The Presidency of George W. Bush : : A First Historical Assessment / / ed. by Julian Zelizer.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Princeton University Press eBook-Package Backlist 2000-2013
• MitwirkendeR: Dudziak, Mary L.,; Gerstle, Gary,; Greenberg, David,; Jacobs, Meg,; Kazin, Michael,; Kruse, Kevin M.,; Lichtenstein, Nelson,; Logevall, Fredrik,; Naftali, Timothy,; Patterson, James T.,; Zelizer, Julian E.,
• HerausgeberIn: Zelizer, Julian,
• Place / Publishing House: Princeton, NJ : : Princeton University Press, , [2010]; ©2011
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (408 p.)

The Presidency of George W. Bush brings together some of today's 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 high--conservatives steadfastly defend its achievements, liberals call it a disgrace. This book examines the successes as well as the failures, covering every major aspect of Bush's two terms in office. It puts issues in broad historical context to reveal the forces that shaped and constrained Bush's presidency--and 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 book's editor, Julian E. Zelizer. Each chapter tackles some important aspect of Bush's administration--such as presidential power, law, the war on terror, the Iraq invasion, economic policy, and religion--and 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 Obama's 2008 election victory cast the very tenets of conservatism in doubt. History will be the ultimate judge of Bush's legacy, and the assessment begins with this book.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Contributors -- Acknowledgments -- 1. Establishment Conservative: The Presidency of George W. Bush -- 2. How Conservatives Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Presidential Power -- 3. A Sword and a Shield: The Uses of Law in the Bush Administration -- 4. George W. Bush and the "War on Terror" -- 5. Anatomy of an Unnecessary War: The Iraq Invasion -- 6. Transformative Economic Policies: Tax Cutting, Stimuli, and Bailouts -- 7. Wreaking Havoc from Within: George W. Bush's Energy Policy in Historical Perspective -- 8. Ideology and Interest on the Social Policy Home Front -- 9. Creating Their Own Reality: The Bush Administration and Expertise in a Polarized Age -- 10. Compassionate Conservatism: Religion in the Age of George W. Bush -- 11. Minorities, Multiculturalism, and the Presidency of George W. Bush -- 12. From Hubris to Despair: George W. Bush and the Conservative Movement -- Notes -- Index