George W. Bush: A Modern Day Leader
George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, to George and Barbara Bush. He grew up in Connecticut and was a student at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, when his family moved to Midland, Texas. From there, he attended Yale and Harvard before settling in Midland and working in the oil business. He then moved to Houston to pursue a career in baseball and became managing partner of the Texas Rangers. After being elected governor of Texas in 1994, Bush ran for president in 2000 and won.
During his two terms as President of the United States from 2001 to 2009, Bush kept taxes low, instituted a faith-based initiative providing government money for religious charities, and supported the No Child Left Behind education initiative. He also pushed for an 850 billion dollar deficit reduction package, initiated the War on Terror, and spearheaded the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. His international policies included trips to the Middle East in hopes of achieving peace, as well as visits to Mexico and South America to promote trade.
Despite receiving criticism for his foreign policy decisions and their perceived costs to the United States, Bush has been praised for his role as a compassionate conservative. In keeping with this philosophy, he implemented a program to ease the passage of immigrants to the United States, granting employment visas to immigrants and signing legislation granting legal status to undocumented workers. His greatest legacy, however, may be the Affordable Care Act, because it provides health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.
No matter where one stands on President George W. Bush’s policies, it is undeniable that he was a leader and exhibited qualities of strength and steadfastness during his two terms in office. He persevered in the face of criticism, adversity, and both personal and public losses. As a leader, Bush always strove for progress, and his achievements will surely be remembered for years to come.
