Changing the Tone? Congressional-Presidential Relations in the Second Bush Administration

George W. Bush entered the presidency with a pledge to return bipartisanship to political life in the nation’s capital, to end partisan bickering between the congressional parties and restore comity, and to work with Democrats in crafting important public policies and forging broad support. But once in office, James A. Thurber observes, he veered to the Right on an array of issues, including environmental protection, Social Security, missile defense, and health care. Even the tragic events of September 11th could only intermittently temper partisan instincts, with Democrats warning the Bush administration that it was pushing its wartime agenda too aggressively and too quickly (just two weeks) after the terrorist attacks. To what extent therefore has the Bush administration pursued accommodative tactics in crafting legislation and winning coalitions? Was the call for bipartisanship largely political pretense? And what has been the nature of the relationship between the Bush White House and members of Congress?