<p>Hello, CC! I'm 16 and practicing for the SAT in October. Here's an essay I wrote based on the following prompt. What score do you think I would get (1-12)? Please be honest!</p>
<p>Prompt: Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.
Many voters think that integrity and character are the most important qualifications for political office. I disagree. Integritythe quality of standing up for the same values in every situationis not a good qualification for getting people to work together. Strongly held morals may make a candidate too inflexible and incapable of negotiation. And if character were really so important, candidates would be judged by their personal relationships rather than by their ability to deal with a community's or a nation's problems.
Adapted from Stanley Fish, "Integrity or Craft: The Leadership Question"</p>
<p>Assignment: Is strong moral character the most important qualification for a leader? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
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My Essay:
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<pre><code>*Unfortunately, we live in an age of deteriorating ethics. Indeed, we often find that in many situations our leaders can only propagate a team effort in the population by holding double standards. Modern elections are riddled with broken promises and several more made after inauguration. However, after studying integrity in politics, we find that adhering to moral standards is the most effective leadership.
People know right from wrong inherently, and a strong leader helps them realize and act upon this knowledge. President Roosevelt unfortunately did not show this strength when addressing the Japanese domestic threat. The American people pushed him to horde the Japanese-American rats (the words of an Arkansas governor) into internment camps, and FDR eventually succumbed. He issued Executive Order 9066, banishing Japanese citizens to the Californian camps. Had Roosevelt shown more moral tenacity, perhaps he could have saved the lives of thousands of Japanese civilians. Instead of appealing to the ethical heart of the people, he sadly was unable to fight for what he later confessed was wrong.
On a larger scale, consistency in government grows a country as a beacon of their values to the world. While America has a past speckled with strife and war, in general we have kept to our clearly stated moral views, which center specifically on freedom. Our Constitution and Declaration of Independence recognize freedom of religion and speech, and the fundamental human rights necessary for the pursuit of happiness. Such a code contributes to the United States acceptance as one of the major world leaders. Any leader that has observed this basic policy has backed this global image.
In a nutshell, those who rule with integrity are remembered. Great leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King Jr. were often scoffed at their pious opinions, but have truly made their mark on history. The most important qualification for a leader is the ability to uphold policy over his or her popularity.*
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<p>I'd really appreciate any comments you have, thanks!</p>