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-->{{Infobox President
| name=George W. Bush
| nationality=American
| image name=George-W-Bush.jpeg
| order=43rd ]
| date1=], ]
| date2=]
| preceded=]
| succeeded=]
| date of birth=], ]
| place of birth=]
| dead=alive
| date of death=
| place of death=
| wife=]
| party=]
| religion=]
| vicepresident=]
}}
'''George Walker Bush''' (born ], ]) is the 43rd and current ] of the ]. Prior to his political career as a member of the ], he was both a ] in the ] and involved in professional sports, serving as managing general partner of the ] ] team.

Bush was elected 46th ] in 1994 and served two terms. From there, he moved on to win the nomination of the Republican Party for the ] and ultimately defeated ] ] ] in a particularly close and controversial general election. In 2004, Bush was ], defeating Democratic Senator ] of ].

Bush is a member of a prominent ]: his father, ], served as U.S. President for four years and as Vice President for eight, his brother ] is the current ], and his grandfather, ], was a ].

==Education, military service, and early personal life==
]
{{main|Early life of George W. Bush}}

The eldest son of former President ] and his wife ] (] Pierce), George Walker Bush was born in ]. He identifies himself as a native of ], as his family moved there when he was about two years old. He was raised in ] and ] with his siblings ], ], ] and ].

After graduating from the ] in ], ] in June 1964, Bush returned to Connecticut and attended ], receiving a ] in ] in 1968. As a senior, Bush was a member of the secret ] society. In May 1968, at the height of the ], he entered the ]. He trained in the guard for two years, during which time he learned to fly. He was promoted to ] in November 1970 on the recommendation of his commander ] ]. He served as an ] pilot until 1972.

In 1974, he obtained permission to end his six-year service obligation six months early in order to attend ], from which he earned his ] (MBA) in 1975; he is the first U.S. President to hold an MBA. After graduation Bush returned to Texas to enter the oil business. Two years later, he married ], a school ] originally from ]. They have twin daughters, ], born in 1981. Bush is the only U.S. President to be the father of twins.

===Military service controversy===
{{main|George W. Bush military service controversy}}
]
Bush's military service record has been a point of controversy, especially during the ]. His critics have alleged that he skipped over a waiting list to receive a National Guard slot, was absent from duty from 1972 to 1973, and was suspended from flying after missing a required physical examination and ]. These specific issues came to light during the 2004 presidential campaign as a result of endeavors by the group ]. Bush supporters claim that the surviving documentary evidence regarding Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, including pay records and the official honorable discharge papers, indicate that Bush served honorably. Bush opponents contend that many of the official records can no longer be found, and that the matter is at best ambiguous. Lacking documents that provide clear proof, the matter is likely to remain an unsettled issue for some of the president's opposition.

===Substance abuse controversy===
{{main|George W. Bush substance abuse controversy}}
On ], ], near his family's summer home in ], police arrested Bush for ] of ]. He pleaded guilty, was fined $150, and had his ] suspended for 30 days within ] .
News of the arrest was published five days before the 2000 presidential election. Bush has described his days before his religious conversion in his 40s as his "nomadic" period of "irresponsible youth" and admitted to drinking "too much" in those years. He says he changed to a sober lifestyle shortly after waking up ] after his 40th birthday celebration. He attributed the change partly to a 1985 meeting with the ] ] though by his own admission he did still drink as recently as July 1986 .

Bush has stated he did not use illegal drugs at any time since 1979. An aide clarified this as being 1974.. According to the main article, a phone conversation that was later realeased to the public revealed that Bush had used marijuana and he apparently did not deny using cocaine.
He has denied unsupported allegations by author ] that family influence was used to expunge the record of an arrest for ] possession in 1972, but has refused to discuss whether he used drugs before 1974 .

==Religious beliefs and practices==
After meeting ] ] in 1985, Bush became much more involved in ] belief and practice. During this period, he left the Bush family's ] faith to join his wife's ], a denomination that in part represents a more socially conservative worldview (see ]). It is worth noting, however, that the Bushes routinely attend services at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.. Bush is generally recognized as a ].

In one of the televised debates in the 2000 Republican primaries, all participating candidates were asked to name their favorite ]. Bush responded by stating "] ]", because "he changed my life".

During his Presidency, Bush has shown tolerance of other religious belief systems, including festivals such as Hanukkah and Ramadan on the White House calendar.

==Professional life==
===Business===
{{See|Harken Energy Scandal}}
Bush began his oil industry career in 1979 when he established ], an oil and gas exploration company he financed with his education trust fund surplus and money from other investors, including ], ], ], ], and ], the last of whom represented ]. In 1984, Bush sold the company, hurt in the wake of the ] and renamed Bush Exploration Co., to ], another Texas oil and gas exploration firm. Under the terms of the sale, Bush became CEO (Chief Executive Officer). Spectrum 7 lost revenue and was merged into ] Corporation in 1986, with Bush becoming a director of Harken.

After working on his father's successful ], Bush learned from fellow Yale alumnus ], that family friend ] wanted to sell the ] ] franchise. In April 1989, Bush assembled a group of investors from his father's close friends, including fellow fraternity brother ]; the group bought an 86% share of the Rangers for $75 million. Bush received a 2% share by investing $606,302, of which $500,000 was a bank loan. Against the advice of his counsel, Bush repaid the loan by selling $848,000 worth of stock in Harken Energy. Harken reported significant financial losses within a year of this sale, triggering ]. On ], ], the ] concluded that Bush had a "preexisting plan" to sell, that Bush had a "relatively limited role in Harken management", and that it had not seen evidence of insider trading.

As managing general partner of the Rangers, Bush assisted the team's media relations and the construction of a new stadium. His public role generated valuable goodwill and reinforced name recognition throughout Texas that was already high as he had the identical name as his father who was President during this era.

===Political career===
].]]
Bush started his political career assisting his father's 1964 and 1970 campaigns for the U.S Senate, neither of which were successful. After a ] transfer in 1972, he served as political director for an ] senate campaign. In 1978, Bush ran for the ] but lost to a ], Democrat ] (now Republican). ] endorsed Bush's opponent in the Republican ].

In 1994, Bush ran for ] against the popular ], Democrat ]. On ], ], he defeated Richards by a margin of 53% to 46%. That same year, he and his partners sold the ], with Bush realizing a profit of more than $14 million. As Governor, Bush forged a legislative alliance with powerful ] ], a longtime Democrat. In 1998 Bush went on to win re-election in a ] with nearly 69% of the vote, becoming the first Texas governor to be elected for two consecutive four-year terms (before 1975, the gubernatorial term of office was two years). During Bush's governorship, he undertook significant legislative changes in ], ] law, and school financing. Bush took a hard line on ] and received much criticism from advocates who wanted to abolish the death penalty and also those who argued that there were tangible imperfections in the Texas legal system that required a more cautious approach to carrying out the death penalty. Under Bush, Texas's incarceration rate was 1014 inmates per 100,000 in 1999, the second-highest in the nation, owing mainly to lengthy sentences for drug offences. In September 1999, Bush signed the ] which allows a health care facility to discontinue life-sustaining treatment against the wishes of the patient ten days after giving notice. Bush's transformative agenda and family pedigree now provided an opportunity to advance his political career to the national level.

==Presidential campaigns==
===2000 campaign===
{{seemain|U.S. presidential election, 2000}}
Advisers convinced George W. Bush that 2000 would be the right time to run for president. He had more than enough money, and the ] lacked any single strong candidate. Before he had even committed to the race, he was the clear favorite in the polls. During ], he declared himself a "]", a term coined by ] professor ]. In the general election, Bush's ] promised to "restore honor and dignity to the White House" and pledged a huge ] intended to return a large part of the projected budget surplus back to the taxpayers. Among other issues, he also advocated allowing ] ] to participate in federally funded programs, promoting the use of ], supporting ] in the ], maintaining a balanced ], and restructuring the ].

]

Bush lost the ] to ] ] of ], but rebounded to capture 9 of 13 ] states, effectively clinching the nomination. Bush then chose ], a former ] and ] for Bush's father, as his ]. After months of campaigning, election night, held November 7, 2000, turned out closer than anticipated. Television networks called the close race first for Gore, then for Bush, and finally too close to call. Al Gore, who had conceded the election in a phone call to Bush, rescinded that concession less than one hour later. When the race was finally adjudicated, Bush was declared to have defeated Democratic candidate ] ], winning 271 ] to Gore's 266, carrying 30 of the 50 states. Gore had received a plurality of the national popular vote of the roughly 105,000,000 votes cast, with Bush receiving 50,456,002 votes (47.9%) and Gore 50,999,897 (48.4%), but this fact is not relevant in deciding U.S. presidential elections. Notable third-party candidates included ] candidate ] (2,695,696 votes/2.7%), ] candidate ], (449,895/0.4%), and ] candidate ] (386,024 votes/0.4%).

The ] was the first since ]'s ] to produce a winner that did not receive a plurality of the ]. It was the first since ] was ] in which the ] affected the decision. The ] vote count, which favored Bush in preliminary tallies, was contested over allegations of irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. Allegations of confusing ballots, defective voting machines, faulty ]s from the military, and the alleged illegal barring of many voters threw the process into chaos.

A series of court cases ensued over the legality of county-specific and statewide recounts. After machine and manual recounts in four counties, and with Bush still prevailing, the ] ordered a statewide manual recount of all counties. The ], upon appeal from the Bush campaign ('']''), overturned the decision and halted all recounts. After the ruling, Gore reinstated his concession. Several months later a group of newspapers commissioned a study of what would have happened had the Supreme Court allowed the statewide manual recount to continue. The researchers conducting the study concluded that, under the standard for assessing ballots in use during the actual count, Bush would still have won. However, other reasonable counting methods would have given the victory to Bush in four cases and Gore in four others. Since the Supreme Court did not allow the recount to continue, no one knows what standard might have been prescribed by it, or by a lower court at its directioin, had the recount been reinstated. In the final official count, Bush had won Florida by only 537 votes (2,912,790 for Bush to 2,912,253 for Gore) , earning the needed 25 electoral votes and the presidency. Bush was inaugurated ], ].

===2004 campaign===
{{seealso|2004 U.S. presidential election controversy and irregularities}}
]
In the ], Bush carried 31 of 50 states for 286 ] votes. A record voter turnout gave him more popular votes than any previous presidential candidate (62,040,610 votes/50.7%). This was the first time since 1988 that a President received a popular majority. Challenger, Senator ] (Democrat), carried 19 states and the ], earning him 251 Electoral College votes (59,028,111 votes/48.3%). A ], pledged to Kerry, voted for Democratic Vice Presidential running mate, ], giving him one ] vote. No other candidate won College votes. Notable third-party candidates included Independent ] (463,653 votes / 0.4%), and Libertarian ] (397,265 votes/0.3%). Congress debated potential election irregularities, including allegations of voting irregularities in ] and electronic voting machine fraud.

Bush was ] for his second term on ], ]. The ] was administered by ] ]. Bush's inaugural address centered mainly on a theme of spreading ] and ] around the world.

==Important people in Bush's life and career==
George W. Bush is a member of a prominent ]. His father, ], served as U.S. President for one term and twice as ]'s Vice President. His younger brother, ], is the current ]. His grandfather, ], was a ]. He also has two other younger brothers, ] and ], both businessmen. He and ] are the only sons of former Presidents to become President themselves.

Bush is very close to his wife ], his father ], and his mother ]. He is also close to his sister ] and brother ]. Loyalty to family is an important cornerstone of Bush's attitude to his family relationships, and despite some differences in policy and attitudes, and independence from each other, Bush and his brother ] have worked closely to help each other's political career.

In his career, Bush values loyalty as the greatest asset, and has developed a close band of advisors deeply loyal to him. In his second term, he has elevated them from personal political jobs to top government positions.

Some of the closest and most trusted advisors to Bush in affairs of policy and politics are women. ], the ] was Bush's close confidant in the first term as ], and a Bush loyalist. ] was Bush's chief domestic policy advisor from his days as Governor of Texas, and now runs the ]. Moreover, ] was one of Bush's most trusted political advisors, playing important roles in all his campaigns from 1994 to 2004. She was briefly ], and now is undersecretary of state for ] — responsible for the specific mission of improving America's image in the world, and particularly with Muslim countries. ] was legal counsel and fiercely loyal to Bush in Texas and, since the beginning of Bush's second term, she has served as White House counsel. Bush nominated ] to the ] on ], ] to replace retiring associate justice ], yet she asked that her nomination be withdrawn 24 days later after peculiar criticism of Miers via Bush's own conservative base, partly due to her possession of no prior written legal opinions or any judicial experience whatsoever.

] has played perhaps the greatest influence on Bush's life and career. Ever since meeting in 1972, Rove built Bush's political campaign machine when he decided to run for Texas's governorship in 1994, and was his closest political advisor. When elected President in 2001, Bush asked Rove to give up his direct mail business and join him full-time in Washington. Officially designated White House political advisor, Rove designed the political strategy to enact Bush's legislative agenda, and guide the political strategy on important national issues of both the White House and the Republican Party, with an eye towards the 2004 re-election campaign. After winning re-election Bush called Rove ''The Architect'' of his campaign, and Rove now serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President for domestic policy and national security. Rove is also responsible for the elevation of Bush loyalist Republicans like ], Bush's campaign manager and now Chairman of the ].

] was the Governor's legal counsel in Texas, and later became Attorney General. He joined Bush in 2001 in Washington, and in 2005 he was appointed ]. He is the first ] ever to head the ].

==Presidency of the United States==
{{main|George W. Bush's first term as President of the United States|George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States}}

] ], ] President George W. Bush, and ]i Prime Minister ] after reading statement to the press during the closing moments of the Red Sea Summit in ], ], on ], ]]]

===First Term===
Bush's first 100 days were considered less ] than he pledged during the campaign. His most controversial appointment was ] as Attorney General. Democrats vigorously opposed Ashcroft for his strong, ] positions on issues like ] and ], though they eventually confirmed him. On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counseling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. Days later, he announced his commitment to channeling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations that critics feared would dissolve the traditional ].

Republicans lost control of the ] in June, when ]'s ] quit the Republican party to become an ], but not before five Senate Democrats crossed party lines to approve Bush's $1.35 billion tax cut. Less than three months later, however, the administration released budget projections that showed the projected ] decreasing to nothing over the next years.

===Political ideology===
During the 2000 election campaign Bush started to use the phrase ] to describe his beliefs. Some conservatives have questioned Bush's commitment to traditional conservative ideals because of his willingness to incur large ]s by permitting substantial spending increases. Democrats and liberals have claimed that the prefixing of the word "conservative" with the adjective "compassionate" was less a new ideology and more a way of making conservatism seem palatable to independent and swing voters. In his 2005 ] he outlined his vision of ] and claimed plan for democracy promotion, .

===Foreign policy and security===
] during a visit to a school in ].]]
{{main|Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration}}

During his first presidential visit to ] in June 2001, European leaders criticized Bush for his rejection of the ] to reduce ]. In 2002, Bush rejected the ] as harmful to ] in the United States, stating: "My approach recognizes that economic growth is the solution, not the problem."
The administration also disputed the scientific basis of the treaty. In November 2004, ] ratified the treaty, meeting the quota of nations required to enforce it without ratification by the United States.

International leaders also criticized Bush for withdrawing support for the ] soon after he assumed the presidency.
Bush made the following comment: "I wouldn't join the International Criminal Court. It´s a body based in Hague where unaccountable judges and prosecution can pull our troops or diplomats for trial."

Bush's ] campaign platform supported a stronger economic and political relationship with ], especially ], and reduced involvement in "]" and other minor military engagements indirectly related to U.S. interests. However, after the ] (9/11 attacks), the State Department focused primarily on the ].

====Terrorism====
] in ], ], ]: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon."]]
On ], ], the United States, with international support, launched a war against the ] ] regime, charged with harboring ]. Subsequent nation-building efforts with the ] and Afghan president ] have had mixed results; bin Laden (]) is still at large. ] were held on ], ]. Even though international observers called the elections "fairly democratic" at the "overall majority" of polling centers, 15 of the 18 presidential candidates nevertheless threatened to withdraw, alleging flawed registration and validation.

{{see|U.S. invasion of Afghanistan}}

Days after taking office, Bush stated "I am going to go forward with... ] system." To accomplish this deployment, Bush announced on ], ] his desire to withdraw from the 1972 ] and deploy a missile defense system with the ability to shield against a limited attack by a ]. The ] criticized this policy change, citing doubts about the system's effectiveness. Bush argued this was justified as the treaty's ] benefits were no longer relevant. The official notification of withdrawal from the treaty was announced on ] ], citing the need to protect against ]. While there is past precedent for a President to cancel a treaty, most past cases have involved Congressional authorization.

====Iraq====
Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration promoted urgent action in Iraq, stating that Iraqi President ] once again had ] (WMD), even though Hussein claimed to have destroyed all the chemical and biological weapons he had before 1991 (he used them on the ] in northern Iraq in 1988). Bush also said that Hussein was a threat to U.S. security, destabilized the ], inflamed the ], and financed ]. ] reports asserted that Saddam Hussein had tried to acquire ], had not properly accounted for Iraqi ] and ] material in violation of ], and that some Iraqi missiles had a range greater than allowed by the UN sanctions. It had been, since 1998, U.S. policy for the president to plan for the removal of ] by a law (the ]) passed by the ] and the ] and later signed by ].

].]]

Asserting that Saddam Hussein could provide ] with WMD, Bush urged the ] to enforce Iraqi ] mandates, precipitating a ]. On ], ], under ], ] and ] led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. Lapses in Iraqi cooperation triggered intense debate over the efficacy of inspections. UN inspection teams departed Iraq upon U.S. advisement given four days prior to full-scale hostilities.

] ] urged his colleagues in the Bush administration to avoid a war without clear UN approval. The Bush administration initially sought a ] resolution authorizing the military force pursuant to of the ] but, facing vigorous opposition from key nations including the public threat of an embarrassing ] veto, dropped the bid for UN approval and, with a few other nations designated the "]", prepared for war.

] off the coast of ], where he delivers his controversial ] speech to declare victory and the end of major combat operations in Iraq, ], ].]]

{{see|The UN Security Council and the Iraq war}}

Military hostilities commenced on ], ] to preempt Iraqi WMD deployment and remove Hussein from power. '']'' included Hussein's hindering weapons inspections, an alleged 1991 assassination attempt on Bush's father ], breach of a 1991 ], and violation of numerous Security Council resolutions. ] ] and other world leaders questioned the war's legality. Bush declared victory on May 1, 2003, but U.S. deployment and casualties have continued through 2005 despite the capture of Hussein, because of ongoing Iraqi ].

{{see|2003 invasion of Iraq}}

On ], ], the U.S. ] Final Report concluded, "ISG has not found evidence that Saddam Husayn (sic) possessed WMD stocks in 2003, but the available evidence from its investigation — including detainee interviews and document exploitation — leaves open the possibility that some weapons existed in Iraq although not of a militarily significant capability." The ] report found no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed WMD, although the report did conclude that Hussein's government was actively attempting to acquire ] that would allow Iraq to produce WMD as soon as U.N. sanctions were lifted. In addition, the 9/11 commission found that despite contacts between Iraq and Al-Qaeda in 1996, "no collaborative relationship" emerged in regards to the attacks on 9/11.


{{see2|Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda}}

====Immigration====
Bush proposed an ] bill that would have greatly expanded the use of ] ]. His proposal would match ] with ] for a period up to six years; however, workers would not be eligible for permanent residency ("green cards") or citizenship. The bill is opposed by some Democratic Senators, including ] and ].

Bush has also publicly stated he would like to tighten security at the ]-] border, which includes speeding up the ], building more ] to hold ], and installing more equipment and immigration officers at the border. He does agree with "increasing the number of annual green cards that can lead to citizenship" but does not support giving amnesty to those who are already in the country illegally, ceding that it would only serve as incentive for increased illegal immigration.

{{section-stub}}

====HIV/AIDS====
In the ] message in January, 2003, Bush outlined a five-year strategy for global emergency ] relief. Bush requested $15 billion for this effort and Congress supported the president's proposal. The emergency relief effort is led by U.S. Ambassador ], the Global AIDS Coordinator at the ]. $9 billion is allocated for new programs in AIDS relief for 15 countries most affected by HIV/AIDS. Another $5 billion will go to continuing support of AIDS relief in 100 countries where the U.S. already has bilateral programs established. And $1 billion will go to support The Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. This budget represents more money contributed to fight AIDS globally than all other donor countries combined.

{{section-stub}}

====Trade====
Bush's imposition of a ] and on ] softwood ] was controversial in light of his advocacy of ] ] in other areas, and attracted criticism both from his fellow ] and from nations affected. The steel tariff was later rescinded under pressure from the ]. The ] is still ongoing.

{{section-stub}}

====Development assistance====
The U.S. State Department and ] (USAID) published a strategic plan for the 2004-2009 period. The principal aims are established in President Bush’s ''National Security Strategy'': ], development and defense. President Bush's new policy would increase assistance by 50 percent for countries that take responsibility for their own development “by ruling justly, investing wisely in their people, and encouraging economic freedom.” Development assistance must also be aligned with ] which means the USAID would support those “countries that are committed to democratic governance, open economies, and wise investment in their people’s education, health, and potential.”

===Domestic policy===
====Faith-based initiatives====
In early 2001, Bush worked with Republicans and social conservatives in Congress to pass ] changing the way the ] ]d, taxed and funded ] and non-profit initiatives run by ] ]. Although prior to the legislation it was possible for these organizations to receive federal assistance, the new legislation removed reporting requirements that required the organizations to separate their charitable functions from their religious functions. Bush also created the '''White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives'''.

Several organizations such as the ] have criticized Bush's faith-based initiative program, arguing that it involves government entanglement with religion and favoritism to religion in violation of the ].

====Diversity and civil rights====
Bush is opposed to the ] recognition of ], but supports the establishment of ]s ("I don't think we should deny people ] to a civil union, a legal arrangement" — ] ], ]). He has endorsed the ], a proposed ] to the ] that would define ] as being the union of one ] and one ]. Bush reiterated his disagreement with the ] ] that opposed civil unions, and said that the issue of civil unions should be left up to individual ]. In his ], ], State of the Union address he repeated his support for the constitutional amendment.

Bush is the first Republican president to appoint an openly ] man to serve in his administration (Scott Evertz as director of the Office of National AIDS Policy), and the first president to see one such (successful) appointment, that of openly gay Ambassador to Romania ]. Bush has claimed to support the ] issued by President ] banning employment discrimination on the basis of ], but ], whom Bush chose as ] in 2003, does not feel he has the legal authority to enforce the ban. During his 2000 campaign trail he met with the ], a first for a Republican Presidential candidate. The organization endorsed him in 2000 but not in 2004.

Bush obtained an increase in support from ] during his presidency. Although he only got 9% of the black vote in 2000, he received nearly 12% in 2004, with the increased black vote in ] giving the victory to Bush over Kerry.

Although Bush expressed appreciation for the ]'s ruling upholding the selection of ] applicants for purposes of ], his Administration filed briefs against it. Bush has said he opposes government sanctioned and enforced quotas and racial preferences, but that the private and public sector should be encouraged to reach out to accomplished minorities to increase employment diversity.

In August 2005, a report by the ] states that "the government fails to seriously consider race-neutral alternatives as the Constitution requires." Chairman ] explained, "Federal agencies do not independently evaluate, conduct research, collect data, or periodically review programs to determine whether race-neutral strategies will provide an adequate alternative to race-conscious programs." Civil rights groups have expressed concern that this report is an attack on affirmative action inconsistent with ].

In his first term, Bush appointed ] as ]. Powell was the first ] man to serve in that position, and was succeeded by ]: Rice became the first African-American woman to hold the post. In 2005, he appointed ] as the ], the first ] to hold that position. In total, Bush has appointed more women and minorities to high-level positions within his administration than any other U.S. President.

====Economy====
During his first term Bush sought and obtained ] approval for three major ]s, which increased the standard ] ] for ] couples, eliminated the ], and reduced ]s. The cuts are currently scheduled to expire a decade after passage. Bush has asked Congress to make the tax cuts permanent. According to the ], the economy suffered from a ] that lasted from ] to ].

Federal spending in constant dollars increased under Bush by 26% in his first 4 and a half years. Non-defense spending increased 18% in that time.

The tax cuts, recession, and increases in outlays all contributed to record ]s during the Bush administration. The annual deficit reached record current-dollar levels of $374,000,000,000 in 2003 and $413,000,000,000 in 2004. National debt, the cumulative total of yearly deficits, rose from $5.7 trillion (58% of GDP) to $ (68% of GDP) under Bush, as compared to the $2.7 trillion total debt owed when ] left office, which was of the GDP.

According to the “baseline” forecast of federal revenue and spending by the ] (in its January 2005 Baseline Budget Projections , the budget deficits will decrease over the next several years. In this projection the deficit will fall to 368,000,000,000 (USD) in 2005, 261,000,000,000 (USD) in 2007, and 207,000,000,000 (USD) in 2009, with a small surplus by 2012. The CBO noted, however, that this projection “omits a significant amount of spending that will occur this year — and possibly for some time to come — for ] operations in ] and ] and for other activities related to the global ].” The projection also assumes that the Bush tax cuts "will expire as scheduled on ], ]". If, as Bush has urged, the tax cuts were to be extended, then "the budget outlook for 2015 would change from a surplus of 141,000,000,000 (USD) to a deficit of 282,000,000,000 (USD)".

] under Bush has remained near historic lows at about 2-3% per year. The recession and a drop in some prices led to concern about ] from mid-2001 to late-2003. More recently, ] have caused concern about increasing inflation.

]

Private employment(seasonally adjusted) decreased under Bush from a peak of 111,680,000 in ] to 108,250,000 in mid-2003. The percentage drop in jobs was the largest since 1981-1983. The economy then added private jobs for 25 consecutive months from (] to ]), but the private employment level remained below the pre-Bush level until ] when it reached 111,828,000. Considering population growth, that still represents a 4.6% decrease in employment since Bush took office. The administration and many economists have suggested that the growth in employment resulted from the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA), which President George W. Bush signed into law on May 27, 2003.

]
The ] (aka Household Survey) measures the percentage of the population that is employed and unemployed. The result can be multiplied by population estimates to get total employment estimates. This survey has the advantage over the Payroll survey in that it includes self-employed. The Household Survey is less accurate in producing total numbers (since it requires population estimates) and in that it samples many fewer people (60,000 households versus 400,000 business establishments). For better or worse, the Household Survey counts multiple jobs held by one person only once, and it includes government workers, farm workers, unpaid family workers, and workers absent without pay. The Household Survey indicates that the percentage of the population employed decreased from 64.4% in ] and ] to 62.1% in ] and ] of 2003. By ], it had recovered only to 62.9%. In absolute numbers, this corresponds to a drop of 1.6 million jobs but an eventual net gain of 4.7 million jobs during the Bush administration.

Under Bush, the seasonally adjusted Unemployment Rate based on the Household Survey started at 4.7% in January 2001, peaked at 6.2% in June 2003, and retreated to 4.9% in August 2005.

In ], total private average weekly earnings in constant dollars as measured by the Payroll Survey dropped to their lowest level since ]. While ] and associated price increases may have played a role, real earnings had decreased for seven of the prior eight months. Through 2002-2004, earnings had been slightly higher than when Bush came into office.

The rise in ] since the recession was undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity, in part due to layoffs of underutilized workers. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and ] deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups.

While the GDP recovered from a recession that some claim Bush inherited from the previous administration, ] has since worsened according to the ]. The percent of the population below the poverty level increased in each of Bush's first four years, while it decreased for each of the prior seven years to a 11-year low. Although the poverty level increased, it is important to note that the increase was still lower between 2000-2002 then it was between 1992-1997 (which reached a peak of 39.3% in 1993). In 2002 the poverty rate was 34.6% which was almost equal to the rate in 1998, which was 34.5%. Poverty was at in 2004.

====Social security====
]) toured the nation to promote his proposal for ] personal accounts.]]
{{main|Social Security debate (United States)}}

Bush called for major changes in ], identifying the system's projected insolvency as a priority early in his second term. From January through April of 2005, he toured the country, stopping in over 50 cities across the nation warning of an impending "crisis". Initially, President Bush emphasized his proposal for personalized accounts would allow individual workers to invest a portion of their Social Security Tax (]) into secured investments. The main advantage of personal accounts within Social Security is to allow workers to own the money they place into retirement that cannot be taken away by political whims.

The left countered by noting this approach might actually worsen the imbalance between ]s and ]s that Bush pointed to as a looming problem. In addition, many Democrats opposed changes that they felt were turning Social Security into a ] program that would be politically vulnerable. Portions of the Bush's bill exempting private companies from social security payments have led to complaints that Bush's plan was created to benefit private companies, and that it would turn Social Security into just another insurance program.

====Health====
] of 2003, surrounded by senators and congressmen. (click on image for details)]]
In July of 2002, Bush cut off U.S. funding to the ] (UNFPA). Bush claimed that the UNFPA supported forced ]s and ]s in the ].

Bush signed the ], which added prescription drug coverage to ], subsidized pharmaceutical corporations, and prohibited the Federal government from negotiating discounts with drug companies. Bush said the law, estimated to cost 400,000,000,000 (USD) over the first 10 years, would give the elderly "better choices and more control over their health care". Seniors can buy a Medicare-approved discount card for $30 or less to help offset the increasing costs of prescription drugs. The legislation also adds prescription drug coverage to the federal health insurance program for the elderly, starting in 2006. The bill encourages insurance companies to offer private plans to millions of older Americans who now receive health care benefits under terms fixed by the government, an idea against which several Democrats have lashed out.

Bush signed the ] in 2003, having declared his aim to "promote a ]". The law was never enforced, having been ruled unconstitutional by three District Courts. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld one of these rulings. The federal law would have prohibited ] procedures "in which the person performing the abortion partially vaginally delivers a living fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery". Several liberal and conservative critics alike feel that the law is merely a political gesture, as a fetus could technically be aborted inside of the womb and removed thereafter.

====Education====
In January of 2002, Bush signed the ], with ] ] as chief sponsor, which aims to close the achievement gap, measures ] performance, provides options to parents with students in low-performing ]s, and targets more federal funding to low-income schools. Critics (including ] and the ]) say schools were not given the resources to help meet new standards, although their argument is based on premise that authorization levels are spending promises instead of spending caps. Some ]s are refusing to implement provisions of the act as long as they are not adequately funded. In January of 2005, '']'' reported that the ] had paid $240,000 to African-American ] political ] ] "to promote the law on his nationally ] ] show and to urge other ] ]s to do the same."

The ] stated, "As a result of the ], signed by Bush on ], ], the Federal government today is spending more money on elementary and ] (K-12) ] than at any other time in the history of the United States". Funding increases have to a large degree been offset at the state level by increased costs associated with implementing NCLB, as well as the impacts of the economic downturn on education budgets.

For his stance on the teaching of ], see section on "Science" below.

====Science====
On ], ], Bush signed into law H. R. 4664, far-reaching legislation to put the ] (NSF) on a track to double its budget over five years and to create new ] and ] ] initiatives at both the pre-college and ] level. In the first three years of those five, the R&amp;amp;D budget has increased by fourteen percent. (])

Bush opposes any new, and has limited the federal funding of existing, embryonic ]. Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research was first approved under President ] on ], ] , but no money was to be spent until the guidelines were published. The guidelines were released under Clinton on ], ]. They allowed use of unused frozen ]s. On ], ], before any funding was granted under these guidelines, Bush announced modifications to the guidelines to allow use of only existing stem cell lines. While Bush claimed that more than 60 embryonic stem cell lines already existed from privately funded ], scientists in 2003 said there were only 11 usable lines, and in 2005 that all lines approved for Federal funding are contaminated and unusable. Adult stem cell funding has not been restricted, and is supported by President Bush as a more viable means of research.

On ], ], Bush announced a major re-direction for the ]. Known as the ], it calls for the completion of the ] by 2010 and the retirement of the ] while developing a new ] called the ] under the title ]. The CEV would be used to return American ] to the ] by 2018, with the objective of establishing a permanent ], and eventually sending future manned missions to ]. Although the plan was met with a largely tepid reception , the budget eventually passed with a few minor changes after the November elections. In January 2005 the White House released a new Space Transportation Policy fact sheet (]), which outlined the administration's space policy in broad terms and tied the development of space transport capabilities to national security requirements.

On ], ], the scientific ] group the ] released a report entitled ]. Included was a statement "opposing the Bush administration's use of scientific advice." The report alleged that "the Bush administration has ignored unbiased scientific advice in the policy-making that is so important for our collective welfare" and "has suppressed or distorted the scientific analyses of federal agencies to bring these results in line with administration policy" to an extent that is "unprecedented." The report has been signed by over 7,000 scientists, including 49 ], 63 recipients of the ], 154 members of the ].

The White House has come under criticism for downplaying reports that link human activity and greenhouse gas emissions to climate change and that a White House official and former oil industry advocate, Philip Cooney, adjusted descriptions of climate research that had already been approved by government scientists. The White House has denied that Philip Cooney watered down reports. In June 2005, State Department papers showed the administration thanking ] executives for the company's "active involvement" in helping to determine climate change policy, including the US stance on Kyoto. Input from the business lobby group ] was also a factor.

On ], ], Bush took a controversial stance favoring the teaching of ] alongside ] in science classes, saying, "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought, and I'm not suggesting — you're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, and the answer is yes." Many academic institutions, such as the , view teaching Intelligent Design in public schools as a grave mistake.
''See: ]''.

====Environment====
Bush signed the ], authorizing the federal government to begin cleaning up ] and contaminated sediment in the ], as well as the Brownfields Legislation in 2002, accelerating the cleanup of abandoned industrial or ] sites.

Bush's environmental record has been attacked by most ]s, who charge that his policies cater to industry demands to weaken environmental protections. Environmental groups note that many Bush Administration officials, in addition to Bush and Cheney, have ties to the oil industry, ], and other groups that have fought against ]s. In ], Bush signed legislation implementing key provisions of his ]; environmental groups have charged that the plan is simply a giveaway to ] companies. Another subject of controversy is Bush's ], which seeks to reduce ] through expansion of ].

Partially due to gas price hikes, Bush proposed tapping the ] reserves in the ], a particularly sensitive ecosystem due to its arctic location. (]) Some claim that it is the last untouched ] left in the US, and that the majority of oil dug from the refuge will be sent to foreign countries, such as Japan, where larger profits can be made by domestic oil companies.

Bush has opposed the ] to reduce the effect of ], saying it would harm the U.S. economy. Bush said it is unfairly strict on the U.S. while being unduly lenient with developing countries, especially ] and ]. Bush stated, "The world's second-largest emitter of ] is China. Yet, China was entirely exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol." He has also questioned the science behind the ] phenomenon, insisting that more research be done to determine its validity.

''See: ]''.

The position Bush has taken on climate change has shifted with a gradual increasing acceptance that global warming is a problem, and that it is partly caused by human activity. The United States has signed the ], a pact allows those countries to set their goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions individually, but with no enforcement mechanism. Supporters of the pact see it as complementing the Kyoto Protocol whilst being more flexible whilst critics have said the pact will be ineffective without any enforcement measures. Republican Governor ], along with 187 mayors from US towns and cities, have pledged to adopt Kyoto style legal limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

====Capital punishment====
George W. Bush is a strong supporter of ]. During his tenure as Governor of Texas 152 people were ], maintaining its record as the leading state in ]s. As President of the United States he has continued in his support for capital punishment, including presiding over the first federal execution in decades, that of convicted terrorist ].

===Administration===
{{main|George W. Bush administration}}
Bush places a high value on personal ] and, as a result, his administration has high ]. He maintains a "hands-off" style of management that he believes prevents him from being tangled by intricacies that hinder sound decision-making. "I'm confident in my management style. I'm a delegator because I trust the people I've asked to join the team. I'm willing to delegate. That makes it easier to be President," he said in an interview with ] on ] in December of 2003. However, critics allege that Bush is willing to overlook mistakes made by loyal ]s, and that Bush has surrounded himself with "]".

Bush's presidency has been characterized by a vigorous defence of executive privilege, evidenced in such acts as signing ], which suspends the release of presidential papers, tight control of Congressional inquiries into White House officers such as in the ]'s interviews with ], Bush and ], and the generally high-level of coordination between the White House, Congressional Republicans and Senate Republicans in both of Bush's terms. Many commentators have claimed that deference to executive privilege was one of the principal considerations Bush's administration considered when proposing ] and ] as candidates for the Supreme Court, and appointing ] to the ] .

Bush also has performed many of his presidential duties from his ranch in ], dubbed "The Western White House". As of ], ], Bush had visited the ranch 49 times during his time as President, accruing 319 days away from the White House and nearly reaching Reagan's eight-year record of 335 days in 5.5 years. The administration has supported this trend, saying it helps the president get a different perspective from ] and that he is still working in a limited capacity. (The administration contends that Bush's longest visit to Crawford, in August 2005, included only one week of actual respite in the five-week visit.) Critics allege that these trips are indicators that the president does not take his duties seriously, and often goes to Crawford to avoid dealing with his detractors, such as in the case of ], who camped outside Bush's ranch when she believed she would not be able to meet with him in Washington.

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
====Cabinet====
{| cellpadding="1" cellspacing=&amp;amp;quot;4" style="margin:3px; border:3px solid #000000;" align=";left"
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|align="left"|'''OFFICE'''||align="left"|'''NAME'''||align="left"|'''TERM'''
|-
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001—
|-
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001&ndash;2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2003
|-
| || ''']''' || 2003—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' ||2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2003
|-
| || ''']''' || 2004—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2001–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|-
|] || ''']''' || 2003–2005
|-
| || ''']''' || 2005—
|}

{{col-2}}

====Supreme Court nominations====
Bush nominated the following individuals to sit on the ]:

*] — Associate Justice. Nominated July 19, 2005; switched to Chief Justice nomination on 9/5/05
*] — Chief Justice. Nominated September 5, 2005; confirmed by the Senate on 9/29/05
*] — Associate Justice. Nominated October 3, 2005; nomination withdrawn in accordance with Miers' request on 10/27/05.
*] — Associate Justice. Nominated October 31, 2005; before the Senate as of ], ], with a vote scheduled for January 2006.
{{col-end}}

===Major legislation signed===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;2001
:*]: ]
:*]: Authorization for Use of Military Force
:*]: United States-Jordan Free Trade Area Implementation Act
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
{{col-2}}
;2002
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
{{col-end}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;2003
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act) (see also ])
:*]: United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act of 2003
:*]: ]
:*]: United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
:*]: United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (CAN-SPAM)
{{col-2}}
;2004
:*]: ] (Laci and Conner's Law)
;2005
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ] Implementation Act
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (SAFETEA)
:*]: ]
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==Public perception and assessments==
Bush has been the subject of both popular praise and scathing criticism. His supporters believe he has done well with the ] and homeland security, and shown exemplary leadership after the September 11 attacks. His opponents have disagreed on those very subjects and have also criticized the passage of the ], the ], and the ].

The magazine '']'' named Bush as its ] for 2000 and for 2004. This award is traditionally given to the person considered by the editors to be the most important newsmaker of the year.

Due to Bush's colorful mistakes when speaking, opponents coined a new term, "]", to describe the grammatical configuration unique to Bush. ]s have been widely popularized and across the ] due to their humorous nature.
===Domestic===
]
], and the beginning of the ].]]

In the time of national crisis following the ], Bush enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85%. Since then, his approval ratings and approval of handling of domestic, economic, and foreign policy issues have steadily dropped. For a comprehensive look, one can see an image of polling trends over the course of Bush's presidency

In 2002, Bush had the highest approval rating of any president during a midterm congressional election since ]. In an unusual deviation from the historical trend of midterm elections, the Republican Party retook control of the ] and added to its majority in the ]. Typically, the President's party loses congressional seats in the midterm elections; 2002 marked only the third midterm election since the ] that the party in control of the White House gained seats in both houses of Congress (others were 1902 and 1934).

In 2003, Bush's approval spiked upward at the time of the ] in February. The upward trend continued through the invasion of Iraq in March. By late 2003, when presidential opponents typically begin their campaigns in earnest, his approval numbers were in the low to middle 50s. Most polls tied the decline to growing concern over the ] and a slow recovery from the 2001 recession. Polls of May 2004 showed anywhere from a 53% to a 46 % approval rating. More recently, a poll taken by American Research Group from August 18 to 21, 2005, shows that 36% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president (6% below the number in July), while 58% disapprove. This figure is lower than that of any modern president in his second term, including Nixon's approval rating of 39% during the ] scandal that eventually led to his resignation, though not lower than President ]'s nadir of 17%. A concurrent Gallup Poll performed from August 28 to 30 showed a 45% approval and 52% disapproval rating. A Zogby International poll of September 6-7, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, showed a 41% approval, an all-time low for Bush in Zogby's polling. The poll also showed his favorability ratings going below 50% for the first time as 49% saw him as favorable and 50% viewed him unfavorably. A ] poll conducted on October 30 to November 1, 2005, showed that Bush's approval rating had dropped to 35%, his lowest as measured by CBS News. ]-] polls on both ] and ], ] found Bush's approval level at 39%, his lowest as measured by this poll.

]'' during the ] attack on the ]. He was praised by some for not alarming the 30 schoolchildren in the classroom and criticized by others for not immediately leaving to take charge of an obvious crisis.]]

A poll by Rasmussen Reports on ] ] asked, "Should President Bush be impeached and removed from office?" 32% said "yes," and 58% said "no." By comparison, no poll that asked a comparable unqualified question ever had more than 32% support the 1998 ], and the average was 26%.

Earlier polls asked conditional versions of the impeachment question. For example, Zogby International on ], ] asked whether respondents agreed with the statement, "If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment." Americans agreed with this by a margin of 53% to 42%. This was supported by 76% of ], 50% of ], and 29% of ]. Earlier polls by Ipsos Public Affairs on ], ] and by Zogby International on ], ] found that 50% and 42% of Americans, respectively, agreed with a similar proposition.

A ], ] Washington Post-ABC poll found 55% of Americans believe the Bush administration "intentionally misled the public" in making its case for war.

====Hurricane Katrina====
:{{main|Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina}}

In the early hours of ], ], in the wake of ], the floodwalls protecting ] from ] broke, leading to widespread flooding. In the aftermath of this disaster, thousands of city residents, unable or unwilling to evacuate prior to the hurricane, became stranded with little or no relief for several days, resulting in lawless and unsanitary conditions in some areas. Although blame was partially attributed to state and local authorities, public outcry in the disaster's early hours was largely directed at the Bush administration, mainly ] and the ] alleging weak crisis management and coordination.

The Bush Administration failed to address this concern, and consistently funded less than was requested by the ] to maintain the levees, although this did not affect the part of the levees that failed. The criticism led to the resignation of FEMA director ], and eventually, Bush himself accepted responsibility for what he deemed, "serious problems in the federal government's response" in a ], 2005 press conference. Currently, the administration is investigating itself, yet several politicians have called for either congressional or independent investigations, claiming that the federal government cannot satisfactorily investigate itself.

====Valerie Plame affair====
{{main|Plame affair}}
{{current}}

Various members of George W. Bush's White House team were alleged to play a role in what became known as the ] or Plamegate. ], wife of retired ambassador ], was identified as a ] "operative on ]" in a July 2003 column by well-known ] ] ]. Novak's column was published only eight days after the publication of a ] op-ed written by former ambassador Wilson, which was highly critical of the Bush administration's use of "unreliable" ] as part of its justification for the ]. As a result of an investigation, one senior member of the administration, ], was indicted on charges of perjury and stepped down from his post as Chief of Staff to the Vice President and advisor to the President in October, 2005.

====Secret CIA prisons====
{{main|Central Intelligence Agency#Secret CIA Prisons}}
The Bush administration took criticism for the response to the leak of secret CIA prisons in Thailand, Afghanistan and several democracies in Eastern Europe, as well as a small center at the ] prison in Cuba. Republican Senator ] accused the Senate Majority Leader ] and Speaker ] of shifting the focus of investigations from why these illegal prisons exist to how information of them was leaked to the public. Major newspapers also noted that Vice President ] has urged Republican senators to allow CIA counterterrorism operations internationally to be exempt from the ban on mistreatment of prisoners.

===Outside the United States===
] and President Bush, 2001]]
]'' coverage of Bush's re-election in 2004. The ''Mirror'' has carried a number of front pages hostile to G.W. Bush, as have other ]an newspapers and magazines.]]
] ] during the ], ], ].]]

A conducted by for the ] in 2004 found that "just over half in Mexico and Italy had a negative view of Mr. Bush's role. In Britain, the closest U.S. ally in the war in Iraq, and in Canada, traditionally one of America's closest allies, two-thirds had a negative view...Three-quarters of those in Spain and more than 80% in France and Germany had a negative view of Mr. Bush's role in world affairs." While those in the United States were evenly divided on whether the war has increased or decreased the terror threat, by far the majority of those sampled outside the United States believe that Bush's foreign policy decisions in the ] have "increased the threat of terrorism in the world."

In Muslim countries, Bush is even less favorable. In these countries, Bush's unfavorable ratings are particularly high, often over 90% , partly as a result of American foreign policy in the middle east. Among the non-U.S. nations polled in another worldwide poll by the CBC, Bush's popularity was highest in ], where 62% reported favorable views, however in the CBC poll, Israel was the only foreign country polled that had a net favorable opinion of Bush.

A 2005 poll conducted by the Canadian research company Globescan for the BBC across 22,000 people in 21 nations found that a majority of world opinion (58%) believed that George Bush's re-election would have a negative impact on their peace and security. Only 26% believed it would have a positive one. Public opinion in the Philippines and India showed strong majorities in favor of Bush. , but these were the only countries in favor.
The same poll revealed that support for the Iraq occupation had dropped to 37% in Britain. In Turkey, 72% of those polled said that George Bush's re-election made them “feel worse about Americans”.

The ] '']'' newspaper ran the following headline the day of Bush's reelection: “How Can 59,054,087 People Be So Dumb?” (see above), underlining the significance of Bush's unpopularity in the foreign press. In the ], it is believed that there have been fewer negative statements made against Bush and more of what can be labeled, “mixed reaction” now that there is a “growing democracy”, as the Bush administration titles it, that has occurred in the area since the democratic elections in ] in ]. For example, in Iran — a country in which anti-Bush protests accompanied with signs reading “Death to America, Death to Bush” are common — a poll conducted in early 2005 suggests that 76% of ] adults believe that the U.S. occupation of Iraq is contributing to the emergence of Iran as a free democracy.
<div style="clear:both"></div>
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==See also==
*]
*]
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*]
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*]
*]
*]
*] First Lady
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==Media==
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 11, 2001.ogg|title=George W. Bush's speech on September 11, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=George W. Bush Speech - September 12, 2001.ogg|title=George Bush's speech on September 12, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
==References==
*
*
* Graphs of approval ratings ,
* Time-analysis of Bush's popularity .
* Collection of Bushisms
* Cornell University article
* {{nndb name | id = 360/000022294 | name = George W. Bush}}
==Notes==
{{anb|oil_and_baseball}} The White House (2005). . Retrieved June 21, 2005. ''"Owner, oil and gas business"'' ''"Partner, Texas Rangers Baseball Team"''
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==External links==
{{Sisterlinks|George W. Bush}}
===Official===
*
*
===Speeches===
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===Transcripts===
* (August 3, 2000)
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* (])
* (])
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* November 13, 2001
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* (September 2, 2004)
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===Other===
*{{imdb name|id=0124133|name=George W. Bush}}
* {{gutenberg author| id=George+W.+Bush | name=George W. Bush}}
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* More info on Bush ideological detractors
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Revision as of 00:35, 20 December 2005

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