The Presidency of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment

About this book

An in-depth look at Bushs presidency by some of Americas top historians The Presidency of George W. Bush brings together some of todays top American historians to offer the first in-depth look at one of the most controversial U.S. presidencies. Emotions surrounding the Bush presidency continue to run highconservatives steadfastly defend its achievements liberals call it a disgrace. This book examines the successes as well as the failures covering every major aspect of Bushs two terms in office. It puts issues in broad historical context to reveal the forces that shaped and constrained Bushs presidencyand the ways his presidency reshaped the nation. The Presidency of George W. Bush features contributions by Mary L. Dudziak Gary Gerstle David Greenberg Meg Jacobs Michael Kazin Kevin M. Kruse Nelson Lichtenstein Fredrik Logevall Timothy Naftali James T. Patterson and the books editor Julian E. Zelizer. Each chapter tackles some important aspect of Bushs administrationsuch as presidential power law the war on terror the Iraq invasion economic policy and religionand helps readers understand why Bush made the decisions he did. Taking readers behind the headlines of momentous events the contributors show how the quandaries of the Bush presidency were essentially those of conservatism itself which was confronted by the hard realities of governance. They demonstrate how in fact Bush frequently disappointed the Right and how Barack Obamas 2008 election victory cast the very tenets of conservatism in doubt. History will be the ultimate judge of Bushs legacy and the assessment begins with this book.