Between his inauguration and September 11, 2001, George W. Bush's presidency appeared to lack focus. The rhetoric of the campaign trail did not readily translate into concrete policies and a closely divided Congress restrained executive action. The terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, however, changed all of that. In their aftermath, Bush emerged as a strong, decisive leader with a deep sense of purpose and certainty that inspired many Americans, even as it alienated much of the rest of the world. In The George W. Bush Presidency: An Early Assessment, noted presidential scholar Fred I. Greenstein brings together a distinguished group of political scientists to consider the first two-and-a-half years of the George W. Bush presidency, from his leadership style and political ethos to his budgetary and foreign policies to his relationship with Congress, the electorate, and the American public. This balanced and timely volume concludes with an invaluable insider's view of the president and his administration by John J. DiIulio, the first Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Contributors: Richard A. Brody, Ivo Daalder, John J. Dilulio, Jr., John Fortier, Hugh Heclo, Karen M. Hult, Gary Jacobson, Charles O. Jones, James Lindsay, Norman Ornstein, and Allen Schick

The George W. Bush Presidency: A Rhetorical Perspective, edited by Robert E. Denton, Jr., examines the rhetoric of former president George W. Bush across contexts of domestic policy, foreign policy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and politics in general. The contributors to this volume variously analyze Bush's inaugural and State of the Union addresses, as well as his political philosophy, policy issues, and the rocky relationship with the news media. Collectively, they provide insight into the role of public discourse in the campaigning and governing of the George W. Bush presidency.

This unique assessment of the presidency of George W. Bush reviews the successes and failures of his first and second terms.

The George W. Bush administration has become one of the most controversial in American history. The president that once enjoyed a post-9/11 astronomical approval rating of 88 percent ranked almost as low in his second term as any president in history. Throughout the social security and stem-cell research debates, the Enron trial, the Patriot Act, the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, No Child Left Behind, and the administration's lackluster response to Hurricane Katrina, George Bush's presidency has been white-hot controversial, Fueling the controversies have been Bush's speeches and public statements (axis of evil, mission accomplished, etc.). This volume is packed with primary-document excerpts from presidental speeches, public statements, and letters, and from opposing congressional arguments—an excellent resource for helping students understand events that will affect the U.S. for years to come. Introductory sections set the context for each document, and extensive lists of web sites and further reading sources supplement the material. This volume is an excellent resource for helping students understand events that will affect the U.S. for years to come.

This book investigates the methods used by the Bush Administration to control bureaucratic agencies, including executive orders, signing directives, political appointments, and others, as well as the effects those methods have had on agency outputs.

Hartenian’s history of George W Bush propaganda for an invasion of Iraq returns the administration’s approach to its conceptual origins. Hartenian places "evidence" in the center of his analysis, showing that Rumsfeld’s "the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" meant that no evidence was necessary to justify an invasion. The 9/11 attacks, indeed, "changed everything" for the Bush administration and in its aftermath the time for regime change in Iraq had simply come. With no good evidence to support its fears, the administration was certain of a post-9/11-conceived Iraq–al Qaeda "nexus," just as with no evidence except the "absence of evidence" it was certain of Iraqi mastery of "denial and deception" that hid "Saddam’s" "evil" activities. Resting on Cheney’s "one percent doctrine," administration "certainty" of the threat from Iraq required a US invasion. The policy offices of Douglas Feith at the Pentagon, with the help of George Tenet at CIA, would generate a case of such fright and enormity—the "mushroom cloud"—that required administration action. Manipulating intelligence and ignoring the growing body of evidence undermining its case, the Bush administration invaded Iraq to bring about "regime change."

“George W. Bush is a liar. He has lied large and small, directly and by omission. He has mugged the truth—not merely in honest error, but deliberately, consistently, and repeatedly.” —from the Introduction All American presidents have lied, but George W. Bush has relentlessly abused the truth. In this scathing indictment of the president and his inner circle, David Corn, the Washington editor of The Nation, reveals and examines the deceptions at the heart of the Bush presidency. In a stunning work of journalism, he details and substantiates the many times the Bush administration has knowingly and intentionally misled the American public to advance its own interests and agenda, including: * Brazenly mischaracterizing intelligence and resorting to deceptive arguments to whip up public support for war with Iraq * Misrepresenting the provisions and effects of the president’s supersized tax cuts * Offering misleading explanations— instead of telling the full truth — about the 9/11 attacks * Lying about connections to corporate crooks * Presenting deceptive and disingenuous claims to sell controversial policies on the environment, stem cell research, missile defense, Social Security, white-collar crime, abortion, energy, and other crucial issues * Running a truth-defying, down-and-dirty campaign during the 2000 presidential contest and recount drama The Lies of George W. Bush is not a partisan whine—it is instead a carefully constructed, fact-based account that clearly denotes how Bush has relied on deception—from the campaign trail to the Oval Office—to win political and policy battles. With wit and style, Corn explains how Bush has managed to get away with it and explores the dangerous consequences of such presidential deceit in a perilous age.

Culminating a decade of conferences that have explored presidential speech, The Prospect of Presidential Rhetoric assesses progress and suggests directions for both the practice of presidential speech and its study. In Part One, following an analytic review of the field by Martin Medhurst, contributors address the state of the art in their own areas of expertise. Roderick P. Hart then summarizes their work in the course of his rebuttal of an argument made by political scientist George Edwards: that presidential rhetoric lacks political impact. Part Two of the volume consists of the forward-looking reports of six task forces, comprising more than forty scholars, charged with outlining the likely future course of presidential rhetoric, as well as the major questions scholars should ask about it and the tools at their disposal. The Prospect of Presidential Rhetoric will serve as a pivotal work for students and scholars of public discourse and the presidency who seek to understand the shifting landscape of American political leadership.

Presidential libraries and museums are national monuments dedicated to the memories of men who served as America’s commander-in-chief. There are twenty-five (soon to be twenty-six) presidential libraries and museums. Following an introductory overview of presidential libraries and museums and their history, comprehensive entries of each site are arranged from George Washington to George W. Bush, with information included about the current plans for Barack Obama’s library. Each entry contains information on: Location and history Endowments Opening hours, number of visitors, and other facts Collections and permanent exhibits This first reference guide to all twenty-five libraries and museums is a ready reference providing readers with quick and reliable information.

This book, the second of two volumes, examines the presidency in last half of twentieth century America and explores the successes and failures of presidents in their foreign policy initiatives. It examines each president's ability to apply his skills to a foreign policy issue in the face of opposition that may come from a variety of sources, including the Congress, the Pentagon, the State Department, the press, and often their own in-house advisers. This volume in particular focuses on John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.