The Bush Legacy: The Nation's First Scholarly Assessment of the Bush Presidency November 14, 2008

A month before the next president of the United States is sworn into office, scholars from all over the country will gather in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for their first assessment of the George W. Bush presidency.

George W. Bush became president under some of the most unusual circumstances in U.S. history, with the legitimacy of his claim to victory a matter of strong public debate. In spite of the highly contested election that brought him to power, Bush came into office with assertiveness and resolve, surprising many of his critics with a successful early push for tax reduction and other domestic initiatives. However, the shattering events of September 11, 2001, forced the Bush administration to refocus its agenda. The "War on Terror" and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have dominated the foreign policy agenda and have embroiled the administration in numerous controversies. Government spending and fiscal policy, immigration and environmental regulations, education and health care reforms, roles for religion in government and science in public life, disaster relief, and civil liberties have all been subjects of considerable contention during President Bush's tenure.

During his two terms in office, President Bush has earned historic highs and lows in the Gallup poll's public approval ratings, ranging from 90- to 28-percent. Now, on November 13th and 14th, leading scholars will weigh in with their early assessment.

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Schedule:

Thursday, November 13, 2008
7:00 PM: Keynote Address by Rufus Fears at the Gerald R. Ford Museum Auditorium

Friday, November 14, 2008
All Friday presentations will take place in Grand Valley's Loosemore Auditorium.

7:00 AM: Complimentary Breakfast
8:00 AM: Keynote Address by John Burke on "The Evolution of the Bush Presidency"
9:15 AM: Break
9:30 AM: Panel 1: "Presidential Powers and the Bush Presidency"
Louis Fisher on "Bush and the War Power"
Dale Herspring on "Bush as Commander-in-Chief"
Mitch Sollenberger on "Executive Privelege: Bush and Presidential Secrecy"
10:45 AM: Break
11:00 AM: Panel II: "The Bush Administration: Process and Policies"
Andrew Busch on "The Domestic Policy Agenda"
Brian Flanagan on "Truman v. Bush: An Institutional Legacy"
Charles E. Walcott on "The Bush Staff and Cabinet System"
12:15 PM: Brown Bag Luncheon Address with Kasey Pipes
1:45 PM: Break
2:00 PM: Panel III: "Presidential Powers and the Bush Legacy"
Thomas Moylan Keck on "The Biggest Legacy? Bush's Federal Court Appointments"
Michael Nelson on "Vice-Presidential Power: The Unique Role of Richard Cheney"
Gleaves Whitney
3:15 PM: Concluding Remarks

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Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of HauensteinCenter.