The Presidency of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment, ed. Julian E. Zelizer

Instant history, as the editor and authors of this fine book note, is always tenuous and problematic. In spite of today’s information revolution, there remains so much that is at this time unknown, so many memoirs yet to be written, presidential papers yet to be combed through, archival materials to be examined, oral histories to be recorded, and, perhaps most importantly, long-term consequences of policy yet to be determined, that we will not unfold the mysteries of the Bush presidency until years to come. Normally, it takes anywhere from one to two decades before the passions and emotions recede, and cold analysis and evaluation can take place. And with the presidency of George W. Bush, emotions still run high. He was a controversial, yet consequential, President who mattered.

Yet, in spite of these obvious and important drawbacks, the hunger for judgment and understanding looms irresistible. This is especially true of the Presidents who mattered most, the consequential Presidents who were agents of change. And love him or loathe him, for better or for worse, George W. Bush was just such a President.

Preliminary though these assessments may be, they serve as an important framing of the key concerns surrounding the presidency of George W. Bush. Many of the focal points of these chapters will remain the basis for judging the Bush presidency in future years.