41st President · 1989–1993 · Republican
George H. W. Bush
The statesman. Removed Noriega, won the Gulf War with a clear objective and the discipline to stop, and managed the end of the Cold War. Negotiated NAFTA.
In the Society’s PantheonOverallB+GPA 3.33
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?A-
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?A
- RestraintDid they keep the country out of wars of choice that weakened it?A-
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?A+
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?C+
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?C+
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?B-
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?B
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?A
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: George H. W. Bush. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 54%.