Scorers

The Hebrew Prophets (Isaiah, Amos, Micah, Jeremiah, and others) are the moral-political voices of the Hebrew Bible, calling kings and priests to justice for the poor and the stranger.

First-century Jewish teacher whose ethics, gathered in the Gospels, center the poor, the sick, and the stranger and warn against religious authority used for political power.

Seventh-century founder of Islam; the Quran and authenticated hadith center care for the poor and orphans, justice for the oppressed, and mercy as God's central attribute.

Indian independence leader (1869–1948) who built a political ethic of nonviolence, religious pluralism, civil disobedience, and skepticism of industrial scale.

Pope of the Catholic Church 1978–2005; Polish-born John Paul II combined doctrinal orthodoxy with strong social-justice teaching, opposition to communism, and defense of human dignity.

Robert Francis Prevost, elected pope in 2025; the first U.S.-born pope, an Augustinian friar with long missionary work in Peru.

American polymath, diplomat, and printer (1706–1790); signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, known for civic-virtue republicanism.

Commander of the Continental Army and first U.S. president (1789–1797), whose Farewell Address warned against political parties and entangling foreign alliances.

Second U.S. president (1797–1801); a Federalist and Massachusetts lawyer who championed constitutional restraint and judicial independence.

Third U.S. president (1801–1809); author of the Declaration of Independence and architect of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

Fourth U.S. president (1809–1817); principal architect of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and a co-author of the Federalist Papers.

First U.S. Treasury Secretary (1755–1804); architect of American industrial capitalism, strong central government, and the federal financial system.

Fifth U.S. president (1817–1825); his Monroe Doctrine reframed U.S. foreign policy and his administration is associated with the 'Era of Good Feelings.'

Texas Revolution general and first president of the Republic of Texas; later governor and U.S. senator (1793–1863), removed as governor for opposing secession.

Texas congresswoman and constitutional-rule-of-law moralist (1936–1996); first Southern Black woman elected to the U.S. House, famed for her Watergate hearings address.

16th U.S. president (1861–1865); led the Union through the Civil War, issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and signed the 13th Amendment ending slavery.

26th U.S. president (1901–1909); a progressive Republican who built the trust-busting tradition, expanded national parks, and reshaped the executive branch.

32nd U.S. president (1933–1945); architect of the New Deal social-insurance state and Allied wartime leadership through World War II.

34th U.S. president (1953–1961); Allied Supreme Commander in WWII, then a Republican president who built the interstate highway system and warned of the military-industrial complex.

39th U.S. president (1977–1981); after one term founded the Carter Center, becoming a global advocate for human rights, election monitoring, and public-health work.

40th U.S. president (1981–1989); architect of modern movement conservatism, supply-side tax policy, deregulation, and Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union.

Republican U.S. senator from Arizona (1936–2018), Vietnam War POW, 2008 presidential nominee, and an institutionalist who opposed torture and defended international alliances.

South African anti-apartheid leader and first democratically elected president of South Africa (1918–2013) after 27 years of imprisonment.

American Baptist minister and civil-rights leader (1929–1968); led the Montgomery bus boycott and the 1963 March on Washington; Nobel Peace Prize 1964.

U.S. Army Chief of Staff in WWII, then Secretary of State and Defense (1880–1959); author of the Marshall Plan that rebuilt postwar Europe.

Four-star general, National Security Adviser, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Secretary of State (1937–2021); first Black Secretary of State, advocate of the Powell Doctrine.

First woman on the U.S. Supreme Court (1981–2006); a centrist Reagan appointee from Arizona who often cast the deciding vote on abortion, affirmative action, and federalism cases.

The constitutional approach associated with Chief Justice John Marshall (1801–1835): a strong federal judiciary, robust commerce clause, and judicial review (Marbury v. Madison).

The Lochner-era doctrine (1897–1937) reading the Fourteenth Amendment to protect economic 'liberty of contract' against state labor regulation; named for Lochner v. New York (1905).

The rights-protective constitutional approach of the Earl Warren Supreme Court (1953–1969); landmark decisions on desegregation, criminal procedure, and one-person-one-vote.

The interpretive theory that constitutional text should be read according to its original public meaning; associated with Justices Scalia and Gorsuch and the Federalist Society.

Judicial-restraint conservatism associated with Robert Bork (1971–present): deference to democratically enacted laws and skepticism of unenumerated rights.

Anchor of the CBS Evening News (1916–2009); for two decades 'the most trusted man in America,' embodying institutional broadcast-journalism norms.

Fred Rogers (1928–2003), Presbyterian minister and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood; a public-television advocate of kindness, child development, and emotional literacy.

American country-music singer-songwriter (b. 1933); outlaw-country pioneer, Farm Aid co-founder, and longtime cultural icon of Texas.

Chicago-school economist (1912–2006); Nobel laureate, champion of monetarism, free markets, and limited government in works like Capitalism and Freedom.

American economist and Hoover Institution senior fellow (b. 1930); a leading voice of market-oriented conservatism, especially on race, education, and inequality.

Astronomer and science communicator (1934–1996); author of Cosmos, advocate for SETI and scientific literacy, and a sharp skeptic of nuclear and environmental policy failures.

Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway (b. 1930); value-investing icon and pledged philanthropist who has long favored higher taxes on the wealthy.

Entrepreneur and former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks (b. 1958); founder of Cost Plus Drugs and a frequent commentator on healthcare pricing and small-business policy.

CEO of JPMorgan Chase since 2006 (b. 1956); a moderate banker who has advocated for skilled immigration, infrastructure investment, and fiscal restraint.

A hypothetical scoring lens centered on the interests of a young child: schools, safety, healthcare, a livable environment, and family stability.

A hypothetical scoring lens centered on a graduating high-school senior: college access, student debt, first jobs, reproductive autonomy, and climate.

A hypothetical scoring lens centered on a working adult in their early career: housing affordability, childcare, healthcare costs, and wage growth.

A hypothetical scoring lens centered on a mid-career worker: healthcare, retirement savings, aging parents, and economic stability.

A hypothetical scoring lens centered on someone at retirement age: Social Security, Medicare, prescription-drug costs, and elder care.

Nonpartisan U.S. interest group for Americans 50+; advocates on Social Security, Medicare, prescription-drug pricing, and elder care.

American Civil Liberties Union, founded 1920; civil-liberties absolutist defending free speech, due process, immigrant rights, and reproductive freedom.

Federation of U.S. trade unions formed by the 1955 AFL–CIO merger; the country's largest labor coalition, representing roughly 60 affiliated unions.

Libertarian think tank founded 1977; favors limited government, free markets, civil liberties, and noninterventionist foreign policy.

American business magazine founded 1917; known for its rankings of wealth and corporate performance and its center-right editorial line.

Nonpartisan civic organization founded 1920 out of the women's suffrage movement; focuses on voter access, election administration, and good-government reform.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon); founded 1830, headquartered in Salt Lake City, with about 17 million members worldwide.

A diverse Christian movement emphasizing direct personal experience of the Holy Spirit; includes denominations like the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ.

Conservative magazine founded by William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955; the editorial home of postwar fusionist conservatism uniting traditionalism, free markets, and anti-communism.

Largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., headquartered in Nashville; theologically conservative, with about 13 million members across 47,000 churches.

State chamber of commerce for Texas; advocates pro-business policy on taxes, regulation, workforce, and tort reform.

Texas's largest general-farm organization; advocates for agricultural producers on water, property rights, trade, and rural infrastructure.

Mandatory professional association for licensed Texas attorneys; administers attorney discipline, continuing legal education, and rule-of-law programs.

Largest U.S. business federation, founded 1912; the dominant voice for big-business policy on tax, trade, regulation, and tort reform.

A composite scoring lens drawn from the major U.S. veterans-service organizations (VFW, American Legion, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America), focused on VA funding, the GI Bill, and military benefits.

The opinion section of The Wall Street Journal; a long-standing voice of pro-market, supply-side, internationalist Republicanism.