Legacy
In short, George W. Bush's legacy remains a contested one, with both liberals and conservatives still holding strong feelings with regards to his overall place in history. Supporters credit Bush's counterterrorism policies with preventing another major terrorist attack from occurring after 9/11, and have also praised individual policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR. His critics often point to his handling of the Iraq War, specifically the failure to find Weapons of Mass Destruction that were initially the basis for the war, as well as his handling of tax policy, Hurricane Katrina and the 2008 financial crisis as proof that George W. Bush was unfit to be president.[430][431]
Despite the ongoing debate between liberals and conservatives, it is often acknowledged that Bush was one of the most consequential presidents in American history. According to Princeton University scholar Julian Zelizer, Bush's presidency was a "transformative" one, and stated that "some people hate him, some people love him, but I do think he'll have a much more substantive perception as time goes on".[432] Bryon Williams of The Huffington Post referred to Bush as "the most noteworthy president since FDR" and pointed to policies such as the Patriot Act which he argues "increased authority of the executive branch at the expense of judicial opinions about when searches and seizures are reasonable" as evidence.[433] These arguments are further reflected in the continuation of many policies implemented during his presidency. His administration presided over the largest tax cuts since the Reagan administration,[434] and his homeland security reforms proved to be the most significant expansion of the federal government since the Great Society,[435] with much of these policies having endured in the administration of Bush's Democratic successor, Barack Obama.[436][437]
Among the public, his reputation has improved somewhat since his presidency ended in 2009. In February 2012, Gallup reported that "Americans still rate George W. Bush among the worst presidents, though their views have become more positive in the three years since he left office."[438] Gallup had earlier noted that Bush's favorability ratings in public opinion surveys had begun to rise a year after he had left office, from 40% in January 2009 and 35% in March 2009, to 45% in July 2010, a period during which he had remained largely out of the news.[439] Other pollsters have noted similar trends of slight improvement in Bush's personal favorability since the end of his presidency.[440] In April 2013, Bush's approval rating stood at 47% approval and 50% disapproval in a poll jointly conducted for the Washington Post and ABC, his highest approval rating since December 2005. Bush had achieved notable gains among seniors, non-college whites, and moderate and conservative Democrats since leaving office, although majorities disapproved of his handling of the economy (53%) and the Iraq War (57%).[441] His 47% approval rating was equal to that of President Obama's in the same polling period.[442] A CNN poll conducted that same month found that 55% of Americans said Bush's presidency had been a failure, with 80% of Republican calling it a success, but only 43% of independents calling it a success and nearly 90% of Democrats calling it a failure.[443]
While President Bush's approval rating among the public has seen an improvement, the most recent survey of the opinions of historians, political scientists and Presidential scholars, conducted in 2010 by the Siena Research Institute, ranked him 39th out of 43 Presidents. The survey respondents gave President Bush low ratings on his handling of the U.S. economy, communication, ability to compromise, foreign policy accomplishments and intelligence.
Legacy
In short, George W. Bush's legacy remains a contested one, with both liberals and conservatives still holding strong feelings with regards to his overall place in history. Supporters credit Bush's counterterrorism policies with preventing another major terrorist attack from occurring after 9/11, and have also praised individual policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the AIDS relief program known as PEPFAR. His critics often point to his handling of the Iraq War, specifically the failure to find Weapons of Mass Destruction that were initially the basis for the war, as well as his handling of tax policy, Hurricane Katrina and the 2008 financial crisis as proof that George W. Bush was unfit to be president.[430][431]
Despite the ongoing debate between liberals and conservatives, it is often acknowledged that Bush was one of the most consequential presidents in American history. According to Princeton University scholar Julian Zelizer, Bush's presidency was a "transformative" one, and stated that "some people hate him, some people love him, but I do think he'll have a much more substantive perception as time goes on".[432] Bryon Williams of The Huffington Post referred to Bush as "the most noteworthy president since FDR" and pointed to policies such as the Patriot Act which he argues "increased authority of the executive branch at the expense of judicial opinions about when searches and seizures are reasonable" as evidence.[433] These arguments are further reflected in the continuation of many policies implemented during his presidency. His administration presided over the largest tax cuts since the Reagan administration,[434] and his homeland security reforms proved to be the most significant expansion of the federal government since the Great Society,[435] with much of these policies having endured in the administration of Bush's Democratic successor, Barack Obama.[436][437]
Among the public, his reputation has improved somewhat since his presidency ended in 2009. In February 2012, Gallup reported that "Americans still rate George W. Bush among the worst presidents, though their views have become more positive in the three years since he left office."[438] Gallup had earlier noted that Bush's favorability ratings in public opinion surveys had begun to rise a year after he had left office, from 40% in January 2009 and 35% in March 2009, to 45% in July 2010, a period during which he had remained largely out of the news.[439] Other pollsters have noted similar trends of slight improvement in Bush's personal favorability since the end of his presidency.[440] In April 2013, Bush's approval rating stood at 47% approval and 50% disapproval in a poll jointly conducted for the Washington Post and ABC, his highest approval rating since December 2005. Bush had achieved notable gains among seniors, non-college whites, and moderate and conservative Democrats since leaving office, although majorities disapproved of his handling of the economy (53%) and the Iraq War (57%).[441] His 47% approval rating was equal to that of President Obama's in the same polling period.[442] A CNN poll conducted that same month found that 55% of Americans said Bush's presidency had been a failure, with 80% of Republican calling it a success, but only 43% of independents calling it a success and nearly 90% of Democrats calling it a failure.[443]
While President Bush's approval rating among the public has seen an improvement, the most recent survey of the opinions of historians, political scientists and Presidential scholars, conducted in 2010 by the Siena Research Institute, ranked him 39th out of 43 Presidents. The survey respondents gave President Bush low ratings on his handling of the U.S. economy, communication, ability to compromise, foreign policy accomplishments and intelligence.
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