


Although public opinion of Bush has improved since he left office, his presidency has generally been rated as below-average by scholars. He received the highest recorded approval ratings in the wake of the September 11 attacks, but also one of the lowest such ratings during the 2007–2008 financial crisis. At various points in his presidency, he was among both the most popular and unpopular presidents in U.S.

entered the Great Recession, prompting the Bush administration to obtain congressional approval for multiple economic programs intended to preserve the country's financial system, including the Troubled Asset Relief Program.Īfter finishing his second term, Bush returned to Texas, where he has maintained a low profile since leaving office. The Afghanistan and Iraq wars continued, and, in January 2007, Bush launched a surge of troops in Iraq. Amid his unpopularity, the Democrats regained control of Congress in the 2006 elections. Bush was widely criticized for his handling of Hurricane Katrina and the midterm dismissal of U.S. He sought major changes to Social Security and immigration laws, but both efforts failed in Congress. He appointed John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.
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In 2004, Bush was narrowly reelected president, beating Democratic opponent John Kerry and winning the popular vote.ĭuring his second term, Bush reached multiple free trade agreements. Bush later signed the Medicare Modernization Act, which created Medicare Part D. Hussein was nevertheless overthrown and captured by American forces. He also ordered the 2003 invasion of Iraq on the erroneous beliefs that Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction and developed ties with al-Qaeda. He signed the Patriot Act to authorize surveillance of suspected terrorists. Bush ordered the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan in an effort to overthrow the Taliban, destroy al-Qaeda, and capture Osama bin Laden. A decisive event that reshaped his administration was the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, resulting in the start of the war on terror and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. He also initiated the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003 to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He pushed for socially conservative efforts such as the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and faith-based initiatives. Upon taking office, Bush signed a major tax cut program and an education reform bill, the No Child Left Behind Act. In the 2000 United States presidential election, he won over Democratic incumbent Vice President Al Gore, despite losing the popular vote after a narrow and contested Electoral College win that involved a Supreme Court decision to stop a recount in Florida. He also helped make Texas the United States' leading producer of wind-powered electricity. As governor, Bush successfully sponsored legislation for tort reform, increased education funding, set higher standards for schools, and reformed the criminal justice system. He later co-owned the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball before being elected governor of Texas in 1994. After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1975, he worked in the oil industry. Bush, he flew warplanes in the Texas Air National Guard in his twenties. The eldest son of the 41st president, George H. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 46th governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009.
