Guest lecture on the Bush Presidency

The Bush Presidency: Policy Success but Implementation Failure

by James Pfiffner

George Mason University, School of Public Policy, Virginia

President George W. Bush achieved impressive political victories over the past six years, but many of his political victories have not led to long-term policy successes because of failures of planning and implementation.

Professor Pfiffner will present an overview of the highlights of the Bush presidency from the perspective of politics and implementation. These highlights include: the tax cuts, the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, his reelection in 2004, Hurricane Katrina, the torture issue, and the use of intelligence.

James P. Pfiffner is currently the S.T. Lee Professorial Fellow at the School of Advanced Study at the University of London where he is writing a book on constraining executive power. In July 2007, he will return to George Mason University as University Professor in the School of Public Policy. His major areas of expertise are the U.S. Presidency, American National Government, and public management, and he has written or edited ten books on the presidency and American National Government.