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By his own characterization, Bush was an average student.<ref>{{cite news
{{sprotected}}
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{{Infobox President
| name=George Walker Bush
| image=George-W-Bush.jpeg|300px
| order=43rd ]
| term_start=], ]
| final term ends= ], ]
| vicepresident=]
| predecessor=]
| successor=]
| birth_date=], ]
| birth_place=], ], ]
| party=]
| spouse=]
| religion=]
| signature=GeorgeWBush Signature.png
|
|}}
'''George Walker Bush''' (born ] ]) is the 43rd and current ], inaugurated on ], ]. He was re-elected in 2004 and is currently serving his second term. He formerly served as the 46th ] from 1995 to 2000. A ], he belongs to one of the most politically influential American families, being the son of former President ] and elder brother of ], the present ]. George W. Bush is sometimes mistakenly referred to as George Bush, Jr. Since his father goes by George H. W. Bush, this is not applicable. Supporters and detractors alike refer to him by the ] ''Dubya'', playing on a stereotyped and generalized ] pronunciation of the letter W.

Bush was an entrepreneur in the oil industry in Texas and an unsuccessful candidate for the ] in 1978. After working on his father's ], he purchased a share of the ] ] team, and in 1994 he was elected Governor of ]. As governor, Bush worked on education reform, school finance and ] and sponsored the largest ] program in Texas history. He was re-elected as governor of Texas in 1998. Bush won the ] as the Republican candidate in a close and controversial contest. Although he did not secure a majority of the popular vote, he did win the required number of ] after a very close battle in the state of ]. As President, Bush pushed through a $1.3 trillion tax cut program and the ], and has made efforts to ] ] and ]. Bush has also pushed for socially conservative efforts such as the ], ], the ] and the proposed ], which aims to define marriage as between one man and one woman, and thus prevent recognition of ] in the United States.

Following the ], Bush declared a global '']'' and ordered the ] which he publicly stated was in order to overthrow the ], destroy ] and to capture ]. His response to 9/11 led to an immediate surge in his popularity. In March 2003, Bush ordered an invasion of Iraq. Following the overthrow of ]'s regime, Bush committed the U.S. to establishing ], and specifically in both Afghanistan and Iraq in the short term. A self-described "war President",<ref name="War President">President Bush on "Meet the Press": "I'm a war president." </ref> Bush won ] after an intense and heated election campaign, becoming the first candidate to win a majority vote in 16 years.

Since being re-elected in 2004, Bush has received increasingly heated criticism, even from former allies, on the ] and the ] scandal, as well as domestic issues such as federal funding of ] research, ], ], record budget deficits, the nomination of ] for the Supreme Court, and a number of scandals, such as the ] and the ]. According to opinion polling, his popularity has declined.

==Early life==
{{main|Early life of George W. Bush|Professional life of George W. Bush}}
]

Born in ], ], Bush is the eldest son of ] and his wife ]. His family moved to ] when he was two years old. He was raised in ] and ] with his four siblings, ], ], ], and ]. Another younger sister, ], died in 1953 at the age of three from ].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.famoustexans.com/georgewbush.htm
| title = George Walker Bush
| accessdate = 2006-06-27
| date = 2005-02-03
| work = Famous Texans
| publisher = famoustexans.com
}}</ref> Bush's grandfather, ], was a ], and his father served as U.S. President from 1989 to 1993. His brother Jeb is a two-term governor of Florida. The Bush family has long-standing and strong involvement in the U.S. Republican Party.

Bush attended the ] in ], and, following in his father's footsteps, was accepted into ], where he received a ] degree in history in 1968. At the same time, he worked in various Republican campaigns, including his father's 1964 and 1970 Senate campaigns in Texas. As a college senior, Bush became a member of the secretive ] society. By his own characterization, Bush was an average student.<ref>{{cite news
|author = Associated Press |author = Associated Press
|url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,25229,00.html |url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,25229,00.html
Line 55: Line 5:
|publisher = FOXNews.com |publisher = FOXNews.com
|date = 2001-05-21 |date = 2001-05-21
|accessdate = Congressional District of Texas]]. Facing ] of the ], Bush stressed his energy credentials and conservative values in the campaign. Hance, however, also held many conservative views, opposing gun control and strict regulation; he portrayed Bush as being out of touch with rural Texans. Bush campaigned hard and was an effective fundraiser, but lost by 6,000 votes. Hance later became a Republican and donated money to Bush's campaign for ] in 1993.<ref name= NewsMine>{{cite news
|accessdate = 2006-06-27
|url = http://newsmine.org/archive/cabal-elite/w-administration/w-bush/bush-loses-congress-election-1978-texas.txt"moral leadership". His campaign focused on issues such as education (seeking United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] stopped the statewide hand recount. The machine recount showed that Bush had won the Florida vote, giving him 271 ] to Gore's 266; Bush carried 30 of the 50 states.<ref>{{cite web
}}</ref>

In May 1968, at the height of the ongoing ], Bush was accepted into the Texas ]. After training, he was assigned to duty in Houston, flying ] ] out of ].<ref>{{cite news
|first = Byron
|last = York
|url = http://www.hillnews.com/york/090904.aspx
|title = Bush's National Guard Years
|publisher = The Hill
|date = 2004-09-09
|accessdate = 2006-06-27
}}</ref> Throughout his political career, Bush has been criticized over his induction and period of service. ] that Bush was favorably treated due to his father's political standing, and that he was irregular in attendance. Bush took a transfer to the ] Air National Guard in 1972 to work on a Republican senate campaign, and in 1974 he obtained permission to end his six-year service obligation six months early to attend ], receiving an honorable discharge.

There are a number of ] and otherwise disorderly conduct by Bush from this time. Bush has admitted to drinking "too much" in those years and described this period of his life as his "nomadic" period of "irresponsible youth".<ref name="Life-changing">{{cite news
|first = Lois
|last = Romano
|coauthors = George Lardner Jr
|url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush072599.htm
|title = Bush's Life-Changing Year
|publisher = ]
|date = 1999-07-25
|accessdate = 2006-06-27
}}</ref> On ], ], near his family's summer home in ], ], Bush was arrested for ] of ], having been drinking with former Australian world number-one tennis player ] and his former advisor, Raphael Rosenast. He pleaded guilty, was fined $150, and had his ] suspended for 30 days within Maine. Bush was able to keep his drunk driving arrest a secret throughout his years as governor of Texas. <ref name="CNNDUI">{{cite news
|author = Staff and wire reports
|url = http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/02/bush.dui
|title = Bush acknowledges 1976 DUI charge
|publisher = ]
|date = 2000-11-02
|accessdate = 2006-06-27
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/bushdui1.html
|title = The Smoking Gun: Archive
|publisher = thesmokinggun.com
|accessdate = 2006-06-27
}}</ref>

After obtaining an ] from Harvard, Bush entered the oil industry in Texas. In 1977, he was introduced by friends to ], a young schoolteacher and librarian. After three months of courting, Bush married Laura and settled in ]. His twin daughters, ] and ], were born in 1981. Bush also left his family's ] Church to join his wife's ] Church. (Today, their home church is Highland Park Methodist Church, near Dallas.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/etc/script.html
| title = The Jesus Factor
| accessdate = 2004-05-06
| work = WGBH
| publisher = .pbs.org
}}</ref>)

] with their daughters, ] and ], in 1990.]]

In 1978, Bush ran for the ] from the ]. Facing ] of the ], Bush stressed his energy credentials and conservative values in the campaign. Hance, however, also held many conservative views, opposing gun control and strict regulation; he portrayed Bush as being out of touch with rural Texans. Bush campaigned hard and was an effective fundraiser, but lost by 6,000 votes. Hance later became a Republican and donated money to Bush's campaign for ] in 1993.<ref name= NewsMine>{{cite news
|url = http://newsmine.org/archive/cabal-elite/w-administration/w-bush/bush-loses-congress-election-1978-texas.txt
|title = Bush Wasn't Always a Front-Runner
|publisher = ]
|date = 1999-10-17
|accessdate = 2006-07-27
}}</ref>

Bush returned to the oil industry, becoming a senior partner or chief executive officer of several ventures, such as ], ], and ]. These ventures suffered from the general decline of oil prices in the 1980s that had affected the industry and the regional economy, but he remained active through mergers, acquisitions and consolidations of his firms. Faced with serious drinking issues and difficulties in his professional and personal life, Bush abandoned his socializing lifestyle and began attending church regularly. In 1986, he quit drinking alcohol, and, following a personal meeting and exchange with Reverend ], he became a ] Christian.<ref name="Life-changing"/> Bush studied the ] and ], participating in church and community study groups.

Bush moved with his family to ] in 1988, to work on his father's campaign for the U.S. presidency. He worked with ] and ] to develop and coordinate a political strategy for courting conservative Christians and ] voters, who were seen as key to winning the nomination and the election. Delivering speeches at rallies and fundraisers, Bush met with representatives of conservative and religious organizations on behalf of his father.

Returning to Texas, Bush purchased a share in the ] baseball franchise in April 1989, where he served as managing general partner of the Rangers for five years. He was active in the team's media relations and in securing the construction of a new stadium, which opened in 1994 as ]. Bush actively led the team's projects and regularly attended its games, often choosing to sit in the open stands with fans. Bush's role with the Rangers gave him prominent media exposure and attention, as well as garnering public, business and political support. The Rangers were mostly successful while Bush was a leader of the organization. During his tenure, the Rangers acquired Hall-of-Fame pitcher ], who was popular with the fans during the last years of his career. The team nearly won its first division title in 1994, before a strike shortened the season. In 1989, Bush presided over the trade of the eventually famous ] to the ] ]. The eventual sale of Bush's share in the Texas Rangers brought him over $15 million from his initial $800,000 investment.

George W. Bush is the first president to have run a marathon. Before running for governor of Texas he completed the 1993 Houston Marathon in 3:44:52 for a pace of about 8:36/mile. He had been running since he was 26 and, before taking office, ran 15 to 30 miles a week.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.runnersworld.com/footnotes/gwbush/20questions.html
| title = 20 Questions for President George W. Bush
| accessdate = 2006-08-15
| work = Runners World
| publisher = runnersworld.com
}}</ref>

==Governor of Texas==
{{#if:{{{nosubst|}}}|<div style="display:none;">}} {{#ifeq:{{NAMESPACE}}|| |{{error:not substituted|Infobox Governor}}<div style="display:none;">}}{{#if:{{{nosubst|}}}|</div></div>}}{| class="infobox bordered" style="width: 23em; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;" cellpadding="3"
|+ style="font-size: larger;" | '''George W. Bush'''
|- style="text-align: center;"
{{#if: Texasgovbush.jpg|
{{!}} colspan="2" {{!}} ]<br style="clear:both" />}}
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |46<sup>th</sup> ]
|-
! Term of office:
| <span style="white-space: nowrap;">], ]</span> &ndash; <span style="white-space: nowrap;">], ]</span>
|-
{{#if: ], ]|
! ]:
{{!}} ], ]}}
|-
! Predecessor:
| ]
|-
! Successor:
| ]
|-
! Born:
| <span style="white-space: nowrap;">], ]</span><br>], ]
|-
{{#if: |
! Died:
{{!}} <span style="white-space: nowrap;"></span><br>}}
|-
! Political&nbsp;party:
| {{political party w logo|{{ #switch: ]
| Democratic
| Democratic Party
| ]
| ]
| ]
| ]
}}
|-
{{#if: ], ]|
! Profession:
{{!}} ], ]}}
|-
{{#if: ]|
! Spouse:
{{!}} ]}}
|-
{{#if: |
{{!}} colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller; border-top: 1px solid;" {{!}} }}
|}

With his father's election in 1988, speculation had arisen amongst Republicans that Bush would enter the 1990 gubernatorial election, but this was offset by Bush's purchase of the Rangers baseball team and personal concerns regarding his own record and profile. Following his success as owner and manager of the Rangers, Bush declared his candidacy for the 1994 election, even as his brother Jeb first sought the governorship of Florida. Winning the Republican primary easily, Bush faced incumbent Governor ], a popular Democrat who was considered the easy favourite, given Bush's lack of political credentials.

Bush was aided in his campaign by a close coterie of political advisors that included ], a former journalist who was his communications advisor; ], who became his campaign manager, and ], a personal friend and political activist who is believed to have been a strong influence in encouraging Bush to enter the election. Bush's aides crafted a campaign strategy that attacked Governor Richards' record on law enforcement, her political appointments, and her support of liberal political causes. Bush developed a positive image and message with themes of "personal responsibility" and "moral leadership". His campaign focused on issues such as education (seeking more accountability for schools over student performance), crime, deregulation of the economy, and ]. The Bush campaign was criticized for allegedly using controversial methods to disparage Richards. Following an impressive performance in the debates, however, Bush's popularity grew. He won with 52 percent against Richards' 47 percent.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Wayne Slater
| first = James Moore
| year = 2003
| title = Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential
| publisher = Wiley
| location = USA
| ISBN = 0-471-42327-0
| pages = 210
}}</ref>

As governor, Bush successfully sponsored legislation for tort reform, increased education funding, set higher standards for schools, and reformed the ] system. School finance was considered a sensitive issue at the time by politicians and the press. The state financed its school system through property taxes. Seeking to reduce the high rates to benefit homeowners while increasing general education funding, Bush sought to create business taxes, but faced vigorous opposition from his own party and the private sector. Failing to obtain political consensus for his proposal, Bush used a budget surplus to push through a $2 billion tax-cut plan, which was the largest in Texas history and cemented Bush's credentials as a pro-business fiscal conservative.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Wayne Slater
| first = James Moore
| year = 2003
| title = Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential
| publisher = Wiley
| location = USA
| ISBN = 0-471-42327-0
| pages = 233-36
}}</ref>

Bush also pioneered ] by extending government funding and support for religious organizations providing social services such as education, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, and reduction of domestic violence. Governor Bush signed a memorandum on ], ] proclaiming ] to be ] in Texas, a day where he "urge(d) all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need."<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/art/pop_jesusday.jpg
| title = Jesus Day
| accessdate = 2006-06-30
| author = Texas State
| date = 2005-03-11
| format = JPEG
| work = Texas State Archives
| publisher = PBS
}}</ref> Although Bush was criticized for violating the constitutional ] ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."), his initiative was popular with most people across the state, especially religious and social conservatives.

In 1998, Bush won 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).<ref>{{cite news
|author = Associated Press
|url = http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1998/11/03/election/governors/texas
|title = Texas Gov. George W. Bush wins in landslide
|publisher = CNN
|date = 1998-11-03
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref>

==2000 presidential election==
{{main|United States presidential election, 2000}}
] greets President-elect Bush at the White House in late December of 2000.]]

As one of the most popular governors in the nation, Bush was seen in the media and the Republican Party as a strong potential contender for the U.S. presidential election in 2000. Bush had personally envisioned running for the presidency since his re-election, and upon announcing his candidacy, he immediately became the Republican front-runner and raised the largest amount in campaign funds.

Bush labeled himself a "]", a term coined by ] professor ], and his ] promised to "restore honor and dignity to the ]", in reference to the disenchantment with the incumbent ] over his affair with ]. Bush proposed lowering taxes in response to a projected surplus, while promising a balanced ]. He supported participation of ] ] in federally funded programs, and promoted ]s, national education reform, ] in the ], and structural changes to the ]. Bush's ] campaign platform supported a stronger economic and political relationship with ] and especially ], free trade and reduced involvement in "]" and other minor military engagements indirectly related to U.S. interests. Bush also pledged to expand the ] initiative and to reform ] and ].

Bush's campaign was managed by Rove, Hughes and Albaugh, as well as by other political associates from Texas. He was endorsed by a majority of Republicans in 38 state legislatures. After winning the ], Bush was handed a surprising defeat by U.S. Senator ] of ] in the ]. During his campaign, Bush was criticized for visiting the controversial ], which bore a reputation for a ] and a ban on ].<!-- unsourced and ambiguous Bush apologized to the Archbishop while clarifying that he did not endorse the university's controversial measures--><ref>{{cite news
|author = ]
|url = http://www.commondreams.org/views/020900-101.htm
|title = At Bob Jones U., A Disturbing Lesson About The Real George W.
|publisher = Common Dreams Newscenter
|date = 2000-02-09
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> Bush captured nine of thirteen ] state primaries, effectively clinching the Republican nomination. He chose ], a former ] and ], as his ]. His campaign was endorsed by prominent Republicans such as ] and ], who assumed roles as advisors on issues of national security and foreign relations. While stressing his successful record as governor of Texas, Bush's campaign attacked the Democratic nominee, incumbent Vice President ], over ] and taxation. Bush criticized the ], championed by Gore, citing the decline of the industries in the ] states, such as ], and resulting economic hardships.

In the televised Republican presidential debate held in ] on ] ], all of the participating candidates were asked "What political ] or thinker do you most identify with and why?" Unlike the other candidates, who cited former Presidents and other political figures, Bush responded, "], because he changed my heart." Bush's appeal to religious values is believed to have aided his election, since those who said they "attend church weekly" gave him 56% of their vote in 2000 (and 63% of their vote in 2004).<ref>{{cite news
|title = How Americans Voted
|publisher = The Gallup Organization
|date = 2004-11-05
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}The Gallup Organization, "How Americans Voted," 5 November 2004</ref>

On election day, ], ], Bush won key midwestern states such as ], ], and ]. He also clinched Gore's home state of ], ], and the erstwhile Democratic bastion of ]. Television networks initially called the state of ] for Gore, then withdrew that projection and later called the state, along with the entire election, for Bush. Finally, it was declared that the results were too close to call. Sometime after the networks reported that Bush had won Florida, Gore conceded the election, and then rescinded that concession less than one hour later. The vote count, which favoured Bush in preliminary tallies, was contested over allegations of irregularities in the voting and tabulation processes. Because of Florida state law, a state-wide machine recount was ordered. Although it narrowed the gap, the recount still left Bush in the lead. Eventually, four counties in Florida which had large numbers of presidential undervotes began a manual hand recount of ballots. On ], the ] ruled that every county with a large number of undervotes would perform a hand recount. On ], in the '']'' case, the ] stopped the statewide hand recount. The machine recount showed that Bush had won the Florida vote, giving him 271 ] to Gore's 266; Bush carried 30 of the 50 states.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm | url = http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm
| title = 2000 OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS | title = 2000 OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
| accessdate = 2006-06-requested less in annual budgets, though some members of Congress have added amendments to increase the requested amounts. The emergency relief effort is led by U.S. Ambassador ], former ] of ] and ] at the ]. At the time of the speech, $9 billion was earmarked for new programs in AIDS relief for the 15 countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, another $5 billion for continuing support of AIDS relief in 100 countries where the U.S. already has bilateral programs established, and an additional $1 "|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
| accessdate = 2006-06-30
| author = State Elections Offices
| date = 2001-11-07
| publisher = Public Disclosure Division, Federal Election Commission
}}</ref>

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

President George W. Bush was regarded by his political opponents and many in the media as lacking a popular mandate, having lost the popular vote. Upon assuming office, Bush appointed ] as his chief of staff, ] as his political advisor and ] as White House communications director. He appointed ] as ], ] as ], and ] as the ].

His appointment of former Senator ] as ] was intensely criticized by Democrats because of Ashcroft's opposition of ] and support for social and religious conservative causes concerning ] and ]. Despite this, Ashcroft was confirmed, and Bush was lauded by conservatives.

===Domestic policies===
{{main|Domestic policy of the George W. Bush administration}}
] into law.]]

On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counselling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions.<ref>{{cite news
|author = Office of the Press Secretary
|url = http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/20010123-5.html
|title = Memorandum for Restoration of the Mexico City Policy
|publisher = ]
|date = 2001-01-22
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> Bush also successfully pushed for the ], enacted in 2003 with bi-partisan support but criticized by ] groups as incursive on legalized abortion rights.

Days into his first term, Bush announced his commitment to channelling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations. Bush created the ] to assist faith-based service organizations. Critics claimed that this was an infringement of the ].<ref>{{cite news
|first = Thomas E.
|last = Buckley
|url = http://www.americamagazine.org/gettext.cfm?articleTypeID=1&textID=2601&issueID=411
|title = Church, State and the Faith-Based Initiative
|publisher = America, The National Catholic Weekly
|date = 2002-11-11
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|first = David
|last = Brancaccio
|url = http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/churchandstate2.html
|title = Faith-based Initiatives
|work = God and Government
|publisher = ], ]
|date = 2003-09-26
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref>

Following a national controversy over the recognition of same-sex marriages in San Francisco and Massachusetts, Bush announced his opposition to the recognition of same-sex marriage, but supported allowing states to provide ]. He endorsed the ] to the ], which would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. This amendment failed to gain enough votes to pass.

Bush staunchly opposes ]. He supported Ashcroft's decision to file suit against the voter-approved ], which was ultimately decided by the ] in favour of the Oregon law.<ref name=OregonEuthanasia>{{cite news
|first = Kevin
|last = Johnson
|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2002/04/17/court-suicide.htm
|title = Federal judge backs Oregon suicide law
|publisher = ]
|date = 2002-04-18
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> As governor of Texas, however, Bush had signed a law which gave hospitals the authority to take terminally ill patients off of ] against the wishes of their spouse or parents, if the doctors deemed it medically appropriate.<ref name=RighttoDie>{{cite news
|author = Knight Ridder
|coauthors = Newsday
|url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002215324_texaslaw22.html
|title = As governor, Bush signed right-to-die law
|publisher = ]
|date = 2005-03-22
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> This became an issue in 2005, when the President signed controversial legislation forwarded and voted on by only three members of the Senate to initiate federal intervention in the court battle of ].<ref name=Schiavo>{{cite news
|first = Charles
|last = Babington
|coauthors = Allen, Mike
|url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51402-2005Mar20.html
|title = Congress Passes Schiavo Measure
|publisher = The Washington Post
|date = 2005-03-21
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref>

Bush's domestic agenda carried forward themes of increased responsibility for performance from his days as Texas governor, and he worked hard to lobby the adoption of the ], with Democratic Senator ] as chief sponsor. The legislation aims to close the achievement gap, measures ] performance, provides options to parents with students in low-performing schools, and targets more federal funding to low-income ]. Bush also increased funding significantly for the ] and ], creating education programs to strengthen the grounding in science and mathematics for American high school students.

Bush promoted increased de-regulation and investment options in social services, leading Republican efforts to pass the ], which added prescription drug coverage to Medicare and created ], which would permit people to set aside a portion of their Medicare tax to build a "nest egg". The elderly group, ] worked with the Bush Administration on the program and gave their endorsement. Bush said the law, estimated to cost US$400 billion over the first 10 years, would give the elderly "better choices and more control over their health care".<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031208-2.html
|title = President Signs Medicare Legislation
|publisher = The White House
|date = 2003-12-08
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref>

In the wake of the ], on ] ] Bush announced a major re-direction for the ].<ref name=NewVisionNASA>{{cite news
|url = http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040114-3.html
|title = President Bush Announces New Vision for Space Exploration Program
|publisher = The White House
|date = 2004-01-14
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> 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 ]s to the ] by 2018.

During the latter years of the Clinton administration, there was a total ban on federal funding for ] research. Bush is a supporter of stem cell research, but only to the extent that human embryos are not destroyed in order to harvest additional stem cells. Toward that end, on ] ], Bush signed an executive order lifting the ban on federal funding for the 21 existing "lines" of stem cells. These lines are able to reproduce in laboratories, obviating the need to destroy embryos.

Bush signed the ] legislation into law on ] ], which was developed to quickly alert the general public about ]s using various media sources.<ref>{{cite news
|first =
|last =
|url = http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/04/30/bush.amber/index.html
|title = Bush signs child protection bill
|publisher = ] Inside Politics
|date = 2003-05-01
|accessdate = 2006-07-31
}}</ref> On ] ] Bush signed the ] which establishes a national database requiring all convicted sex offenders to register their current residency and related details on a monthly instead of the previous yearly basis. Newly convicted sex offenders will also face longer mandatory ] periods.<ref>{{cite news
|first = Davidson
|last = Lee
|url = http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,640198190,00.html
|title = Bush signs, Hatch praises new Child Protection Act
|publisher = DeseretNews
|date = 2006-07-28
|accessdate = 2006-07-31
}}</ref>

====Economic policies====
] on the phone while looking out ] surveying the damage immediately after ].]]

Facing opposition in Congress, Bush held town hall-style public meetings across the nation to increase public support for his plan for a $1.3 trillion tax cut. Bush and his economic advisors argued that unspent government funds should be returned to taxpayers. With reports of the threat of recession from Federal Reserve Chairman ], Bush argued that such a tax cut would stimulate the economy and create jobs. In the end, five Senate Democrats crossed party lines to join Republicans in approving Bush's $1.35 trillion<ref>{{cite news
|first = Kelly
|last = Wallace
|url = http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/06/07/bush.taxes
|title = $1.35 trillion tax cut becomes law
|publisher = ] InsidePolitics archives
|date = 2001-06-07
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> tax cut program &mdash; one of the largest in U.S. history.

During his first term, Bush sought and obtained Congressional approval for two additional tax cuts: the ] and the ]. These acts increased the ] and eliminated the so-called "marriage penalty." Arguably, cuts were distributed disproportionately to higher income taxpayers through a decrease in ], but the change in marginal rates was greater for those of lower income, resulting in an income tax structure that was more progressive overall. Complexity was increased with new categories of income taxed at different rates and new deductions and credits, however; at the same time, the number of individuals subject to the ] increased since it had remained unchanged.

Federal spending in constant dollars increased under Bush by 26% in his first four and one-half years. The tax cuts, a recession, and significant increases in military and domestic outlays all contributed to record budget deficits. 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 4.6% in May 2006. The ] traded for a record 61 consecutive trading sessions above 11,000.

Bush's imposition of a ] and ] was controversial in light of his advocacy of ] ] in other areas; this attracted criticism both from his fellow ] and from nations affected. The steel tariff was later rescinded under pressure from the ]. A negotiated settlement to the softwood lumber dispute was reached in April 2006, and the historic seven-year deal was finalized on ] ].

=== Foreign policies ===
{{main|Foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration}}
] ], and former ] ] at the Red Sea Summit in ], ] on ], ].]]

Public perceptions of Bush were reputedly of lacking interest in foreign affairs. The Bush Administration, however, implemented major changes in U.S. foreign policy by withdrawing its participation in the 1998 Kyoto Protocol (although in 1998 the Senate vote to participate in the treaty was 0 for and 95 against) and the 1972 ] with ], in order to pursue ].<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/abmt/news/010501bush.html
|title = President Bush Speech on Missile Defence
|publisher = Federation of Americal Scientists
|date = 2001-05-01
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> International leaders also criticized the U.S. for withdrawing support for the ] soon after he assumed the presidency. The U.S. voiced concern that the court could conceivably co-opt the authority of the United States' judicial system Although Bush was lauded by Republicans and conservatives, global public opinions rose against U.S. policies and its status the world's sole superpower, which presented a ] image. Bush publicly condemned ] of ] and his ] regime. Bush also undertook bold actions by expressing U.S. support for the defense of ] following the stand-off in March 2001 with the ] over the crash between an ] ], leading to the detention of U.S. personnel. In 2003-04, Bush authorized U.S. military intervention in ] and ] to restore order and oversee a transition to democracy.

Bush emphasized a "hands-off" approach to the conflict between ] and ] in wake of rising violence and the alleged failure of the Clinton Administration's efforts to negotiate. Bush specifically disowned Palestinian leader ] for his support of the violence and militant groups, but following urgings from European leaders, he became the first American President to embrace a two-state solution envisaging an independent Palestine existing side-by-side with Israel. Bush sponsored dialogue between Prime Ministers ] and ] but continued his boycott of Arafat. Bush also supported Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and lauded the democratic elections held in Palestine following Arafat's death.

] with George W. Bush inspects the ] Honor Guards during the latter's 8-hour ] to the ] in October 2003]]

In his ] in January 2003, Bush outlined a five-year strategy for global emergency ] relief, the ]. Bush announced $15 billion for this effort&mdash;$3 billion per year for five years&mdash;but has requested less in annual budgets, though some members of Congress have added amendments to increase the requested amounts. The emergency relief effort is led by U.S. Ambassador ], former ] of ] and ] at the ]. At the time of the speech, $9 billion was earmarked for new programs in AIDS relief for the 15 countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, another $5 billion for continuing support of AIDS relief in 100 countries where the U.S. already has bilateral programs established, and an additional $1 billion towards the ]. Almost one quarter of the $15 billion has gone to religious groups that tend to emphasize abstinence over ] use.<ref>{{cite news
|author = Associated Press
|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/01/29/quarter-of-bushs-15-bil_n_14689.html
|title = Quarter Of Bush's $15 Billion For AIDS Going To Christian Groups
|publisher = ]
|date = 2006-01-29
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> This budget represents more money contributed to fight AIDS globally than all other donor countries combined.

Bush has condemned the ] by militia forces on the people of ], and has denounced the killings in ] as ].<ref>{{cite news
|author = Jim VandeHei
|url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/01/AR2005060101725.html
|title = In Break With U.N., Bush Calls Sudan Killings Genocide
|publisher = ]
|date = 2005-06-02
|accessdate = 2006-07-25
}}</ref> Bush has said that an international ] presence is critical in Darfur; he opposes referring the situation in Darfur to the ], however.

==== Wars ====
The ] were a major turning point in Bush's life and presidency. Bush was visiting an elementary school in Florida when Chief of Staff ] informed him that a plane had crashed into the ] in ]. Following news of a second plane crashing, Bush remained with the class for seven minutes while they finished reading a story and then left the school and flew to an air base, before returning to ] in the late afternoon. That evening, he addressed the nation from the ], promising a strong response to the attacks but emphasizing the need for the nation to come together and comfort the families of the victims. On ], he visited ], meeting with Mayor ] and firefighters, policemen and volunteers. In a moment captured by press and media, Bush addressed the roused gathering from atop a heap of rubble:

] 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."]]

{{cquote|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.}}
In a speech to the U.S. Congress, Bush declared war on terrorist groups and nations supporting terrorism across the world, and specifically endorsing the overthrow of the ] regime of ], which had been harbouring training camps for ] militants. Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan, which resulted in the overthrow of the Taliban by the ] with the help of U.S. special forces and bombing campaigns. Bush also backed secret programs to gather intelligence through the monitoring of bank funds and telephone records, and signed the ], which gave law enforcement agencies increased powers.<ref>{{cite news
|author = Associated Press
|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-06-26-bush-monitoring_x.htm
|title = Bush: Disclosure of financial monitoring program 'disgraceful'
|publisher = USA Today
|date = 2006-06-26
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref>

Following the successful overthrow of the Taliban, the U.S. also promoted urgent action in Iraq, stating that Iraqi President ] possessed ] (WMD), and that in the post 9-11 world it was too dangerous to allow unstable regimes to possess weapons that could "potentially fall into the hands of ]." Bush argued that Saddam, through his continued violation of the ] Cease Fire Agreement and ] ], ], 707, 715, ], 1115, 1134, 1137, ], and ], was a threat to U.S. security, destabilized the ], inflamed the ], and financed various terrorist organizations. ] 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.<!--Reference no longer online--><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.htm
| title = Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs
| accessdate =
| year = 2002
| month = October
| publisher = ]
}}</ref>] Lieutenant Ryan Philips, in the flight suit he wore for his televised arrival and speech aboard the ] in 2003.]]

Bush urged the United Nations to enforce Iraqi ] mandates, precipitating a ]. On ] ], under ], Hans Blix and ] led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. There was controversy over the efficacy of inspections and lapses in Iraqi compliance. UN inspection teams departed Iraq upon U.S. advisement given four days prior to the U.S. invasion, despite their requests for more time to complete their tasks.<ref>{{cite news
|author = Associated Press
|url = http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-17-inspectors-iraq_x.htm
|title = U.S advises weapons inspectors to leave Iraq
|publisher = USA Today
|date = 2003-03-17
|accessdate = 2006-06-30 }}</ref> The U.S. initially sought a ] resolution authorizing the use of military force pursuant to Chapter VII of the ].<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.worldpress.org/specials/iraq/chapterVII.htm
| title = Enforcement Measures under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
| accessdate = 2006-06-30
| author = United Nations
| date = 2003-02-13
| work = ]
| publisher = United Nations}}</ref> Upon facing vigorous opposition from several nations (primarily ] and ]), however, the U.S. dropped the bid for UN approval and began to prepare for war; Benjamin Ferenccz, a former chief prosecutor of the ] argued that for these actions Bush, with his Administration, could be prosecuted for ]s;<ref>{{cite news
| author =
| url = http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/38604/
| title = Could Bush Be Prosecuted for War Crimes?
| publisher = ]
| date = 2006-07-10
|accessdate = 2006-07-10
}}</ref>. ], ], as well as leaders of several nations made similar statements, implying that the attack constitutes a war crime.<ref>{{cite news
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3661134.stm
|title = Iraq war illegal, says Annan
|publisher = BBC
|date = 2004-09-16
|accessdate = 2006-07-11
}}</ref> The war effort was joined by more than 20 other nations (most notably the ]) who were designated the "]".<ref>{{cite news
|first = Steve
|last = Schifferes
|url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2862343.stm
|title = US names 'coalition of the willing'
|publisher = BBC
|date = 2003-03-18
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref>

Military hostilities commenced on ], ], ostensibly to pre-empt Iraqi WMD deployment and remove Saddam from power, and ended on ], ] when U.S. forces took control of ]. The success of U.S. operations increased Bush's popularity, but the U.S. forces would be challenged by public disorder, as well as increasing insurgency led by pro-Saddam and Islamist groups. The Bush Administration was assailed in subsequent months following the report of the ], which apart from a few stockpiles, did not find the large quantities of weapons that the regime was believed to possess. The ] report concluded that Saddam's government was actively attempting to acquire technology that would allow Iraq to produce WMD as soon as U.N. sanctions were lifted.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf
| title = The 9/11 Commission Report
| accessdate = 2006-06-30
| author =]
| format = PDF
| pages = 585
}}</ref> The Commission found no credible evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed stockpiles of WMD. On ], ], while discussing the WMD issue, Bush stated that "It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong."<ref>{{cite news
|author = Times Online
|coauthors = agencies
|url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1930698,00.html
|title = Bush: we went to war on faulty intelligence
|publisher = ]
|date = 2005-12-14
|accessdate = 2006-06-30
}}</ref> Bush would nevertheless remain unwavering when asked if the war had been worth it, or whether he would have made the same decision if he had known more. U.S. efforts in Iraq would become the centrepiece of Bush's expressed vision to promote democracy as a means to discourage and defeat terrorists, by removing radical regimes and fostering social and economic development.

==Campaign for re-election==
]
{{main|United States presidential election, 2004}}
Bush commanded strong support in the Republican Party and did not encounter a primary challenge. He appointed ] as campaign manager, and the campaign political strategy was devised by Karl Rove. Bush outlined a 2004 agenda that included a strong commitment in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a renewal of the USA Patriot Act, making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, cutting the budget deficit in half, promoting education, tort reform, social security and national tax reform. Bush emphasized his ] by arguing for the Federal Marriage Amendment. In most of his speeches, Bush also strongly stressed a vision and commitment for spreading ] and democracy across the world.

Building a strong treasury of funds, the campaign began running television and radio advertisement campaigns across the nation against Democratic candidates as well as Bush's emerging opponent, ] Senator ]. Kerry and Democrats attacked Bush on the USA Patriot Act and for allegedly failing to stimulate the economy and job growth, as well as controversies surrounding Bush's service in the National Guard. Bush emphasized his leadership in war and national security challenges, evoking the patriotism and passion aroused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Bush campaign portrayed Kerry as a staunch ] who would raise taxes and increase government control and attacked him for his opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. The Bush campaign continuously criticized Kerry's allegedly contradictory statements on the war in Iraq, and claimed Kerry lacked decisiveness and a vision for success in the war on terrorism. Popular conservative politicians like Rudy Guiliani, John McCain, ], and ] ] campaigned actively for Bush, who travelled across the country delivering speeches at three to four different locations on most days. The campaign organized a large group of volunteers and focused its efforts on ]s such as ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Bush carried 31 of 50 states for 286 ] votes and collected the most popular votes ever (62,040,610 votes/50.7%), thanks to the highest voter turnout since 1968. This was the first time since 1988 that a President had received a popular majority and was the smallest margin of victory for a re-elected president in American history.

==Administration and Cabinet==
{| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="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"|
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left" |'''George W. Bush'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;
|-
!bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"|
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2002
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2003&ndash;2006
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2006&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2006
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2006&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align=";left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|- |-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash; |align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-leaders such as ], ], ], ], ], and ], as well as good raport with ] and ]. Here, as well, tensions have arisen, such as the cooling of the relationship between Bush and Putin. Privately, Bush has expressed regret at the effusiveness he displayed after his first meeting with Putin. “I looked |SHORT DESCRIPTION=43rd ]
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2003
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2004&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2006
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2001&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2003&ndash;2005
|-
|align="left"|&nbsp;||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|2005&ndash;
|-
|}
].]]
<br clear="all">

=== Supreme Court nominations and appointments ===
Bush nominated the following people to the ]:

*''']''' &ndash; 2005, was first nominated for Associate Justice replacing ]; after the death of Chief Justice ], Bush nominated him for the position of Chief Justice. Confirmed: 78-22
*''']''' &ndash; 2005, was nominated upon the elevation of ] as the Chief Justice. Her nomination was later withdrawn.
*''']''' &ndash; 2005, nominated upon the withdrawal of ]. Confirmed: 58-42

=== Fed appointment ===
On ], ], Bush nominated ] to succeed ] as Chairman of the ]. The Senate Banking Committee recommended Bernanke's confirmation by a 13-1 ] on ], ]. With the full Senate's approval on ], ] by another voice vote, Bernanke was sworn in on ], ].

==Second term==
{{main|George W. Bush's second term as President of the United States}}
], ] by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, watched on by ] Laura Bush and their daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush, as well as Senate Majority Leader ] and Speaker of the House ].]]
Bush was ] for his second term on ], ]. The ] was administered by ] ]. Bush's inaugural address centered mainly on a theme of spreading freedom and democracy around the world:

''We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world...The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it....From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?''

For his second term, Bush assembled what is regarded as one of the most diverse U.S. cabinets in history, with the appointments of the first Hispanic American U.S. Attorney General and Commerce Secretary, as well as making ] the first ] woman to head the U.S. State Department. Bush retained Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, whose dismissal had been demanded by many in the U.S. Congress. During a visit to the ] on ], ], there was an attempt to assassinate Bush by ], whose live grenade failed to detonate after hitting a girl and landing in the large crowd 18.6 meters (61 feet) from the podium where he was delivering a speech. In 2006, Bush would replace long-time chief of staff Andrew Card with ] and undertake major staff and cabinet changes to re-vitalize his Administration.

===Domestic agenda===
].]]

President Bush began his second term by outlining a major initiative to reform Social Security, which was facing record deficit projections beginning in 2015. Bush made it the centerpiece of his agenda despite contrary beliefs in the media and in the U.S. Congress, which saw the program as the "fifth rail of politics," with the American public being suspicious of any attempt to change it. It was also widely believed to be the province of the Democratic Party, with Republicans in the past having been accused of efforts to dismantle or privatize it. In his 2005 State of the Union Address, Bush discussed the allegedly impending bankruptcy of the program and attacked political inertia against reform. He proposed options to permit Americans to divert a portion of their Social Security tax (FICA) into secured investments, creating a "nest egg" that he claimed would enjoy steady growth. Despite emphasizing safeguards and remaining open to other plans, Bush's proposal was criticized for its high cost, and Democrats attacked it as an effort to partially privatize the system, and for leaving Americans open to the whim of the market. Bush embarked on a 60-day national tour, campaigning vigorously for his initiative in media events ("Conversations on Social Security") in an unsuccessful attempt to gain support from the general public. Bush failed to convince the public that the Social Security program was in crisis, and he failed to generate political momentum for his inititiative in face of rising criticism of the plan, and concerns over the Iraq War and the budget deficit.

In 2006, Bush shifted focus to re-emphasize immediate and comprehensive immigration reform. Going beyond calls from Republicans and conservatives to secure the border, Bush demanded that Congress create a "temporary guest-worker program" to allow more than 12 million ] to obtain legal status. Bush continues to argue that the lack of legal status denies the protections of U.S. laws to millions of people who face dangers of poverty and exploitation, and penalizes employers despite a demand for immigrant labor. On ], ], Bush proposed expanding "Basic Pilot," an online system to allow employers to easily confirm the eligibility of new hires; creating a new identification card for all foreign workers; and increasing penalties for businesses that violate immigration laws. Bush urged Congress to provide additional funding for border security, and deployed 6,000 ] troops to the ].<ref>, ], ], ]</ref>

On ], ], Bush created the 75th, and largest, ] in US history and the largest ] in the world with the formation of the ].<ref>, Office of the Press Secretary, ] ], ].</ref>

On ], ], Bush used the first ] of his presidency against the ]. The ] would have granted federal funding to scientists engaging in ] derived from discarded human ]. The bill would have overridden the president's policy of only allowing federal funding of research on 21 ] lines that existed prior to ].

In 2005-06, Bush emphasized the need for comprehensive energy reform and proposed increased funding for research and development of renewable sources of energy such as ], ], ] and ]. Bush has proposed the ] which seeks to support increasing competitiveness of the U.S. economy, with greater development of advanced technologies, as well as greater education and support for American students.

Bush appointed First Lady Laura Bush to oversee an initiative to improve opportunities and education for inner-city boys.<ref>Norris, Michele. , ], ]-]. Retrieved on ]-].</ref>

On ], ], in response to a question about allowing ] in public schools, Bush answered, "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." The National Academy of Sciences and the established scientific community regard this a political decision, and point out that ] is a reframing of ] and is religion, not science.

On ], ], a court in ] decided that an official national programme of watching telephones and e-mails needs the decision of a judge.

===Foreign policy===
] with British Prime Minister ] to attend a press conference in the ] in 2006 discussing the Mideast Crisis between Israel and Lebanon.]]
] and ]'s Prime Minister ] stand in front of the ] archaeological ruins ], ].]]
Bush began his second term with an emphasis on improving strained relations with ]an nations. He appointed long-time advisor Karen Hughes to oversee a global public relations campaign to improve the image of the U.S. and significantly increased development aid to countries with a focus on encouraging democracy and ]. Bush strongly lauded the pro-democracy struggles in Georgia and ], and the election of ] as president of the ]. He led international pressure against ] to withdraw troops from ]. During Bush's visit to ], the U.S. formally restored diplomacy by creating a strategic partnership on economic and nuclear issues. Bilateral relations with Germany and Canada have also improved following the election of conservative governments there.

Major progress was achieved in Iraq immediately following Bush's re-election, with large turnouts during elections in January and December 2005, as well as in a referendum to approve a constitution. Since then, however, the fighting in Iraq has escalated, and the country is on the brink of, if not already in, civil war. Bush's leadership against global terrorism and in the war in Iraq has met increasing criticism, with increasing demands within the U.S. to set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq. Sectarian violence and political deadlock in Iraq has increased negative impressions of Bush's leadership and the situation in Iraq, which has led to the deaths of more than 2,500 U.S. soldiers. Allegations of abuse by U.S. troops have accompanied calls from European leaders to shut down detention centers in ]. Bush has firmly defended his policies and progress in Iraq. He paid a surprise visit to Iraq following the death of terrorist leader ] and the appointment of a new government.

==Criticism and public perception==
{{main|Public perception and assessments of George W. Bush}}
]
]s from February 2001 to July 2006. Large increases in approval followed the September 11 attacks and the beginning of the 2003 Iraq conflict. These numbers have since steadily decreased.]]
'']'' magazine named George W. Bush as its ] for 2000<ref>, ] Magazine.</ref> and for 2004<ref>, ] Magazine</ref>. Bush began his presidency with ]s near 50%.<ref name=ApprovalRatingsOverTime>, Roper Center:Presidential Job Performance</ref> In the time of national crisis following the September 11 attacks, Bush enjoyed approval ratings of greater than 85%, maintaining 80&ndash;90% approval for four months after the attacks. Since then, his approval ratings and approval of handling of domestic, and foreign policy issues have steadily dropped for many reasons. Polls conducted in early 2006 showed an average of around 40% for Bush, up slightly from the previous September, but still historically low from a President coming off of his ], which generally provides a boost. As of ], ], an average of major polls indicated that Bush's approval rating stood at 36.8%.<ref></ref>

At the beginning of his first term, Bush was portrayed as lacking legitimacy, because he lost the popular vote. Although working with Democrats such as ] and ] on major legislation, Bush has been criticized for squandering opportunities for uniting Americans across party lines. While routinely criticized by Democrats, Bush has also divided Republicans, American celebrities, sports and media personalities, many of whom have engaged in heated criticism of Bush. Activist and filmmaker ]'s 2004 documentary '']'' accused Bush of using public sentiments following 9/11 for political purposes and lying about the cause for war in Iraq. Apart from Russia, some countries in Eastern Europe and Israel, people across the world have negative views on Bush, who has been targeted by the global anti-war and anti-globalization campaigns, and criticized for his foreign policy. Bush's policies have also been subject of heated criticism in the 2002 elections in Germany<ref>{{cite journal| title= Die außenpolitischen Positionen der Parteien im Bundestagswahlkampf 2002 |year=2002|author= M. Overhaus, S. Schieder| journal= Politik im Netz| volume 3| url= http://www.deutsche-aussenpolitik.de/daparchive/dateien/2002/01300.pdf}}</ref> and the 2006 elections in Canada.<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/realitycheck/americans.html</ref> Bush has been openly condemned by centrist and liberal politicians such as ], ], ], ] and ]. Diplomatic visits made by Bush have been characterized by both small-scale and significant protests.

Bush has enjoyed strong support among Republicans and Americans holding conservative and pro-military views, and for the 2004 elections, 95-98% of the Republican electorate approved of and voted for Bush, a figure exceeding the approval of ]. This support has waned, however, and even Republicans have begun criticizing Bush on his policies in Iraq, Iran and the Palestinian territories. Bush has also enjoyed strong personal and working relationships with foreign leaders such as ], ], ], ], ], and ], as well as good raport with ] and ]. Here, as well, tensions have arisen, such as the cooling of the relationship between Bush and Putin. Privately, Bush has expressed regret at the effusiveness he displayed after his first meeting with Putin. “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy...I was able to get a sense of his soul.”<ref> San Diego Union Tribune July 21, 2006</ref>.

There are some people, like Benjamin Ferenccz, a chief prosecutor at the ] who hold the view that Bush should be tried for war crimes along with Saddam Hussein for starting "aggressive" wars. They argue that the US-led invasion was not a war to defend against an imminent threat, that it was rather a war of aggression, and therefore under the ] it constitutes the supreme international crime from which all other war crimes follow. (OneWorld.net, August 25, 2006, free archived version available at http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0825-06.htm last visited 8/25/2006). Other experts have also regarded the Bush Administration's decision to invade Iraq as the supreme international crime, a crime against the peace: "There was no authorization from the U.N. Security Council ... and that made it a crime against the peace," said Francis Boyle, professor of international law, who also said the U.S. Army's field manual required such authorization for an offensive war (The Seatlle Times, Aug. 18, 2006, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003207442_watada18m.html).
One expert at Human Rights Watch, Robert Dicker, stated that he was upset with United States lack of participation in the Civil Rights community after Bush expressed discontent with a war tribunal in 2003. <ref>http://foi.missouri.edu/icc/wartribunal.html</ref> However, no official actions have taken place.

==Legislation and programs==
===Major legislation signed===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;2001
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
{{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
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (CAN-SPAM)
{{col-2}}
;2004
:*]: ] (Laci and Conner’s Law)
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
;2005
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ] Implementation Act
:*]: ]
:*]: ] (SAFETEA)
:*]: ]
;2006
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
:*]: ]
{{col-end}}

===Major legislation vetoed===
;2006
:*]: ]

==See also==
{{GWB}}

== References ==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>

==External links==
{{Sisterlinks|George W. Bush}}

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;Speeches: audio and transcripts
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{{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 W. Bush's speech on September 12, 2001 about the attacks|description=|format=]}}
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{{USpresidents}}
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{{War on Terrorism}}
</div>

{{Persondata
|NAME=Bush, George Walker
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Bush, George, Jr.; Bush Jr.
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=43rd ]
|DATE OF BIRTH=], ] |DATE OF BIRTH=], ]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=], Connecticut |PLACE OF BIRTH=], Connecticut
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Revision as of 19:57, 1 September 2006

By his own characterization, Bush was an average student.<ref>{{cite news 

|author = Associated Press
|url = http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,25229,00.html
|title = Self-Deprecating Bush Talks to Yale Grads
|publisher = FOXNews.com
|date = 2001-05-21
|accessdate = Congressional District of Texas]]. Facing Kent Hance of the Democratic Party, Bush stressed his energy credentials and conservative values in the campaign. Hance, however, also held many conservative views, opposing gun control and strict regulation; he portrayed Bush as being out of touch with rural Texans. Bush campaigned hard and was an effective fundraiser, but lost by 6,000 votes. Hance later became a Republican and donated money to Bush's campaign for Governor of Texas in 1993.<ref name= NewsMine>{{cite news 
|url = http://newsmine.org/archive/cabal-elite/w-administration/w-bush/bush-loses-congress-election-1978-texas.txt"moral leadership". His campaign focused on issues such as education (seeking  United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] stopped the statewide hand recount. The machine recount showed that Bush had won the Florida vote, giving him 271 electoral votes to Gore's 266; Bush carried 30 of the 50 states.<ref>"2000 OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS". Retrieved 2006-06-requested less in annual budgets, though some members of Congress have added amendments to increase the requested amounts. The emergency relief effort is led by U.S. Ambassador Randall L. Tobias, former CEO of Eli Lilly and Global AIDS Coordinator at the Department of State. At the time of the speech, $9 billion was earmarked for new programs in AIDS relief for the 15 countries most affected by HIV/AIDS, another $5 billion for continuing support of AIDS relief in 100 countries where the U.S. already has bilateral programs established, and an additional $1 ". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |2=, |6=, and |8= (help); Text " " ignored (help); Text "Margaret Spellings" ignored (help); Text "Roderick Paige" ignored (help); Text "-" ignored (help); Text "-leaders such as Tony Blair, John Howard, Junichiro Koizumi, Angela Merkel, Stephen Harper, and Ehud Olmert, as well as good raport with Vladimir Putin and Vicente Fox. Here, as well, tensions have arisen, such as the cooling of the relationship between Bush and Putin.  Privately, Bush has expressed regret at the effusiveness he displayed after his first meeting with Putin. “I looked" ignored (help); Text "2001–2005" ignored (help); Text "2005–" ignored (help)

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