Grading Bush: pass or fail.

PositionYour Life - John Kessel's study on US Presidents' successes and failures - Verdict still out on George W. Bush

Some pundits actively are discussing whether Pres. Bush's policies on Iraq and the U.S. economy have been sound--and whether they might signal an overall failure of the Bush presidency. Not long ago, though, many of these same critics were praising the Administration for its determined leadership, if recent presidential history is any indication, it may be too soon to assess what Bush has accomplished, declares John Kessel, professor of political science, Ohio State University, Columbus.

Kessel has completed a study examining the successes and failures of nine presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower through William Jefferson Clinton. He found that successful policies dominated failed policies by a ratio of three to two. Kessel examined 161 policies by the nine presidents before Bush, in foreign, economic, and domestic areas.

"Given the modern presidency and the complex political environment, analysts should ask what a president can realistically be expected to accomplish. With the difficulties they face, modern presidents have done better than they are often credited. Presidents are not always successful. But rather than say, 'this president was successful' or 'this president was a failure; we should examine the balance between success and failure in their administration." Seven of the nine presidents had...

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