Grade Lyndon B. Johnson’s Integrity:Integrity refers to the…

Grade Lyndon B. Johnson’s Integrity:Integrity refers to the president’s honesty, lack of corruption, and strong moral principles (or the opposite of these things). You will be asked to examine if the president had scandals, underhanded dealings, or if they misled the American people. Consider whether the president made decisions guided by a strong moral compass or if they committed extra-legal abuses of power. Evaluate how the president’s integrity affected the person’s ability to effectively run the country (for example, was a personal scandal a distraction? Did political corruption prevent effective governance? Did a commitment to integrity actually limit the president’s power?).

Grade Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Public Relations, Communication…

Grade Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Public Relations, Communication, and Charisma:Public relations and communication refer to the ability of a president to effectively connect with the American people, convey the president’s agenda and the current affairs of state to the public, and rally Americans in times of crisis. Presidents also sometimes make gaffes or slips in speech that can damage the presidency or unnerve the American people – you also need to consider if presidents make these mistakes. This category also asks you to consider the charisma of the president. In other words, is the president charming, likeable, personable, and photogenic/television-friendly. These qualities not only influence a president’s popularity, but also the president’s ability to establish a connection with the public and advance the presidential agenda.

Gerald Ford’s Legislative Success, Appointments, and the Exe…

Gerald Ford’s Legislative Success, Appointments, and the Executive Office of the President:In this area you will evaluate a president’s management of the executive office of the president (White House staff, advisors, aides, cabinet members, and federal agencies), the president’s level of success in terms of convincing congress to pass the president’s legislative agenda, and the quality of the president’s federal appointments (judicial and otherwise). While every president has an agenda, not every president is able to successfully guide their agenda items through congress; your job is to determine how well a president does that. This category considers the ability of presidents to surround themselves with quality people and their ability to assign judgeships and federal positions effectively.

Gerald Ford’s Overall Grade As President:After you have eval…

Gerald Ford’s Overall Grade As President:After you have evaluated the president in each category, you will be asked to assign an overall grade. In the feedback for this category, you will need to justify which qualities and categories you found to be the defining aspect or aspects of the presidency. This is not an exercise to just average out the total grades from the other categories; instead, you need to provide greater weight to categories that helped define that particular person’s presidency. While this is a subjective exercise, you do need to give answers that are justifiable, both in the grade that you assign and in terms of what you prioritize for the overall grade. Make sure to provide lots of evidence to support your decision.

Grade Lyndon B. Johnson’s Public Relations, Communication, a…

Grade Lyndon B. Johnson’s Public Relations, Communication, and Charisma:Public relations and communication refer to the ability of a president to effectively connect with the American people, convey the president’s agenda and the current affairs of state to the public, and rally Americans in times of crisis. Presidents also sometimes make gaffes or slips in speech that can damage the presidency or unnerve the American people – you also need to consider if presidents make these mistakes. This category also asks you to consider the charisma of the president. In other words, is the president charming, likeable, personable, and photogenic/television-friendly. These qualities not only influence a president’s popularity, but also the president’s ability to establish a connection with the public and advance the presidential agenda.

Grade Richard M. Nixon’s Non-Presidential Life:Many times, a…

Grade Richard M. Nixon’s Non-Presidential Life:Many times, a president makes as much, if not more, of an impact outside of the White House than inside. In other cases, presidents have unremarkable public lives outside of the Oval Office. In this category, your job is to evaluate how much of an impact on America (positive, negative, or neutral) a president had both prior to and after assuming the presidency. Be sure to describe the president’s background, career, and accomplishments when evaluating their non-presidential contributions.

Grade Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Non-Presidential Life:Many time…

Grade Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Non-Presidential Life:Many times, a president makes as much, if not more, of an impact outside of the White House than inside. In other cases, presidents have unremarkable public lives outside of the Oval Office. In this category, your job is to evaluate how much of an impact on America (positive, negative, or neutral) a president had both prior to and after assuming the presidency. Be sure to describe the president’s background, career, and accomplishments when evaluating their non-presidential contributions.

Grade William Howard Taft’s Public Relations, Communication,…

Grade William Howard Taft’s Public Relations, Communication, and Charisma:Public relations and communication refer to the ability of a president to effectively connect with the American people, convey the president’s agenda and the current affairs of state to the public, and rally Americans in times of crisis. Presidents also sometimes make gaffes or slips in speech that can damage the presidency or unnerve the American people – you also need to consider if presidents make these mistakes. This category also asks you to consider the charisma of the president. In other words, is the president charming, likeable, personable, and photogenic/television-friendly. These qualities not only influence a president’s popularity, but also the president’s ability to establish a connection with the public and advance the presidential agenda.