<p>Upon getting my scores I was very surprised to see that I had received an 8 on my essay as I was expecting much higher. Could the scores have been improperly processed?</p>
<p>The prompt was: Should leaders stick to their convictions or submit to public opinion?
The excerpt dealt with the assertion that politicians should stick to their convictions. My essay is as follows:</p>
<p>What makes an effective leader? Is it a decisive and resolute will, or the ability to acquiesce and conform to the will of the people? Good leaders must submit to public opinion, even if it stands in contrast to their personal doctrine. Historical and literary precedent serves to corroborate this notion.</p>
<p>French political thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau perpetuated the notion that the government should be an articulation of the general will of the people. To zealously assert that one's own convictions should supersede the wishes of the masses is an authoritarian quality. The most equitable form of government is a democracy, a word that translates into the term "the rule of the people." Governments in which leaders give precedence to their own beliefs find themselves at the upper reaches of the political compass. Such contemporary leaders as Kim Jong-Il are guilty of such practices and their rule is reflected in the disparity that plagues their nations. North Korea operates like a large scale military compound, with the will of virtually every citizen suppressed, living in the subjugation and squalor of an autocratic regime. This stands in stark contrast to the relatively high quality of life experienced by those in democratic nations such as Canada or the USA. It is no surprise that conditions are more favourable in democratic nations.</p>
<p>Another prominent thinker in the enlightenment, John Locke, advocated for the maintenance of a social contract. If the government does not uphold the sentiments of the people, then they have the right to revolt. Leaders that abide by their convictions and ignore the wishes of the people will find the stability of their rule tenuous at best. In the French Revolution, the masses spurred on a large scale revolt against the monarchy; an institution that they felt was obsolete and unresponsive to the needs of the people. Members of the ruling class, including such eminent figures as Marie Antoinette, were publicly executed. This theme of revolt against an unwavering regime is a common one, and can be examined through the ancient slave revolts of Rome to the American revolution in the 18th century. It is in the best interests of leaders to adhere to public opinion.</p>
<p>Effective leaders should have their own convictions but should give precedence to the general will; in essence they should function as a mouthpiece for the people. Failure to do so could result in national woe, or violent upheaval.</p>