ABSTRACT

This chapter seeks to offer a measured view of President George W. Bush's foreign policy record and achievements. The underpinning contention here is that policy formulation and implementation across his two terms can more usefully be analysed in terms of shades of grey, rather than with the monochrome hues that Bush himself seemed to prefer, at least initially. The chapter suggests that the influence of the ideological framework would indeed be felt – by no means always positively – in several important policy areas during the second half of Bush's presidency. It focuses on an important 'soft security' issue that has, however, gained comparatively limited attention thus far in the literature on Bush's presidency. It examines the role played by the United States, both directly and through international mechanisms, in contributing to the global fight against the spread of HIV-AIDS in Africa and elsewhere.