With the end of the Bush presidency, an audit of its accomplishments and effects is now possible and one cluster of questions we can begin to ask is: how has the relationship between the federal government and the states developed in the period Most Republican presidents and other political actors of the recent past have been keen to roll back the responsibilities and functions of the federal government. To what extent was this the focus of the Bush presidency?
At the outset of his presidency in 2001, it might have been expected that George W. Bush would conform to the standard model of Republican presidents, but it was remarked that there was no specific reference to federalism in his 2001 inauguration speech, and as the presidency wore on, it became clearer that other priorities would trump the conservative instinct to return power to the states, or to limit the role of federal government. Where he could choose, Bush put partisan advantage and a commitment to certain ideological positions above turning back the ratchet of ‘government creep’.
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