Bush, George Walker (1946-...), was elected president of the United States in 2000 and reelected in 2004. Bush, a Republican, had served as the governor of Texas before being elected to the presidency.
The election of 2000 was one of the closest presidential elections in U.S. history. Bush received a smaller number of popular votes than his Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, but received more votes in the Electoral College. Bush's election was the fourth in U.S. history in which the winner received fewer popular votes than his opponent. The other three men who won the presidency without receiving the most popular votes were John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and Benjamin Harrison in 1888.
Bush's election in 2000 was also historic in that it marked the second time in U.S. history that the son of a former president was elected president. Bush's father, George Herbert Walker Bush (1924-...), served as president from 1989 to 1993. The only other father and son to be elected president were John Adams and John Quincy Adams, who held office from 1797 to 1801 and from 1825 to 1829, respectively. In 2004, Bush became the first son of a former president to be reelected president. He defeated his Democratic opponent, Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts.
Bush was first elected at a time of economic prosperity and low unemployment in the United States. Many Americans recognized that not everyone shared in the prosperity, however. They were concerned with high taxes and with the growing number of homeless people. They were alarmed by the increase in violent crimes committed by children. Many were concerned about what they saw as a decline in moral values, particularly among the country's leaders.
During his 2000 presidential campaign, Bush emphasized what he called "compassionate conservatism." He proposed cutting taxes and using the nation's prosperity to help people in need. He pointed to his record as governor of Texas, which included reducing taxes, initiating school reform, and strengthening the state's criminal justice system.
In the first year of Bush
