Houston Chronicle
By Brandon Rottinghaus, Justin Vaughn
June 12, 2024
George H.W. Bush was born June 12, 1924 — which means that, were he still alive, the former president would be turning 100.
In many ways, the story of American politics and political institutions over the past century can be told through the lens of his life. Few Americans have had the same level of commitment to public service that Bush demonstrated; even fewer have served the nation in such a broad range of ways. Before he became vice president, and later president, Bush was a congressman, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the senior U.S. representative in China, and director of the CIA. He not only made public service his profession, but did so at the very highest of levels.
As scholars of the American presidency, and directors of the Presidential Greatness Project, we are especially interested in the way his commitment to public service connects with views of the American presidency. Not only did Bush serve as the nation’s 41st president, he was also a highly regarded vice president and a model ex-president (not to mention one-half of only the second father-son duo to hold the nation’s highest office).
George H.W. Bush was not just a good vice president, he is viewed by presidential experts as among the greatest in the modern era. In fact, our research shows that he is considered the top Republican vice president since the Great Depression. He built a relationship of trust and loyalty with President Ronald Reagan, capably standing in for him in symbolic moments, such as state funerals, and in more serious situations, like when Reagan was hobbled after an attempted assassination. Reagan, in turn, entrusted Bush with leadership over significant administration priorities, including the administration’s drive for deregulation and the fight against illicit drugs entering the United States.
Presidential experts also value Bush’s time as president, ranking him in the top half of all presidents (and among the top rated of those who only served one term). The conventional narrative of Bush’s presidency views him as the third term of the Reagan era, highlighted by the extremely popular Operation Desert Storm in Iraq but derailed by a shrinking economy in the waning months of his first — and only — term. The reality is more complex, of course; his foreign policy successes include the engagement of Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and the capture and arrest of Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega, while domestically Bush signed into law important pieces of legislation that advanced civil rights (the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1991), the environment (the Oil Pollution Act and an expansion of the Clean Air Act), and public health (the Ryan White Care Act).
To be sure, each of these efforts had their detractors, but taken together they underscore the moderate pragmatism that characterized his approach to leadership and often seems in short supply today. Perhaps that’s why our expert surveys have shown that presidency scholars consistently view him as one of the most underrated presidents in American history. In our most recent survey, he is included with Ulysses Grant, whose historical reputation has been undergoing significant rehabilitation in recent decades; and with Jimmy Carter, a fellow one-term president who, like Bush, also receives accolades for how he has conducted his post-presidency.
Bush’s approach to public service, illuminated by his Thousand Points of Light philosophy, became even more notable as he entered his post-presidency and shifted his focus to the next generation of leaders. Alongside his presidential library at Texas A&M University sits the school of government and public service that bears his name, an institution with which he was deeply involved. He also became a model for bipartisanship in the remaining decades of his life, even as the United States became increasingly polarized and his own sons continued to hold office as Republicans, George W. Bush as governor of Texas and the 43rd president of the United States and Jeb Bush as governor of Florida.
Bush lent his name, energy and support to many essential commitments, as showcased by his repeated work with Bill Clinton, who defeated him in 1992, on natural disasters in remote places like Indonesia and here in the United States following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In his final years, he spoke up against political violence, including a full-throated denunciation of the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. This commitment to public service, and more importantly this willingness to do the difficult thing, won him countless awards and commendations, perhaps none more significant than the Presidential Medal of Freedom, bestowed upon him by Barack Obama in 2011.
Above all, Bush remained an engaged citizen to his final days, casting a ballot in the 2018 midterm elections only a few weeks before he passed away. As Americans celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, we would do well to not only recall the impressive achievements and expert assessments, but also the example Bush set, for future presidents and everyday citizens alike.
Brandon Rottinghaus and Justin Vaughn direct the Presidential Greatness Project. Rottinghaus is a professor of political science at the University of Houston. His most recent book is “Rick Perry: A Political Life.” Vaughn is an associate professor of political science at Coastal Carolina University.