High Risk and Big Ambition: The Presidency of George W. Bush

by Steven E. Schier

Elected with no clear public mandate, George W. Bush achieved surprising legislative successes in his early months in the White House. Following September 11, 2001, his public support rose to unprecedented heights. Actions taken in the following months and years have revealed the exceptionally ambitious nature of the Bush presidency. High Risk and Big Ambition brings together leading presidency scholars and journalists to assess the trajectory and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822958503
• ISBN13: 9780822958505
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Getting beyond the pundit rhetoric

I found this book to be an extremely useful and enjoyable read. Unlike many of the other books on the Bush presidency, this collection of essays gets beyond the pundit rhetoric to provide solid, nonpartisan, academic-quality insight. Regardless of how you view the administration, we must admit that Bush has proven amazingly influential, and this book analyzes that influence from a variety of viewpoints. Most important, however, is the inside look it gives on the motivations, tactics, and strategies (or "strategeries") of the Bush Whitehouse, knowledge very useful when attempting to analyze his second term. And don't miss Nicol C. Rae's essay on Bush in historical context, or Bertram Johnson's essay on Bush's congressional policy strategy--two great examples of the kind of scholarly commentary you won't find outside of most political science departments, but will find in Schier's book. All in all, this is a must-read if you want true understanding of the Bush presidency.

Very valuable

Schier's latest book provides an insightful and useful analysis of the presidency of George W. Bush. This collection of academic essays gives the reader a valuable understanding of Bush as a leader and the transformation his presidency underwent following 9/11. While this work stands alone as a helpful analysis of Bush's leadership in a historical context, it is also extremely relevant to understanding the Bush Administration in its second term. The Bush presidency is unusually consequential, and Schier's book explains why. Bush has pursued remarkably ambitious goals to transform America's foreign policy and complete the conservative agenda set in motion by Ronald Reagan. This is a must read for any student of political science, and it is understandable to any interested reader.