Preface.

• Author: Thomas, Christopher M.

President George W. Bush recently left office after eight often tumultuous years in the White House. His presidency was marked by tragedy and triumph, bipartisan unity and vicious discord. But what really happened during the Bush Administration? As the historians begin taking over from the newspapermen the long task of understanding the events of the last eight years, the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy is proud to present a Symposium that seeks to take a first turn at that project. We have assembled a collection of essays reflecting on President Bush's legacy, from perspectives both within and without the Administration.

One issue has, for better or for worse, come to define the Bush presidency: his Administration's response to the attacks of September 11. For the first time since World War II, a foreign enemy had successfully attacked American soil. Americans were harshly introduced to al Qaeda and the Taliban. The actions the President took in response--the invasion of Afghanistan, the USA PATRIOT Act, wiretapping, the invasion of Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, and so on--became incredibly divisive issues, even as they kept our soil free from attack for seven long years and liberated two countries from vicious rulers.

As the smoky haze of that terrible day faded, so did the political unity and patriotic fervor that had marked the days after the attacks. President Bush's national security and defense policies would spark strident political opposition and intense legal battles, with the Department of Justice often on the front lines. In this Issue, we are honored to have two Attorneys General share their reflections on their time at the Department. Attorney General John Ashcroft uses a compelling narrative to describe how the Department of Justice changed during the early years of the Bush Administration. Attorney General Michael Mukasey describes the rule-of-law legacy of the Bush Administration, with a special emphasis on national security. In addition, Professors Robert Delahunty and John Yoo defend the Bush Doctrine's justification of preventive war, placing it within its proper historical context of American diplomatic and military practice, and suggesting criteria under which it is an appropriate course of action.

On the home front, the most contentious debates were over social issues. Decisions made throughout the Bush Administration--from the creation of the Faith-Based Initiative to the President's refusal to fund new embryonic stem...