A Good President: How Do We Judge?

By: Larissa D.

Public figures often tend to be the subject of scrutiny, whether they are politicians or Hollywood celebrities. However, in the United States, one public figure tends to receive the most judgment from his fellow citizens – the President. Going down the line from the first to the 44th, historians and laymen alike form opinions of which Presidents were good and which were not. However, this scrutiny begs the question: What makes a good President? There are several qualities to consider, but few as important as a desire to protect the freedoms granted to citizens through the United States Constitution, an ability to work with members of both political parties to reach solutions to the nation’s issues, and the foresight to create programs and policies that will ultimately improve America’s future.

When a President takes the oath of office, he swears to do what he can to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States” (US Const. art. II, sec. 1). In doing so, he takes on the responsibility of protecting the rights granted to American citizens through the Constitution. Many of the Presidents that are well admired are those who have fought to protect the rights of their fellow Americans and enacted legislation to ensure that the same freedoms are granted to all members of the nation. By upholding his sworn duties, a President has the potential to become known as one who did his job well.

Another important trait for a good President is the ability to work well with members of both political parties. History has shown us that a nation divided cannot stand. To protect the country from crumbling, a President should work to reach agreements with those not just from his own party, but with those across the party lines as well. In doing so, he will ensure that the nation continues to function and he will also gain the respect of citizens of both parties. Of course, not every person will agree with every decision that he makes, but most will likely be glad to live in a country in which the government, especially the Commander in Chief, can put aside party differences to reach an agreement that will ultimately benefit everyone.

Finally, a good President should have the foresight to create policies and programs that will improve the future of the United States. It can be all too easy to focus simply on how actions will immediately impact the nation, but the President should also think about the long term impacts of his actions. Several Presidents have spearheaded programs during their terms in office that still affect Americans today, including the United Nations, Social Security, and the National Parks program. A good President should strive to ensure that the impacts of such changes are positive not only while he is in office, but for future generations as well.

When all is said and done, there are several different qualities to be possessed by a good President, and the above are simply the three that I consider to be most important. I would encourage readers to develop their own criteria for what makes a good President and use that to determine which of our Commanders in Chief have done the job well and which have not. After all, an opinion that is supported by evidence is more convincing in an argument than blind judgment. It may not be possible to change someone else’s opinion, but it never hurts to attempt to make them think…