ABSTRACT
President George W. Bush has responded to the events of 11 September by setting new priorities in foreign policy, and attempting to increase presidential power within the American political system. This response to crisis parallels previous changes in how America responds to the world, and how it formulates that response at home. The president is articulating a new set of national commitments that have the potential of altering both the content of American foreign policy and the institutional arrangement and capacity of American government. This chapter elaborates the connections between Bush's attempts to set lasting national goals, and that of other similarly situated presidents. The War on Terror, and the institutional change it has set in motion, may result in a significant transformation of the presidency, and the American political system more generally. The chapter provides an assessment of the possible historical significance of the Bush War on Terror at the midpoint of his term in office.
