Document Type
Article
Keywords
George W. Bush; Barrack Obama; national service policy
Publisher
Nova Publishers
Publication Source
White House Studies
Rights Management
©2009 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Abstract
As candidates, both Barack Obama and John McCain criticized George W. Bush’s failure to call for sacrifice and service from the American people in the wake of 9/11. However, criticizing the mistakes of a past president is not the same as learning from them. Obama has referred to service as the “cause of my presidency.” If Obama is indeed committed to following through on this campaign rhetoric, what lessons can he learn from Bush’s experiences? This essay offers an analysis of Bush’s adventures in national service policy and, in particular, his failures of presidential leadership in this arena. Its purpose is to identify and elucidate five lessons derived from these experiences that will help President Obama better navigate this policy issue.
Comments
Published by Nova Publishers in White House Studies Volume 9, Issue 1, pages 67-83.