Introduction (article, pp. 1-24), in Nelson & Perry, ed., 41: Inside the Presidency of George H. W. Bush, “History and George Bush”
Essay: In a well-developed essay , provide a thoughtful analysis of President Bush’s inaugural address. In the course of your analysis answer the following question: Was Bush’s address a rejection--or a continuation of --the politics of the Reagan years (1980s)?
Use the sources above (required), and other research (optional), as evidence and discussion for the essay. Follow the guidelines of “Acceptable Library & Online Sources” shown in the syllabus.
Answer:
Having been a vice president to President Ronald Reagan, it is worth to compare and contrast the public address of the two presidents and their accomplishments as well. Given the fact that the two were Republicans and that they vied their way to the White House together, this paper seeks to establish the extent of the similarities and differences of their eras. A careful analysis of Ronald Reagan’s speeches and the inaugural speech of President Bush is done to establish the conclusions arrived at. The policies adopted by the two presidents
both locally and in the international arena are also discussed. The policies championed by President Reagan are highlighted and then their continuation or discontinuation is explored. The fact that the two presidents served during different periods that had different political, social and economic developments both locally and internationally could have prompted President Bush to develop different policies from his predecessor.
“President Bush was more friendly to communist countries that President Reagan”1. President Bush lifted the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972 in a bid to supplement the economic growth of the United States by enhancing promotion with the Soviet countries. President Reagan, on the other hand, was strict on the relations of the United States and the Soviet nations. “The words of Ronald Reagan proved that he was committed to bringing communism to an end”2. This could be attributed to the fact the ideological differences between the capitalist and the nationalist countries was most severe during Reagan’ era. President Reagan termed capitalism as democracy and condemned communist countries for social oppression. On his inaugural day, President Bush confirmed his commitment to promoting democracy saying that it is the foundation of social and economic prosperity.
“President Bush continued with most of President Reagan’s fiscal policies. Both presidents advocated for more cooperation between the Executive and the Congress when it came to passing a balanced budget”3. Both presidents urged elected members of the Congress to set their political and personal differences aside when allocating budgets to sectors that would benefit all Americans. The two noticed that the process of providing the citizens with services that required budgetary allocations was quite tedious and they needed to be sped up in order to serve the people of America better. President Reagan channeled a lot of efforts to encourage economic growth of America through policies such as balanced budgetary allocations and tax cuts that were aimed at promoting economic growth and development.
President Reagan pulled the local governments closer to the federal government more than President Bush. “President Reagan always commended local governments on the positive steps that they made in their respective states and was open oi criticism from local governments”4. President Bush, on the other hand, was unable to hold most of the states together and this can explain the reason why he failed to retain his position as president of the United States. President Reagan was more oratory than George Bush and naturally, he had more convincing power and this could have made work easier for him during his term. The ousting of President Bush by President Clinton can be explained using other political factors and cannot be termed as a failure. Oratory could have been the main challenge President faced during his regime given that the social and the political problems that the United States of the time required a president to keep reassuring the citizens that enough was being done.
In conclusion, the politics of Ronald Reagan definitely influenced the policies that President Bush adopted given that he (Bush) had served under Reagan. The two presidents had gotten into the White House together and they were both Republicans; this could explain the close relationship between the two eras. President Bush also championed for a number of different policies than Reagan such as the reduced restrictions to Soviet Nations such as the withdrawal of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972. The fact that Ronald Reagan had a lot of influence on the American voters could have made Bush adopt most of his (Reagan’s) policies regarding domestic and international affairs, such as the fiscal policies adopted by Reagan appealed to most Americans.
Reference:
Brady, David W. Revolving Gridlock: Politics and Policy from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush. Routledge, 2018.
Hill, Dilys M., and Phil Williams, eds. The Bush Presidency: Triumphs and Adversities. Springer, 2016.
McKay, David. American politics and society. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
Mervin, David. George Bush and the guardianship presidency. Springer, 2016.
Sununu, John H., and Qarie Marshall. The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George HW Bush. Dreamscape Media, 2015.
Zinman, Donald A. The Heir Apparent Presidency. University Press of Kansas, 2016.
