1) Before doing any research, I predict the three most highly ranked presidents in US history will be Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and Abraham Lincoln. The worst might be, Richard Nixon.
2) Consistently among the top four are Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt has held the number 4 spot for all 3 years this survey was conducted, but Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman have both held the number 5 ranked spot.
3) My first observation is that Abraham Lincoln has consistently held the number 1 spot, regardless of what year people were surveyed. My second observation is that with the exception of Barack Obama and George W. Bush, all of these men held office before the year 2000, so they could be classified as somewhat "older" presidents. My third observation is that Richard Nixon is much higher on the list than I expected, considering that his presidency was one of the biggest scandals in American history.
4) With the exception of a few, most people involved in this survey seem to be college students. C-SPAN includes this information to give viewers knowledge of the types of people being surveyed. This is important because viewers should know the demographic being surveyed because that obviously affects the answers they give. If they had not included this information I would possibly wonder what age are the people answering these questions, because I feel like age plays a large factor in people's view on politics. I think the fact that most people taking the survey are students, somewhat diminishes the credibility of the survey. However, they do include people studying politics, historians, and lawyers, who are all the types of people that I think would have credible knowledge on the topic of presidencies.
5) The ten categories used to determine the president's placement on the survey are as follows: Public persuasion, crisis leadership, economic management, moral authority, international relations, administrative skills, relations with congress, vision / setting an agenda, pursued equal justice for all, and performance within context of times.
Ten Leadership Categories: C-SPAN.org
6) C-SPAN weighted all of the categories evenly. They allowed participants to rank the presidents' success in each of the categories from 1-10 and then averaged all of the scores together. Thus giving the final scores of the president.
Methodology: C-SPAN.org
7) If I were to give extra weight to 3 categories I would choose: crisis management, moral authority, and economic management, I firstly choose crisis management because I believe how someone reacts in a time of crisis is a true test of their character. I believe that any president that is able to act calmly and efficiently in a time of crisis, should be noted for that. Secondly I choose moral authority. This is extremely important, primarily because the president is the face of our country and it is imperative that they are someone with good morals, because those morals are ultimately reflected onto the country as a whole. Lastly I choose economic management. This is extremely crucial in a presidency because the economy, somewhat determines the fate of the country. It is essential that we have a stable economy, and a president that can either help maintain that, or further improve it.
8) The only person that I included that was in the top 3 was Abraham Lincoln, however the other two I included were relatively high up on the list. I think this was partly because I was primarily considering "popularity" of these presidents more so than there actual work during their time in office. My worst ranked president was not as near to the bottom as I thought they would have been. I was surprised at the presidents listed closest to the bottom because for the most part I didn't know much about them or what they did during their time in office.
Part B
9) "On March 16 we celebrate the anniversary of James Madison's birthday. Madison, traditionally viewed as the Father of the United States Constitution, is also seen by many as a defender of open government. He once wrote, "[a] popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps, both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."1
In a similar vein, he asserted that "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge" is "the only Guardian of true liberty." The United States Department of Justice: FOIA
In a passage written by James Madison, he discusses how a government that is solely known for being the government it is, and not because of what it does or the information it holds is a "tragedy". He goes on to say that as humans who wish to control their own lives, we must understand the power of knowing, and that having knowledge will keep us free from any form of stupidity or blindness. He concludes by saying that the way we use our knowledge is ultimately the only thing that can truly set us free.
10)" . . . [K]nowledge of our own history is essential in the making of Americans. The reasons for this belief may be summed up under four main heads. History makes loyal citizens because memories of common experiences and common aspirations are essential ingredients in patriotism. History makes intelligent voters because sound decisions about present problems must be based on knowledge of the past. History makes good neighbors because it teaches tolerance of individual differences and appreciation of varied abilities and interests. History makes stable, well-rounded individuals because it gives them a start toward understanding the pattern of society and toward enjoying the artistic and intellectual productions of the past. It gives long views, a perspective, a measure of what is permanent in a nation’s life. " American Historical Association
The primary difference between the argument that Madison makes and the AHA makes is that Madison believes people should obtain knowledge for the sake of governing their own lives, while the AHA argues people should have knowledge of history for the sake of bettering the nation as a whole. While they do present similar ideas in that knowledges truly does make you a stronger and more educated person, they still don't exactly agree on the reasons why you should want to obtain knowledge. AHA's primary reasons they believe people should have knowledge of history is because "history makes loyal citizens, history makes intelligent voters, history makes good neighbors, and history makes stable, well-rounded individuals". This differs from Madison's views because he believes people should want to be knowledgeable because "knowledge forever governs ignorance" and because "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge" is "the only Guardian of true liberty"
While I do agree with both of these points, I don't lean particularly more so towards one or the other. I agree with Madison in that it is very much important to have knowledge because it really is such a large part of your independence as an person, and it should be noted for the significant amount of power that it can hold. On the other hand though, I do also agree with the arguments that AHA makes in that knowledge is extremely valuable in creating a nation that is not only educated but also able to connect on a level deeper than a superficial one, and I feel like much of that comes with knowledge and your ability to empathize with others. So while I don't only agree with one argument, I agree that knowledge is an extremely powerful tool for individual reasons but also because of the way it shapes a nation as a whole.
Part C
11) This year I have grown as a researcher in my ability to analytically look at an event or topic and evaluate it from a logistical standpoint but also a humanitarian standpoint. I feel like this is most evident in my in-class write regarding the humanitarian aspect of illegal immigration. This project was important to me because before doing it I was very much only looking at the logistical side which was that people were coming into our country illegally, and that they shouldn't be allowed to do that. However, after doing this project, while I still do agree with my original point I have also gained the ability to empathize with these people because for the most part they aren't illegally entering the country with bad intentions, they are doing it out of desperation and hope for a better life. I think it was important for me to realize that I can stand behind a logistical point of view, but I also need to be willing to try and look at it from a humanitarian point of view and try to empathize and understand.
This year I have also grown in my ability to analyze the credibility of sources that I use. In previous years I had a tendency to click on the first result that came up and use that as a source. Now I look for better, more reliable sources, to help show my credibility in sharing my opinion but also to improve my points. Through my improvement in finding better sources I have found that my research greatly improves which leads to an improvement in my overall success in my in-class writes. The ability to evaluate the credibility of a source is extremely important and it is a skill I have greatly improved upon.
12) Of the 5 parts of my project, the one I was most proud of was my in-class write. I am proud of this because the notes I took during the movie, and the research I did outside of class, hugely contributed to my overall success in the project, and I feel that my in-class write best demonstrates my knowledge of the topic as a whole.
13) I think Ava's dinner invitation is an example of excellent work. Not only is the invitation fitting to the theme of her movie, but her explanations for her guests and why she is inviting them is very well done. Ava's Dinner Invitation
14) “Once you can express yourself, you can tell the world what you want from it. All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words.” -Jackie Kennedy KGB Report
This quote is inspirational for me because I firstly love the eloquence of the way it is written, but mostly I love the message behind it. I think it is important to understand the importance of being able to express yourself through words, because your ability to express yourself is ultimately the primary factor in deciding how things work out for you. If you hold the ability to properly express yourself, you hold so much power. I believe this ability is often forgotten and underrated and I think it is important to remember the true power it holds.
15)
10)" . . . [K]nowledge of our own history is essential in the making of Americans. The reasons for this belief may be summed up under four main heads. History makes loyal citizens because memories of common experiences and common aspirations are essential ingredients in patriotism. History makes intelligent voters because sound decisions about present problems must be based on knowledge of the past. History makes good neighbors because it teaches tolerance of individual differences and appreciation of varied abilities and interests. History makes stable, well-rounded individuals because it gives them a start toward understanding the pattern of society and toward enjoying the artistic and intellectual productions of the past. It gives long views, a perspective, a measure of what is permanent in a nation’s life. " American Historical Association
The primary difference between the argument that Madison makes and the AHA makes is that Madison believes people should obtain knowledge for the sake of governing their own lives, while the AHA argues people should have knowledge of history for the sake of bettering the nation as a whole. While they do present similar ideas in that knowledges truly does make you a stronger and more educated person, they still don't exactly agree on the reasons why you should want to obtain knowledge. AHA's primary reasons they believe people should have knowledge of history is because "history makes loyal citizens, history makes intelligent voters, history makes good neighbors, and history makes stable, well-rounded individuals". This differs from Madison's views because he believes people should want to be knowledgeable because "knowledge forever governs ignorance" and because "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge" is "the only Guardian of true liberty"
While I do agree with both of these points, I don't lean particularly more so towards one or the other. I agree with Madison in that it is very much important to have knowledge because it really is such a large part of your independence as an person, and it should be noted for the significant amount of power that it can hold. On the other hand though, I do also agree with the arguments that AHA makes in that knowledge is extremely valuable in creating a nation that is not only educated but also able to connect on a level deeper than a superficial one, and I feel like much of that comes with knowledge and your ability to empathize with others. So while I don't only agree with one argument, I agree that knowledge is an extremely powerful tool for individual reasons but also because of the way it shapes a nation as a whole.
Part C
11) This year I have grown as a researcher in my ability to analytically look at an event or topic and evaluate it from a logistical standpoint but also a humanitarian standpoint. I feel like this is most evident in my in-class write regarding the humanitarian aspect of illegal immigration. This project was important to me because before doing it I was very much only looking at the logistical side which was that people were coming into our country illegally, and that they shouldn't be allowed to do that. However, after doing this project, while I still do agree with my original point I have also gained the ability to empathize with these people because for the most part they aren't illegally entering the country with bad intentions, they are doing it out of desperation and hope for a better life. I think it was important for me to realize that I can stand behind a logistical point of view, but I also need to be willing to try and look at it from a humanitarian point of view and try to empathize and understand.
This year I have also grown in my ability to analyze the credibility of sources that I use. In previous years I had a tendency to click on the first result that came up and use that as a source. Now I look for better, more reliable sources, to help show my credibility in sharing my opinion but also to improve my points. Through my improvement in finding better sources I have found that my research greatly improves which leads to an improvement in my overall success in my in-class writes. The ability to evaluate the credibility of a source is extremely important and it is a skill I have greatly improved upon.
12) Of the 5 parts of my project, the one I was most proud of was my in-class write. I am proud of this because the notes I took during the movie, and the research I did outside of class, hugely contributed to my overall success in the project, and I feel that my in-class write best demonstrates my knowledge of the topic as a whole.
13) I think Ava's dinner invitation is an example of excellent work. Not only is the invitation fitting to the theme of her movie, but her explanations for her guests and why she is inviting them is very well done. Ava's Dinner Invitation
14) “Once you can express yourself, you can tell the world what you want from it. All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words.” -Jackie Kennedy KGB Report
This quote is inspirational for me because I firstly love the eloquence of the way it is written, but mostly I love the message behind it. I think it is important to understand the importance of being able to express yourself through words, because your ability to express yourself is ultimately the primary factor in deciding how things work out for you. If you hold the ability to properly express yourself, you hold so much power. I believe this ability is often forgotten and underrated and I think it is important to remember the true power it holds.
15)
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| Signing of the Emancipation Proclamation
I choose the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation as one of my excellent achievements in history because the freeing of slaves is one of the biggest contributors to the history of America as a whole.
I choose giving women the right to vote as my second excellent achievement because this was a huge step in the right direction to providing men and women equal rights and opportunities.
Lastly I choose sending a man to the moon as an excellent achievement in US history. This was so significant because it was firstly an example of the drive the US had to be the first country to land a man on the moon, but also because it was such a mile marker in space exploration and the whole science field in general.
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