - Mensa accepts results from more than 200 tests, including its own. Some tests last an hour, while some have no time limit. |
| Dr Frank Lawlis, the supervisory psychologist of American Mensa, says they usually test spatial, quantitative, and verbal skills. | Dr Frank Lawlis, the supervisory psychologist of American Mensa, says they usually test spatial, quantitative, and verbal skills. |
| Broadly, spatial questions are about shape and measurement; quantitative questions are mathematical; and verbal questions are about words - for example, how one word is similar to another. | Broadly, spatial questions are about shape and measurement; quantitative questions are mathematical; and verbal questions are about words - for example, how one word is similar to another. |
| Mensa accepts those who score in the top 2%. That equates - very roughly - to an IQ of 130. | Mensa accepts those who score in the top 2%. That equates - very roughly - to an IQ of 130. |
| Who were the smartest presidents? | Who were the smartest presidents? |
| "I don't recall ever coming across a list of presidents and their IQs," says Dr Barbara A Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia. | "I don't recall ever coming across a list of presidents and their IQs," says Dr Barbara A Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia. |
| "But you can easily find a list of presidents inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in their universities." | "But you can easily find a list of presidents inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in their universities." |
| Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa honours "the best and brightest liberal arts and sciences undergraduates from 286 top schools across the nation". | Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa honours "the best and brightest liberal arts and sciences undergraduates from 286 top schools across the nation". |
| Of the 44 presidents, 17 have been Phi Beta Kappa members. Bill Clinton, George H W Bush, and Jimmy Carter were the most recent. | Of the 44 presidents, 17 have been Phi Beta Kappa members. Bill Clinton, George H W Bush, and Jimmy Carter were the most recent. |
| Dr Perry puts forward, among others, Herbert Hoover ("a very, very bright scientist, a geologist"), Woodrow Wilson ("our only PhD president"), and William H Taft ("a brilliant lawyer"). | Dr Perry puts forward, among others, Herbert Hoover ("a very, very bright scientist, a geologist"), Woodrow Wilson ("our only PhD president"), and William H Taft ("a brilliant lawyer"). |
| And, although a president's IQ has never been confirmed, in 2006 the University of California estimated that John Quincy Adams was the most intelligent of all presidents. | And, although a president's IQ has never been confirmed, in 2006 the University of California estimated that John Quincy Adams was the most intelligent of all presidents. |
| Dr Perry also says some presidents have undeserved reputations. | Dr Perry also says some presidents have undeserved reputations. |
| "Gerald Ford was viewed as being a klutz, because he would trip in public, but that was so unfair. | "Gerald Ford was viewed as being a klutz, because he would trip in public, but that was so unfair. |
| "He had an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where he was from, he was an Eagle Scout, he went to Yale Law School, and he was a star footballer on top of that." | "He had an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where he was from, he was an Eagle Scout, he went to Yale Law School, and he was a star footballer on top of that." |
| She also says that intelligence is only part of what makes a good president. | She also says that intelligence is only part of what makes a good president. |
| "It was the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who famously said Franklin Delano Roosevelt had 'a second class intellect but a first class temperament'. | "It was the Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who famously said Franklin Delano Roosevelt had 'a second class intellect but a first class temperament'. |
| "Roosevelt was re-elected in '36 by two-thirds of the electorate." | "Roosevelt was re-elected in '36 by two-thirds of the electorate." |
| And who were the least smart? | And who were the least smart? |
| "I would put Warren Harding in that category," says Dr Perry. "He was a journalist by training." | "I would put Warren Harding in that category," says Dr Perry. "He was a journalist by training." |
| This is awkward... | This is awkward... |
| "Some of my best friends are journalists!" says Dr Perry, laughing. | "Some of my best friends are journalists!" says Dr Perry, laughing. |
| "And my brother is. But my point is, he wasn't from Harvard or Yale, and he wasn't a brilliant lawyer who ended up on the supreme court." | "And my brother is. But my point is, he wasn't from Harvard or Yale, and he wasn't a brilliant lawyer who ended up on the supreme court." |
| So where does Donald Trump fit in? | So where does Donald Trump fit in? |
| "If he ever releases his IQ, I just have a feeling - especially since he is daring Tillerson to release his - that it's higher than people would presume," says Dr Perry. | "If he ever releases his IQ, I just have a feeling - especially since he is daring Tillerson to release his - that it's higher than people would presume," says Dr Perry. |
| "People who don't like him say 'oh he's such an idiot, oh he's so stupid'. But I bet you it's higher than we might realise." | "People who don't like him say 'oh he's such an idiot, oh he's so stupid'. But I bet you it's higher than we might realise." |
| Professor Fred I Greenstein, professor of politics emeritus at Princeton University, lists six qualities that bear on presidential performance. | Professor Fred I Greenstein, professor of politics emeritus at Princeton University, lists six qualities that bear on presidential performance. |
| They are: public communication, organisational capacity, political skill, vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. | They are: public communication, organisational capacity, political skill, vision, cognitive style, and emotional intelligence. |
| "Trump scores low on emotional intelligence, cognitive style, vision, and organisational capacity," says Dr Perry. | "Trump scores low on emotional intelligence, cognitive style, vision, and organisational capacity," says Dr Perry. |
| "Where he was been superb, in order to win the presidency, is public communication and political skill." | "Where he was been superb, in order to win the presidency, is public communication and political skill." |
| Dr Perry also points out Mr Trump's business career - "he obviously had a certain native intelligence to be successful, such as he was" - and degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. | Dr Perry also points out Mr Trump's business career - "he obviously had a certain native intelligence to be successful, such as he was" - and degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. |
| But - whether Mr Trump's IQ is high or low - Dr Lawlis from Mensa says it doesn't tell you everything. | But - whether Mr Trump's IQ is high or low - Dr Lawlis from Mensa says it doesn't tell you everything. |
| "If you take someone we consider to be a genius like Einstein, he would probably not do well on an IQ test, because he thinks outside the box," he says. | "If you take someone we consider to be a genius like Einstein, he would probably not do well on an IQ test, because he thinks outside the box," he says. |
| "He could probably think of a dozen answers to one question." | "He could probably think of a dozen answers to one question." |
| Either way, the time for talking may soon be over - Mensa has offered to test both Mr Trump and Mr Tillerson's IQ. | Either way, the time for talking may soon be over - Mensa has offered to test both Mr Trump and Mr Tillerson's IQ. |
| Answers | Answers |