Presidential Priorities and Budgetary Realities: How Critical is the President as an Individual in Shaping the National Budget?

Major crises that pose a national security threat tend to focus attention on the role of the President of the United States. This was certainly true of the terrorist attacks of September 11 which focused attention on the leadership potential of President George W. Bush. Some of his detractors had questioned whether he had the acumen to lead the United States, but the President scored high marks among the public for how he handled the crisis-marks that would contrast sharply with his public approval ratings later in his Presidency.