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Abstract
This article provides a brief overview of the qualities of American presidential leadership as well as two rubrics that social studies students can utilize to analyze candidates for the presidency in the past, present, and future. Presidents often exhibit certain characteristics or attributes that make them effective leaders. These abilities include an effective communication style, organizational skill, a vision of public policy, cognitive style, political skill, and emotional intelligence. Given these characteristics, it is important for social studies students to categorize and assess leadership qualities of presidential candidates in order to reach an objective and informed decision. This article provides a two-part rubric that students can adopt. The first rubric includes basic information or criteria such as education, military experience, political experience, and others while the second advanced rubric includes the different presidential qualities as criteria. These rubrics provide a systematic process that students can utilize for assessing and categorizing presidential leaders.
"Some presidents ride the crest of a new political wave, sweeping away much of the established institutional order that preceded them. Others consolidate and preside over the new order as caretakers. And still others must witness the decline and dissolution of the institutional patterns to which they have grown accustomed, preparing the way for yet another cycle in political time"(Kowert, 2002, p. 6).
Introduction
The above quote illustrates a cyclical pattern that, in one way or another, all presidents will face when they assume this leadership role. While the American presidency is often viewed as the apex of power - it is still at the mercy of political pressures, special interest groups, and controllable and uncontrollable societal events. Perhaps change remains the only constant for the President of the United States amidst this whirlwind of events.
The 2004 American presidential election, like its predecessor in 2000 was passionately conducted and debated. The election in 2000 took several weeks to determine a winner. The 2004 election was decided roughly fifteen hours after the polls closed on November 3rd at 11:00 a.m. EST with John Kerry's concession to George W. Bush. The campaigning of both Bush and Kerry was often inflammatory and full of accusations. As a few months have passed and the American political landscape has somewhat settled, it is time to...