ABSTRACT
George W. Bush, prior to entering office, held strong views about how decisions should be made and how the decision-making process should be managed. Bush, it is argued, approaches the policy process by being more active compared to Reagan, the president he shares similarities with in terms of personality and management style. Bush’s management style is reflected in the committee system put in place for the development of policy. Bush had developed a particularly close relationship with his National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. The individual who truly exemplified the status and the expertise of Bush’s advisors was his new Vice President Dick Cheney. Bush and his advisors’ approach to foreign policy seemed an even greater departure from the past given the conditions extant in the international arena at the time that Bush took office. This chapter explains an analysis of the Bush administration’s decision making before and after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
