George W. Bush (43 )

Al Gore (D)
The 2000 Race
Ralph Nader (G)

2000 Election
• 2000 election results

Florida 2000
• 537 votes
• Legal Documents

Bush Background
Senator Prescott Bush Pres. GHW Bush
(with Ike)

His Administration
• Foreign Affairs advisers: Bush II
• Domestic Policy advisers: W I
• Policies: Reagan III
But: “Compassionate Conservatism”
No Child Left Behind

Post-Modern Presidency?
• 1789-1933: Pre-Modern
• 1933-1989: Modern or Crisis Presidency
• 1989: End of the Crisis Presidency
• Post-Modern?
– Bush-Clinton-Bush
– Weak executive
– Madisonian model
– “Governor of the USA”

Return to Crisis Presidency
9/11/01

Pentagon

Post-September 11
• New Crisis Presidency
• Return to Modern Presidency
• Bush Address to Congress 9/20/01

Unitary Executive Theory
• Executive Power
• National Security
• Theme in Republican Presidencies
– Nixon - Impoundment
– Nixon - Watergate
– Reagan – Iran-Contra

Bush and Presidential Power:
New Imperial Presidency?
1. Office of Homeland Security
2. Congress rolls over
1.
AUMF 9/18/01
2.
Iraq Resolution of 2002 , 9/16/02
3. Terrorist Surveillance Program (2001)
4. Detainees: Military Order of 11/13/01

Bush and Presidential Power:
Checks and Balances
1. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS)
2. But Bush asks for authority
1.
AUMF 9/18/01
2.
Iraq Resolution of 2002 , 9/16/02
3.
Protect America Act 2007 and FISA
Amendments Act 2008
4.
Military Commissions Act , 2006 and
Military Commission Act 2009

5. Signing Statements
Standard US Governmental Process
Congress introduces bill negotiation begins Exec-Leg agreement
Pres
Introduces bill Exec-Leg disagreement
Bill becomes law
Congress passes bill
Pres vetoes
Congress overrides

Standard Process with Signing Statement
Congress introduces bill negotiation begins
Pres
Introduces bill
Exec-Leg agreement
Exec-Leg disagreement
P. implements his version of law
Bill becomes law
Pres. signs bill anyway;
Adds interpretation in signing statement

The Language in the Bush 43
Signing Statements
“The executive branch shall construe {reference to the bill} in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the
President to supervise the unitary executive branch.”

Executive Orders
By President
• Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation 9/22/62
• FDR’s Orders 1937
• Carter creates FEMA 7/20/79
• Bush creates HSC and OHS 10/8/01
• Bush Military Order on Unlawful Enemy
Combatants 11/13/01
• Obama Executive Order on Immigration
11/20/14

The Current Battle
House Lawsuit against Obama Actions on
Affordable Care Act
• The Resolution Authorizing the Lawsuit
• New York Times
• Wall Street Journal

Bush 43: The Slide
• Iraq
• Hurricane Katrina
• The Great Recession

Hurricane Katrina

US public opinion turns against the war
Source: Scott Keeter, Trends in Public Opinion about the War in Iraq, 2003-2007, March 2007: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/431/trends-inpublic-opinion-about-the-war-in-iraq-2003-2007

The Great Recession

Bush Public Approval