Govt 2302
Dr. Garrison
Spring 2007 
Exam 2Take Home Essay
(50 points)
(revised 3-13-07)
 (ocsabtx/spr07)
 

   The Essay Question:
    
     Evaluate the presidency of George W. Bush in light of the reputable academic, journalistic, and public opinion judgment of the best and worst presidents in America history. What are the evaluation criteria for the best and worst? What makes the best and worst presidents?

  Please type your essay as a Word document following the writing guidelines on your course page. Always save a copy for your files. (Professor Charles King's essay "Battling the Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing," PS Online, March 1998 available at the Ereserves is recommended reading for essay writers.) .
Craft your answer using your textbook, video lectures, and the following references.  Write in your own words.  Always cite your reference sources as you use them in the essay.    
 References (also available at EReserves):
If these reference sources do not appear at the video (telecourse) at EReserves look under the professor's other courses for the EReserves copy. It is not necessary to buy the article from an online newspaper archive.
 Public Agenda
 Pollster.com
Presidents & History, PollingReport.com
James Taranto (Editor), Leonard Leo (Editor), Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House, Wall Street Journal  Book.
 Historical rankings of United States Presidents, Wikipedia, (use with caution)

Race and Ranking the Best and Worst Presidencies, NPR
Jay Tolson, "The Ten Worst Presidents," US News & World Report, February 18, 2007.

Sean Wilentz, "The Worst President in History?  One of America's leading historians assesses George W. Bush, Rolling Stone, April 19, 2006. Also here.
Robert P. Watson, "Under the Cold Eye of History," South Florida Sun-Sentinel , May 24, 2006
Charles Franklin, "Is Bush the New Truman?" Political Arithmetik & Pollster.com, March 13, 2007.

What Will History Say, Washington Post series:
Eric Foner, "He's The Worst Ever," Washington Post, December 3, 2006, B01.
David Greenber, "At Least He's Not Nixon,"
Douglas Brinkley, "Move Over, Hoover,"
Vincent J. Cannato, "Time's On His Side,"
Michael Lind, "He's Only Fifth Worst," Washington Post, December 3, 2006, B05.

The University of Illinois at Chicago, "SCHOLARS RANK THE BEST AND WORST U.S. PRESIDENTS," Forum on The Modern Presidency: FDR to Clinton," Oct. 13-14, 2000.