George W. Bush, Presidential Party Leadership Extraordinaire?

Harold F. Bass, Ouachita Baptist University

Abstract

The 2004 elections positioned George W. Bush to advance into the forefront among presidents as party leaders. For his first term, Bush merits well above-average marks in this realm. Now that the 2004 votes have been counted, Bush is poised to become the standard-setter; but he faces formidable obstacles. This essay will initially propose a comparative framework for analyzing and evaluating presidential party leadership. Next, it will employ that framework in briefly reviewing developments in Bush’s first presidential term. Then, it will consider his prospects for party leadership in his second term, in light of the 2004 elections.

Recommended Citation

Bass, Harold F. (2004) "George W. Bush, Presidential Party Leadership Extraordinaire?," The Forum: Vol. 2 : Iss. 4, Article 6.
DOI: 10.2202/1540-8884.1061
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/forum/vol2/iss4/art6

 
 
 
 

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