not. Bush found himself confronted not only by the
charismatic Democratic candidate, Bill Clinton, but
also by a strong third-party candidate, Ross Perot.
Perot won 19 percent of the popular vote. The Bush
campaign lacked a focus to the final month, and it
failed to close the gap with Clinton.
Impact George Bush’s presidency was disappoint-
ing on the domestic level but quite positive in its for-
eign policies. The domestic agenda was limited in
large part because most of the Reagan-era aides to
the president believed in reducing the size and re-
sponsibilities of the federal government. At the
same time, they were very much committed to sus-
taining the image and position of the United States
as the defender of freedom. Bush has been ap-
plauded for his handling of the Iraq-Kuwait prob-
lem; he worked with the United Nations and the in-
ternational community in forming a coalition that
forced Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait, and he did
not utilize the coalition beyond its stated purpose.
While Bush would be later criticized for not effect-
ing regime change by removing Hussein from
power, his clear and honest leadership of the effort
has sustained the respect of allies and many Ameri-
cans. His invasion of Panama and the removal of
Noriega has been accorded mixed receptions. On
one hand, Bush has been condemned for his cava-
lier approach to Latin America—continuing in the
tradition of Reagan’s invasion of Grenada (1983)—
in utilizing military force to resolve an American,
not Panamanian, problem. On the other hand,
many have interpreted this action favorably by not-
ing that the Panamanian people welcomed Nori-
ega’s removal and that the American forces were
withdrawn quickly.
Perhaps the most positive achievement of the Bush
presidency and the most lasting impact of his admin-
istration was his caution in monitoring the collapse of
the Soviet Union and the subsequent political tur-
moil in the region. While charged with the defense of
the United States and the American people, Bush fol-
lowed a tempered middle course in his relations with
Gorbachev and Yeltsin and did not overreact to the
day-to-day shifts in Soviet and then Russian affairs.
Within Central and Eastern Europe, Bush moved
American foreign policy to support the new govern-
ments that were being established, the unification of
Germany, and the breakup of Yugoslavia into several
ethnic-based nations. He recognized a new tide of his-
tory in Europe that supported American ideals and
principles and linked the United States to it.
Subsequent Events Since Bush left office, he has
pursued a mostly private life with his family. The
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum was
established in 1997 at Texas A&M University along
with the Bush School of Government and Public
Service. After the devastation of the tsunami that re-
sulted in the loss of more than 200,000 lives in South-
east and South Asia and East Africa in 2004 and the
catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in
2005, Bush worked with former president Clinton to
acquire needed funds for recovery.
Further Reading
Barilleaux, Ryan J., and Mark J. Rozell.Power and
Prudence: The Presidency of George H. W. Bush.Col-
lege Station: Texas A&M Press, 2004. A scholarly
evaluation of the Bush administration that ad-The Nineties in America Bush, George H. W. 131
George H. W. Bush.(Library of Congress)