Faculty Publications

Bush And The Faith-Based Initiative: Forgoing The Role Of Chief Legislator

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

The George W. Bush Presidency. Volume I: The Constitution, Politics, and Policymaking

First Page

87

Last Page

100

Abstract

We examine the case of President George W. Bush’s faith-based initiatives through the lens of a president’s legislative powers, in particular his ability to recommend measures to Congress (and by extension the public). By examining both the frequency and intensity of presidential rhetoric related to this signature Bush initiative, we gain insight into how he viewed his policymaking role, as well as how he connected his accomplishments to his re-election campaign and eventual legacy. We find that Bush did not take full advantage of his rhetorical tools in the area of faith-based initiatives. While he talked about his initiative in major, as well as minor addresses and treated them as central to how he would define his presidency domestically, we find that he did not extensively “sell” his faith-based initiative in his rhetoric. This resulted in an approach that was less rhetorical in nature and more executive centered.

Department

Department of Political Science

Original Publication Date

1-1-2016

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Language

en

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