Politicians in every area of our lives can and should be assessed to the highest standards of behavior, performance, and character before we support them. Political leaders must know that we have high expectations and that we will hold them accountable for what they say and do.
The tool that follows will give college students and others a way to determine how well a politician’s thinking and behavior match the evaluator’s expectations. Students should read each statement carefully and try very hard to be objective.
Your response to each statement should be supported by multiple facts and examples. Selective selection and including only individual events and limited information to support personal biases will make the results worthless. No assessment tool works well when used incorrectly to support existing beliefs rather than reveal the truth.
How to use this assessment tool
a) Name of politician: ______________________________________
Title / Location: _____________________________________________
b) Think about the words, actions and behavior of this politician during the last year or two. Read each statement in A – I below and assign a 1, 0, or -1.
1 = The performance of the politician in this area is very well.
0 = The performance of the politician in this area is acceptable.
-1 = The performance of the politician in this area is very bad.
√ Note: When the statement is not applicable to the Politician being evaluated, does not have an opinion on the subject or simply does not know, assign a ‘0’.
c) Before you begin, please indicate your current thinking about the qualifications and performance of this politician. CircleYour answer.
This politician is: 1) Very good 2) Acceptable 3) Poor 4) Very bad
FOR. RESPECT
1. This politician is respected and admired by most of the people. ____
2. This Politician has earned the respect of many other recognized and highly respected leaders, even those who sometimes disagree with him / her. ____
3. With other leaders within our country and around the world, this Politician is respectful and diplomatic. ____
4. This politician is known for treating everyone with courtesy, dignity, and respect. ____
5. This politician clearly respects truth, facts, and ethical behavior. ____
Section Total – Respect _______
B. HONESTY
6. This Politician is always sincere, direct and impartial. ____
7. This Politician admits mistakes, failures and setbacks. ____
8. This Politician does not deceive or deceive people. ____
9. This Politician requires total honesty and transparency from those around him. ____
10. The statements and behavior of this Politician clearly demonstrate that he is honest in every situation. ____
Section Total – Honesty _______
vs. ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
11. This politician represents and always demonstrates the highest standards of behavior and ethical character. ____
12. This Politician always rejects attempts by influential friends and interested outsiders to influence their behavior or decisions so that they can benefit in some way. ____
13. This Politician never engages in any illegal or questionable behavior or activity that may lead to his personal gain. ____
14. This Politician would never hide, misrepresent or cloud information or events to prevent the truth from coming to light. ____
15. This politician is known for always doing the right thing. ____
Section Total – Ethical Behavior _______
D. CONFIDENCE
16. This Politician always fulfills and keeps his promises. ____
17. The words / actions of this politician are consistent and can be trusted. ____
18. This politician strives to make things clear and understandable. ____
19. This politician is completely trustworthy. ____
20. This politician will not change direction unexpectedly, he will leave us wondering what happened or he will let us down. ____
Section Total – Confidence _______
ME. PERSONAL IMAGE
21. This politician is always seen by others in a positive light. ____
22. This politician is elegant and courteous. ____
23. This politician has a stellar reputation. ____
24. People are excited to work with this politician. ____
25. This Politician is approachable, friendly, courteous and expresses a genuine interest in things that affect or concern you. ____
Section Total – Personal Image _______
F. PERSONAL BEHAVIOR
26. This Politician does not use personal attacks, insults, false statements and incorrect information to discredit those who oppose his objectives, beliefs, statements or behavior. ____
27. This politician seeks and appreciates honest feedback, is a good listener, and listens with an open mind. ____
28. This Politician acts in a thoughtful, responsible and deliberate way. ____
29. This politician is good at building and strengthening relationships. ____
30. This Politician does not mistreat or manipulate people and does not play or use them. ____
Section Total – Personal Behavior _______
GRAM. POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
31. This politician has great respect for the rule of law. ____
32. This politician wants to serve all his constituents. ____
33. This Politician is willing to work with members of the other Political Party to build consensus and pass laws that solve the problems faced by voters. ____
34. This Politician keeps his campaign promises. ____
35. This Politician holds the Constitution in high esteem and personally demonstrates the values and principles that make our Country great. ____
Section Total – Political Philosophy _______
H. JOB PERFORMANCE
36. This Politician has clear and well communicated goals and plans so that everyone around him knows and understands where he wants to lead our Country and can support that effort. ____
37. This politician uses experts, research and reliable information to better understand options and consequences before making decisions. ____
38. This politician is always looking to the future and strongly supports the businesses, research, technologies, job training and jobs that will keep our country safe and prosperous. ____
39. This Politician demonstrates the ability to generate consensus, solve problems and overcome obstacles to get things done. ____
40. This politician effectively serves the best interests of the voters. ____
Total section – Job performance _______
I. POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
41. This Politician will protect our Country from all threats to our national security and any foreign interference in the democratic process. ____
42. This politician will fight for working / middle class Americans and put their needs and well-being before his own, over his political party and will not favor billionaires over middle class taxpayers. ____
43. This politician will work diligently to increase the number of higher paying jobs that are available to salaried middle / working class earners. ____
44. To combat efforts to influence the decisions and votes of this Politician, he / she will work to close loopholes and limit the amount of money that can be donated or obtained / received by politicians or their campaigns from large corporations, lobbyists, interests and other sources. ____
45. This Politician will confront anyone who obstructs, stops or tries to divert the political and legal processes in our Country. ____
Section Total – Political Behavior _______
RESULTS: Check your answers in A – I above to be sure that your answers were completely objective and not influenced by personal biases. Make any necessary changes. After checking your answers, record the totals for the section below and circle your answers (Yes or No) to the following questions:
1. Respect (Total Section ____) – Does this Politician demonstrate the level of respect that he demands from a leader? but
2. Honesty (Section Total ____) – Does this politician demonstrate the level of honesty that you require from a leader? but
3. Ethical Behavior (Section Total ____): Does this politician demonstrate the level of ethical behavior that you require from a leader? but
4. Trust (Total from Section ____): Does this politician demonstrate the level of trust that he needs from a leader? but
5. Image (Total of section ____) – Does this politician show the image he needs of a leader? but
6. Personal Behavior (Total of Section ____): Does this politician demonstrate the personal behavior that you require from a leader? but
7. Political Philosophy (Total of Section ____) – Does this politician demonstrate the political philosophy that you require from a leader? but
8. Job performance (Total section ____) – Does this politician demonstrate the job performance that you require from a leader? but
9. Political Behavior (Total of Section ____): Does this politician demonstrate the political behavior that you require from a leader? but
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grand total (combined totals from section _____) – Based on the grand total, should you support this politician in his current position or while seeking a higher office? See the chart below, then answer Yes or No.
Grand Total – Combined Section Totals for this Political Leader:
25 to 45 = You think this person is a very good politician
10 to 24 = You think this person is an acceptable politician
1 to 9 = You think this person is a weak politician
-1 to -9 = You think this person is a poor politician
-10 to -45 = You think this person is a very bad politician
~ ~ ~ ~
Did this score ‘confirm’ or ‘change’ your opinion of this politician?
Circle one: 1) Confirmed my opinion 2) Changed my opinion
Document your reasons for supporting or not supporting this politician.
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Selecting the most qualified, effective, respected, and prominent candidate for political office is critical to the success of our country. Whenever you have a say in the election process, a great responsibility is placed on your shoulders. Take that responsibility seriously and strive to make an objective decision based on facts and information.
In the political arena, we must all find our voice when it comes to improving the quality of our political leaders. Try this tool by using it to evaluate the politicians who most affect you and your family. It will help reveal both the strengths and weaknesses of the politician.
You can also use this tool to compare candidates in upcoming political races and then use the results to make your choice.