George W. Bush

George Walker Bush, a former governor of Texas and son of President George H. W. Bush, entered the White House in 2001 after a disputed election settled by the Supreme Court. The terrorist attacks of September 11 redirected his presidency toward counterterrorism and war. His administration argued that the United States should act against serious security threats before they materialized and promote democratic government as a basis for international stability. ¹

American forces attacked al-Qaeda and the Taliban government in Afghanistan in 2001. The initial overthrow of the Taliban was followed by a prolonged struggle to build an effective Afghan state and contain an insurgency. In 2003 Bush led an invasion of Iraq, citing alleged weapons of mass destruction and other security threats. The claimed stockpiles were not found. Saddam Hussein’s overthrow was followed by occupation, insurgency, and sectarian violence; Bush increased American troop levels in 2007. ²

The administration’s detention, interrogation, and surveillance policies provoked legal challenges and controversy over torture, civil liberties, and executive power. Bush also expanded international health assistance through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, established in 2003, and supported debt relief for poor countries. His foreign policy record therefore included major humanitarian programs alongside the military campaigns that dominated public debate. ²

Domestic priorities included tax cuts, the No Child Left Behind education law, and a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. The response to Hurricane Katrina exposed serious failures in federal disaster management. As the financial system deteriorated in 2008, Bush approved emergency intervention through the Troubled Assets Relief Program. The recession, financial crisis, and continuing wars shaped the problems inherited by Barack Obama and substantially weakened Bush’s public standing by the end of his second term. ³