Grade James Monroe’s Foreign Policy:Foreign policies include all legislation, political agendas, attitudes, and activities relating to the United States’ relations with other countries and international organizations. This area includes issues relating to diplomacy, statecraft, military and warfare, foreign trade and agreements, alliances with foreign powers, and activities relating to international organizations. Like domestic policies, this is a sweeping category and one that should be given considerable attention while grading your presidential report card

Grade John Adams’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 John Adams’s Domestic Policy:Domestic policies include all legislation and political agendas relating to internal American politics. This area includes issues relating to America’s social welfare, identity politics and minority rights, personal freedoms and responsibilities, healthcare, public safety, public order, environmental issues and the management of natural resources, infrastructure, and energy. This is a large, sweeping category and one that should be given considerable attention while grading your presidential report card

Grade James Madison’s Foreign Policy:Foreign policies include all legislation, political agendas, attitudes, and activities relating to the United States’ relations with other countries and international organizations. This area includes issues relating to diplomacy, statecraft, military and warfare, foreign trade and agreements, alliances with foreign powers, and activities relating to international organizations. Like domestic policies, this is a sweeping category and one that should be given considerable attention while grading your presidential report card

Grade Thomas Jefferson’s Domestic Policy:Domestic policies include all legislation and political agendas relating to internal American politics. This area includes issues relating to America’s social welfare, identity politics and minority rights, personal freedoms and responsibilities, healthcare, public safety, public order, environmental issues and the management of natural resources, infrastructure, and energy. This is a large, sweeping category and one that should be given considerable attention while grading your presidential report card

Grade James Monroe’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.

Grade Thomas Jefferson’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 James Monroe’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 Andrew Jackson’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.

Grade George Washington’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.