Lasting Legacy of George W. Bush: A Look at the Influence on History

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of George W. Bush across different fields.

George W. Bush served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Prior to his presidency, he was the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. As president, he launched the War on Terror in response to the September 11 attacks, leading to military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, he enacted education reform legislation known as No Child Left Behind, as well as tax cuts and reforms to Medicare. His presidency was marked by significant events including Hurricane Katrina and the financial crisis of 2008.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1986: Decision to Give Up Alcohol

In 1986, George W. Bush decided to give up alcohol, attributing the decision to his wife's influence and his faith in God.

1997: Senate Disapproval of the Kyoto Protocol

In 1997, the Senate voted 95-0 on a resolution expressing its disapproval of the Kyoto Protocol.

2000: Federal Government Spending

In 2000, the federal government spending was $1.789 trillion and revenues were $2.025 trillion.

2000: Poverty Rate

In 2000, the poverty rate was 11.3 percent.

2000: Fiscal Year Surplus

In fiscal year 2000, the U.S. saw a surplus of $237 billion, the largest surplus ever recorded at that time and the third consecutive one.

January 2001: Unemployment Rate

In January 2001, the unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.

2001: Bush Enters Office with Dow at 10,587

In 2001, Bush entered office with the Dow Jones Industrial Average at 10,587.

January 2003: PEPFAR Announced

In January 2003, President Bush announced the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a five-year strategy for global emergency AIDS relief with $15 billion in funding.

June 2003: Unemployment Rate Rises to 6.3 Percent

In June 2003, the unemployment rate rose to 6.3 percent.

2003: Increased Regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

In 2003, the Bush administration pushed for increased regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

2003: Another Tax Cut Passed

In 2003, the economy showed signs of improvement, and another tax cut was passed.

2004: Poverty Rate Peaking

In 2004, the poverty rate peaked at 12.7 percent.

December 2005: Reference Point for Approval Rating

In April 2013, a poll indicated that Bush's approval rating was at its highest since December 2005.

March 2006: Obama's comment on Raising the Debt Limit

In March 2006, then-Senator Barack Obama commented against raising the debt ceiling.

2006: Creation of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Later in 2006, President Bush declared the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument, creating the largest marine reserve to date. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument comprises 84 million acres and is home to 7,000 species.

June 2007: Street in Tirana renamed after Bush

In June 2007, a street in Tirana, Albania, was renamed after Bush a few days before he made the first-ever visit by an American president to Albania.

July 2007: Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.5 Percent

In July 2007, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent.

October 2007: Dow Jones Industrial Average Peak

In October 2007, the Dow Jones Industrial Average peaked at over 14,000 during Bush's presidency.

October 2008: National Debt Rises to $11.3 Trillion

By October 2008, the national debt had risen to $11.3 trillion, more than doubling it since 2000.

2008: Federal Government Spending

By 2008, the federal government spending increased to $2.983 trillion and revenues increased to $2.524 trillion.

2008: Dow Jones Industrial Average at 7,949 when Bush Left Office

In 2008, when Bush left office, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 7,949, one of the lowest levels of his presidency.

January 2009: Bush's favorability rating after leaving office

In January 2009, a Gallup poll noted that Bush's favorability ratings in public opinion surveys had begun to rise a year after he had left office. His rating was at 40 percent in January 2009.

March 2009: Bush's favorability rating in March 2009

In March 2009, Bush's favorability rating was at 35 percent.

2009: Initial C-SPAN Ranking

In 2009, George W. Bush was initially ranked 36th in the C-SPAN survey of historians.

June 22, 2010: Bush Comments on North Korea

On June 22, 2010, President Bush commented on the suffering of the people of North Korea due to communism and the leader's focus on personal luxuries and nuclear weapons programs.

July 2010: Bush's favorability rating rises to 45 percent

By July 2010, Bush's favorability rating had risen to 45 percent, a period during which he had remained largely out of the news.

November 9, 2010: Release of 'Decision Points' memoir

On November 9, 2010, George W. Bush released his memoirs, "Decision Points". He discussed his presidency, highlighting his biggest accomplishment as keeping the country safe and his greatest failure as the inability to secure the passage of Social Security reform. He also defended his administration's enhanced interrogation techniques.

Decision Points

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2010: Siena Research Institute Survey Ranking

A 2010 Siena Research Institute survey of the opinions of historians, political scientists, and presidential scholars ranked George W. Bush 39th out of 43 presidents.

2010: Tony Blair defends Bush's intelligence

In 2010, Tony Blair stated that the perception of Bush as unintelligent was "ludicrous", asserting that Bush is "very smart."

February 2012: Gallup poll on Bush's presidential rating

In February 2012, a Gallup poll indicated that Americans still rated George W. Bush among the worst presidents, although their views had become more positive in the three years since he left office.

April 2013: Bush's highest approval rating since December 2005

In April 2013, Bush's approval rating stood at 47 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval in a poll jointly conducted for The Washington Post and ABC, his highest approval rating since December 2005. Bush had achieved notable gains among seniors, non-college whites, and moderate and conservative Democrats since leaving office, although majorities disapproved of his handling of the economy (53 percent) and the Iraq War (57 percent).

June 2013: Bush's ratings become more positive than negative

In June 2013, a Gallup poll marked the first time where Bush's ratings have been more positive than negative, with 49 percent viewing him favorably compared to 46 percent unfavorably.

2013: PEPFAR success in saving lives

By 2013, President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is estimated to have saved five million lives

2013: Bush's Perspective on Historical Judgment

In 2013, George W. Bush stated, "Ultimately history will judge the decisions I made, and I won't be around because it will take time for the objective historians to show up. So I am pretty comfortable with it. I did what I did."

2015: Reference point for CNN poll in 2018

A CNN poll in 2018 found that 61% of respondents held a favorable view of Bush, an increase of nine points from 2015.

2017: Improved public image in 2017

In 2017, Bush's public image saw greater improvement, with a YouGov survey showing 51 percent of favorability from Democrats.

2018: Favorable view increase in 2018

In 2018, a CNN poll found that 61 percent of respondents held a favorable view of Bush, an increase of nine points from 2015.

2021: C-SPAN Historians Survey Ranking

C-SPAN's 2021 survey of historians ranked George W. Bush as the 29th-best president.

2023: PEPFAR Successes

By 2023, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was estimated to have saved over 25 million lives, alleviating the severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, and was called "George W. Bush's greatest accomplishment" by Vox.