George W. Bush became president under some of the most unusual circumstances in U.S. history. After a contested election in which Bush lost the popular vote, many people felt that he would have difficulty establishing his legitimacy to lead. The events of September 11, 2001 transformed the Bush presidency, as his domestic policy agenda took a back seat to the international fight against terrorism.Considering the Bush Presidency is the first broad-ranging scholarly review and analysis of the George W. Bush presidency. Written by leading political science scholars, it covers such topics as presidential leadership of Congress, public opinion leadership, the symbolic presidency, presidential war powers, the Bush transition, staffing the Bush presidency, executive privilege battles, and Cheney as vice president. It examines the remarkable events and the leadership of an administration that has already become one of the most important to study in the modern era.