Jeb Bush

Aggressive Conservatism in Florida

By (author) Robert E. Crew

Publication date:

02 December 2009

Length of book:

238 pages

Publisher

University Press of America

Dimensions:

241x162mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780761849827

Jeb Bush: Aggressive Conservatism in Florida describes the rise of John Ellis (Jeb) Bush, the second son of former President George H.W. Bush, to political power in Florida. It examines the conservative theory that guided his behavior when he was elected and the aggressive manner in which he used the Office of Governor to pursue his goals. The book offers insight into his motivations and competencies, provides an analysis of the extent to which his self proclaimed "revolution" achieved its goals, and asks what the revolution meant for Florida. The author's own views naturally structure the analysis provided, but readers are invited to examine his argument and to propose alternative explanations for the Governor's actions and the policy outcomes of his administration.

Chapter 1 Acknowledgments
Chapter 2 Prologue
Part 3 Part I: Rise to Power
Chapter 4 Chapter 1: Becoming Governor
Chapter 5 Chapter 2: Bush and a New Political Environment in Florida
Chapter 6 Chapter 3: Promoting a Revolution
Part 7 Part II: Consolidating Power and Pushing the Agenda
Chapter 8 Chapter 4: Seizing the Levers of Power
Chapter 9 Chapter 5: Governing to Build Core Constituencies
Chapter 10 Chapter 6: Campaigning for the President, 2000 and 2004, and Reelection
Part 11 Part III: The Effect of the New Conservatism in Florida
Chapter 12 Chapter 7: The Consequences of the Bush Reforms: Economic Policy and Governmental Reorganization
Chapter 13 Chapter 8: Outcomes for Social Policy and the Environment
Part 14 Part IV: The Bush Legacy and His Future
Chapter 15 Chapter 9: What Difference Did Bush Make?

A great read, packed with details and full of insight. The method of evaluating Bush's performance was sophisticated, balanced and thoroughly readable. This will be the definitive study of the Bush era in Florida. Outstanding!