George W. Bush, the Party System, and American Federalism

Posted: 18 Aug 2009

See all articles by Sidney M. Milkis

Sidney M. Milkis

University of Virginia - Government & Foreign Affairs

Jesse H. Rhodes

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Abstract

George W. Bush's presidency presents two major puzzles. The Republican Party has traditionally stood for “limited government,” but Bush's principal legacy for federalism is centralization of power in the federal government and the executive branch. Most modern presidents have neglected their partisan duties, but Bush has been a uniquely vigorous party leader. Here, we show that Bush's puzzling lack of attention to federalism issues is in large part the result of his efforts to strengthen the Republican Party to cope with the political and electoral challenges characteristic of the contemporary political context. We explain why the Bush administration's strategy for redressing the Republican party's shortcomings has presupposed the deprecation of federalism, and consider the implications of our argument for the development of federal arrangements.

Suggested Citation

Milkis, Sidney M. and Rhodes, Jesse H., George W. Bush, the Party System, and American Federalism. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Vol. 37, Issue 3, pp. 478-503, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1455593 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/publius/pjm012

Sidney M. Milkis (Contact Author)

University of Virginia - Government & Foreign Affairs ( email )

United States

Jesse H. Rhodes

affiliation not provided to SSRN

No Address Available

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