Bush's two-term presidency (2001-2009) is the immediate predecessor pair to Obama. This profile grades his 2000 campaign promises against eight years in office that spanned 9/11, two wars, the 2003 Medicare expansion, and the 2008 financial crisis.
George Walker Bush kept 6 of 10 major campaign promises tracked—a 60% record.
He broke three significant pledges. He did not reform Social Security with private accounts. He did not capture or kill Osama bin Laden. He failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform. One other major promise remained only partially fulfilled.
We do not yet have donor data or voting records matched to specific bills for this office, so we cannot show which industries or groups received legislative alignment with their funding.
Narrated from FEC + Congress.gov receipts. Every figure traces to our data.
Bush kept 60% of 10 promises tracked for the 2005–2009 term. Each verdict is term-scoped, primary-sourced, and reviewed by three sequential reviewers (neutral · conservative · progressive).
Standard review · primary sources, single editorial pass.
George Walker Bush's campaign-promise scorecard: 60% kept of 10 graded. Source: campaignreceipts.com/r/george-w-bush
Primary-source promise tracker, campaignreceipts.com.
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Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (Pub.L. 107-16) signed June 7, 2001; Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (Pub.L. 108-27) signed May 28, 2003. Cut top rate 39.6% → 35%.
No Child Left Behind Act (Pub.L. 107-110) signed Jan 8, 2002. Required annual standardized testing in grades 3-8 with consequences for underperforming schools.
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Pub.L. 108-173) signed Dec 8, 2003. Created Medicare Part D.
Social Security reform was the centerpiece of Bush's 2005 agenda. No legislation reached the floor. Bush conceded defeat by year-end 2005.
Iraq invaded March 2003; Saddam Hussein deposed. Insurgency through 2007; 2007 surge stabilized but did not end conflict. U.S. troops still in Iraq at term-end.
Bin Laden remained at large at the end of Bush's term. Killed under Obama, May 2, 2011.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S.1639) failed cloture June 28, 2007 (46-53). Bush's signature second-term domestic priority died.
United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (Pub.L. 108-25) signed May 27, 2003. Reauthorized 2008 with $48B over five years. Credited with saving over 25 million lives.
Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed Sep 29, 2005 (78-22). Justice Samuel Alito confirmed Jan 31, 2006 (58-42). Both shifted SCOTUS rightward.
Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (TARP, Pub.L. 110-343) signed Oct 3, 2008. $700B authorized; ultimately ~$440B disbursed; final cost to taxpayers approximately net positive.
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