The Worst President

Paper Summary:

The paper contends that President Bush, capitalizing on the weakness of the people, used fear of terrorism and death to get his political agenda passed. The paper discusses how Bush exploited the public's fear in order to pass the USA Patriot Act that granted him unrestricted authority and to win the 2004 reelection when the public was afraid of war and terrorism. The paper asserts that Bush acted in his own best interest, rather than that of the people and thus he should be considered the worst president ever.

From the Paper:

"Many believe that a president's legacy is truly evaluated in history several years after their term. However, the same does not hold for President Bush who, while still in office, has been deemed perhaps the worst president ever. According to the Washington Post, "lapses of leadership, misguided policies and abuse of power of his failed predecessors. ... rank[s] him as the worst president in U.S. history" (Foner). Bush's reputation has been tarnished and dragged through the mud, and rightfully so because, the United States government, specifically the Bush Administration, has been using fear for political gain resulting in abuses of civil rights. Capitalizing on the weakness of the people, Bush has used fear of terrorism and death to get his political agenda passed. The use of fear in politics is not a new concept; the problem is that now it is being used against its own people for the good of a few individuals rather than the good of the entire country."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Altheide, David L. Terrorism and the Politics of Fear. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006.
• Foner, Eric. "He's The Worst Ever." Washington Post.com 3 Dec. 2006. 9 Apr. 2008 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR200612 0101509.html>.
• "How Patriot Act 2 Would Further Erode the Basic Checks on Government Power That Keep America Safe and Free." American Civil Liberties Union 20 Mar. 2003 18 Apr. 2008 < http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/17346leg20030320.html>.
• "Profile: Jose Padilla ." BBC News 16 Aug. 2007 14 Apr. 2008 <http://news.bbc.co. uk/1/hi/world/americas/2037444.stm>.
• Schneier, Bruce. "Terrorist Threats and Political Gain." A Scared Electorate. 27 Apr 2004. Counterpunch. 1 Apr 2008 <http://www.counterpunch.org/scheier04 272004.html>.

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