Pros And Cons Of Reagan Conservatism

President Bush entered office in 2001 tasked with continuing the articulation of Reagan conservatism, an effort begun by his father before him. An orthodox innovator, George W. Bush was tasked with perpetuating the principles of Reagan under different and extraordinary circumstances (Montagne, 2005). Conceived in the wake of arguably the biggest tragedy in American history, Bush wielded expanded executive power and thus possessed and an exceptional opportunity to increase the relevancy of the conservative regime. However, administration blunders such as the 2003 Iraq invasion, ostensible inaction in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and failure to circumvent the 2008 financial crisis ultimately inhibited the Bush administration’s ability to usher in a conservative reawakening. George W. Bush’s domestic agenda, foreign policy and penchant to turn to Reagan prescriptions in novel circumstances demonstrates his classification as a president engaged in the politics of articulation. …show more content…
Not since the 1876 election, where Rutherford B. Hayes surreptitiously agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South (effectively ending reconstruction) in exchange for the democrats ceding the Presidency, had an election been so fiercely contested. The contention associated with the 2000 presidential election reflected the American people’s ambivalence towards the direction the nation should move towards as it entered the 21st century. Despite the nation’s relatively prosperous period under the Clinton administration, the election of George W. Bush marked American indisposition to completely depart with Reagan conservatism, which had prevailed in the decade prior. So it is in this divisive political environment, on the heels of a controversial election, which raised legitimacy concerns, that George W. Bush ascended to the presidency seeking to reinvigorate the besieged conservative political