Abstract
This letter to the future president of the United States urges her to conduct herself as president as if she were a role model of an educated person and the nation's principal teacher. This obligation entails the need always to be clear about the reasons why her decisions are taken, the evidence or values that support those decisions, the alternatives considered and rejected, and the kinds of sources on which her deliberations rest. She is urged to be explicit about the role of religion and other sources of values in her life and yet to lean over backward to render decisions that violate those values when she feels it is best for the nation. In general, she should address the nation as a teacher should, with respect for their intelligence; with a concern for understanding both what and why; and as a model of honesty, integrity, and openness.
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