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Have we been too hard on George W. Bush?
Drawing in part from a raft of newly available archival records, noted historian John Robert Greene has taken perhaps the most complete account to date of our 43rd president’s eight years in office. And he argues that scholars and other historians have too hastily judged it a complete failure.
Greene, a professor at Cazenovia (New York) College and the author of 20 books, lays out his case in a discussion of his new book The Presidency of George W. Bush. Yes, Bush’s term in the White House saw military embroilment in Iraq and Afghanistan, a lackluster response to Hurricane Katrina, and the housing market crash and subsequent Great Recession. But it was not without achievement.
Bush implemented the No Child Left Behind education initiative, strengthened and expanded Medicare, and did more to combat the worldwide scourge of AIDS, particularly in Africa, than any other president. His record calls for a more balanced assessment of his administration, Greene says.
Greene is the Paul J. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities at Cazenovia College, where he has taught for 42 years. He is chair of the school’s Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and director of the history program. Among his previous books are I Like Ike: The Presidential Election of 1952, The Presidency of George H.W. Bush, Betty Ford: Candor and Courage in the White House, and The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford.
Drawing in part from a raft of newly available archival records, noted historian John Robert Greene has taken perhaps the most complete account to date of our 43rd president’s eight years in office. And he argues that scholars and other historians have too hastily judged it a complete failure.
Greene, a professor at Cazenovia (New York) College and the author of 20 books, lays out his case in a discussion of his new book The Presidency of George W. Bush. Yes, Bush’s term in the White House saw military embroilment in Iraq and Afghanistan, a lackluster response to Hurricane Katrina, and the housing market crash and subsequent Great Recession. But it was not without achievement.
Bush implemented the No Child Left Behind education initiative, strengthened and expanded Medicare, and did more to combat the worldwide scourge of AIDS, particularly in Africa, than any other president. His record calls for a more balanced assessment of his administration, Greene says.
Greene is the Paul J. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities at Cazenovia College, where he has taught for 42 years. He is chair of the school’s Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and director of the history program. Among his previous books are I Like Ike: The Presidential Election of 1952, The Presidency of George H.W. Bush, Betty Ford: Candor and Courage in the White House, and The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford.
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The Presidency of George W. Bush
