Essay Grading
Below, I describe how I graded the essays. Please review this before you talk to me about your grade.
1) George Bush’s Emotional Intelligence
There are five dimensions of emotional intelligence:
1. Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses
2. Possession of a strong support system, including
i. Family to rely on
ii. Friends to rely on
iii. Co-workers to rely on
iv. Faith or spirituality
3. Discipline
i. Exercise
ii. Staying on message
iii. Control of appetites (all types)
iv. Organized
4. Relates well to others
i. Likes other people
ii. Likes himself
5. Emotional Congruence
If you knew what each of the five were and you were able to generally describe them or at least give examples
that demonstrated you knew what they were, you got twenty five points (five points each).
Another twenty-five points was given for specific examples that were appropriate to each dimension. The more
specific your example, and the more examples you could give, the more points you received. Saying, for
example, that Bush “responded appropriately in his speeches after 9-11” is not specific. Saying that Bush
“reacted normally at a press conference on 9-13 when he teared up, but also showed determination and strength
during his 9-14 speech at the National Cathedral” is sufficiently specific. It also refers specifically to two
different sources, whereas the first statement refers specifically to no sources.
Finally, ten points were awarded for using a variety of sources. The different sources you could use were:
1. Bush at War
2. Lectures
3. The President’s Story
4. 9-11 Speech
5. 9-14 Speech at Natl Cathedral
6. 9-14 Speech at Ground Zero
7. 9-20 Speech to Congress
8. History of the Oval Office video
In other words, you could have used many, many sources. You should have mentioned these sources when you
wrote, or at least been sufficiently specific that I knew where you got the information.
Short Answers:
a) Richard Nixon used a hierarchical organizational structure, with Bob Haldeman as a strong chief of
staff. Nixon disliked human interaction, and tended to isolate himself—therefore, he needed a chief of
staff who opened him up, giving him many different viewpoints. Haldeman took the other approach,
allowing access only to close Nixon associates who reinforced the President’s less desirable qualities.
b)
c)
d)
e)
In such an environment, Nixon’s paranoia, his “dark side,” was reinforced, and he either approved or
was not made aware of the break in of Watergate and other campaign dirty tricks.
The Saturday Night Massacre occurred in October 1973, when Richard Nixon ordered his Attorney
General to fire the Special Prosecutor, Archibald Cox, who was hired to investigate Watergate.
Richardson refused and was fired. Nixon then ordered the Deputy Attorney General to fire Cox, and he,
too, refused, and then resigned before he could be fired. Finally, Nixon ordered the Solicitor General
(third in command at the Justice Department) to fire Cox, and he did. Three men were fired or quit on
that Saturday.
The Landslide curse is the tendency for Presidents who win reelection by large margins to become
overconfident and to make foolish decisions. After winning more than 60% of the vote in 1936, FDR
tried to stack the Supreme Court. After winning more than 60% of the vote in 1964, LBJ drastically
escalated the war in Vietnam. After winning more than 60% of the vote in 1972, Nixon got much more
involved in the Watergate cover-up, which eventually resulted in his resignation. Reagan would later
experience similar difficulties after a large victory.
In Bush’s cabinet, Donald Rumsfeld, the Sec. of State, tends to be more hawkish, pushing for a quick
invasion of Afghanistan and suggesting that Iraq also be made a target. Colin Powell, the Secretary of
State, tends to push diplomacy more, being much more patient about resolving international difficulties.
Part of this conflict is a result of their personalities, part of it is a function of their positions. Condi
Rice, as the National Security Advisor, tends to act as a referee, tries to resolve difficulties, and offers
Bush her advice on how to resolve conflict or which side is correct.
Following 9-11 we went to war with Afghanistan, as part of a larger war on terror. Afghanistan was
ruled by the Taliban, which had given Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization, aid and comfort in return for
significant funding. Al Qaeda was led by Osama Bin Laden, who was the mastermind of the 9-11
attacks on the United States.
The short answer questions were easier to grade in some respects. If, for example, you described what the
landslide curse was but didn’t give examples, you got about a fourth of the possible points (14), which is 3.5. If
you gave one example and defined it, you got about half credit. And so on.
I will be happy to review your essay grade with you, but you should ensure that your answered touched on all
the points above. Furthermore, you need to submit your essay in writing, with a point by point explanation of
how it conformed to the guidelines above and why you think you deserve more credit than you got.
Furthermore, if you do this, the revision works both ways. If, for example, I think that I gave you too many
points, you may have points deducted from your essay score.
Please don’t make reference to anyone else’s essays, unless that person is willing to have you submit it with
your essay. As mentioned above, that person, too, may have his/her score revised.