Bush Legacy

A month before the next president of the United States is sworn into office, scholars from all over the country will gather in Washington, D.C., for their first assessment of the George W. Bush presidency.

George W. Bush became president under some of the most unusual circumstances in U.S. history, with the legitimacy of his claim to victory a matter of strong public debate. In spite of the highly contested election that brought him to power, Bush came into office with assertiveness and resolve, surprising many of his critics with a successful early push for tax reduction and other domestic initiatives. However, the shattering events of September 11, 2001, forced the Bush administration to refocus its agenda. The "War on Terror" and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have dominated the foreign policy agenda and have embroiled the administration in numerous controversies. Government spending and fiscal policy, immigration and environmental regulations, education and health care reforms, roles for religion in government and science in public life, disaster relief, and civil liberties have all been subjects of considerable contention during President Bush's tenure.

During his two terms in office, President Bush has earned historic highs and lows in the Gallup poll's public approval ratings, ranging from 90- to 28-percent. Now, on December 11 and 12, leading scholars will weigh in with their early assessment.

Panels to take place at the Hyatt Regency in Washington D.C. All programs will take place in the Capital B Room, with one exception. Mr. Kasey Pipes's luncheon address will be in the Bryce Room.
8:00 AM: Keynote Address by John Burke on "The Evolution of the Bush Presidency"
9:15 AM: Break
9:30 AM: Panel 1: "The Bush Administration: Process and Policies"
Brian Flanagan on "State of the National Security State"
Karen M. Hult on "The Bush Staff and Cabinet System"
10:45 AM: Break
11:00 AM: Panel II: "Presidential Powers and the Bush Presidency"
Louis Fisher on "Bush and the War Power"
Dale Herspring on "Bush as Commander-in-Chief"
Mark Rozell and Mitch Sollenberger on "Executive Privilege: Bush and Presidential Secrecy"
12:15 PM: Luncheon Address with Kasey Pipes
1:45 PM: Break
2:00 PM: Panel III: "Presidential Powers and the Bush Legacy"
Thomas Moylan Keck on "The Biggest Legacy? Bush's Federal Court Appointments"
Gleaves Whitney on "Anatomy of a Divorce: The Split Between Bush and the Conservative Movement"
3:15 PM: Concluding Remarks