George H. W. Bush

== Presidency (1989–1993) ==
{{Main|Presidency of George H. W. Bush}}
{{for timeline|Timeline of the George H. W. Bush presidency}}
[[File:George H. W. Bush inauguration.jpg|thumb|Chief Justice [[William Rehnquist]] administers the Presidential Oath of Office to Bush.]]

[[Inauguration of George H. W. Bush|Bush was inaugurated]] on January 20, 1989, succeeding Ronald Reagan. In his inaugural address, Bush said:
{{Blockquote | style=font-size: 100%; |I come before you and assume the Presidency at a moment rich with promise. We live in a peaceful, prosperous time, but we can make it better. For a new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn; for in man's heart, if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. The [[Totalitarianism|totalitarian]] era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree. A new breeze is blowing, and a nation refreshed by freedom stands ready to push on. There is new ground to be broken, and new action to be taken.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/papers/1989/89012000.html |title=George H. W. Bush: Inaugural Address |website=Bushlibrary.tamu.edu |date=January 20, 1989 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040420073736/http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/research/papers/1989/89012000.html |archive-date=April 20, 2004}}</ref>}}

Bush's first major appointment was that of James Baker as Secretary of State.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=53–55}} Leadership of the Department of Defense went to [[Dick Cheney]], who had previously served as Gerald Ford's chief of staff and would later serve as vice president under his son George W. Bush.{{sfn|Naftali|2007|pp=69–70}} Jack Kemp joined the administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, while [[Elizabeth Dole]], the wife of Bob Dole and a former Secretary of Transportation, became the Secretary of Labor under Bush.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=56–57}} Bush retained several Reagan officials, including Secretary of the Treasury [[Nicholas F. Brady]], Attorney General [[Dick Thornburgh]], and Secretary of Education [[Lauro Cavazos]].{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=55–56}} New Hampshire Governor John Sununu, a strong supporter of Bush during the 1988 campaign, became chief of staff.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=53–55}} [[Brent Scowcroft]] was appointed as the National Security Advisor, a role he had also held under Ford.{{sfn|Naftali|2007|pp=66–67}}

=== Foreign affairs ===
{{main|Foreign policy of the George H. W. Bush administration}}

==== End of the Cold War ====
{{Further|Revolutions of 1989|Dissolution of the Soviet Union}}

During the first year of his tenure, Bush paused Reagan's détente policy toward the Soviet Union.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=110–112}} Bush and his advisers were initially divided on Gorbachev; some administration officials saw him as a democratic reformer, but others suspected him of trying to make the minimum changes necessary to restore the Soviet Union to a competitive position with the United States.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=368–369}} In 1989, all the Communist governments collapsed in Eastern Europe. Gorbachev declined to send in the Soviet military, effectively abandoning the [[Brezhnev Doctrine]]. The U.S. was not directly involved in these upheavals, but the Bush administration avoided gloating over the demise of the [[Eastern Bloc]] to avoid undermining further democratic reforms.{{sfn|Herring|2008|pp=904–906}}

Bush and Gorbachev met at the [[Malta Summit]] in December 1989. Though many on the right remained wary of Gorbachev, Bush came away believing that Gorbachev would negotiate in good faith.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=385–387}} For the remainder of his term, Bush sought cooperative relations with Gorbachev, believing he was the key to peace.{{sfn|Naftali|2007|pp=91–93}} The primary issue at the Malta Summit was the potential [[reunification of Germany]]. While Britain and France were wary of a reunified Germany, Bush joined German chancellor [[Helmut Kohl]] in pushing for German reunification.<ref name="heilbrunn">{{cite news|last1=Heilbrunn|first1=Jacob|title=Together Again|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/31/books/together-again.html|access-date=August 25, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 31, 1996}}</ref> Bush believed that a reunified Germany would serve American interests.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=400–402}} After extensive negotiations, Gorbachev agreed to allow a reunified Germany to be a part of NATO, and Germany officially reunified in October 1990 after paying billions of marks to Moscow.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=126, 134–137}}

[[File:Bush Gorba P15623-25A.jpg|thumb|Bush and [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] at the [[Helsinki Summit (1990)|Helsinki Summit]] in 1990]]

Gorbachev used force to suppress nationalist movements within the Soviet Union itself.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=120–121}} A crisis in Lithuania left Bush in a difficult position, as he needed Gorbachev's cooperation in the reunification of Germany and feared that the collapse of the Soviet Union could leave nuclear arms in dangerous hands. The Bush administration mildly protested Gorbachev's suppression of Lithuania's independence movement but took no action to intervene directly.{{sfn|Herring|2008|p=907}} Bush warned independence movements of the disorder that could come with secession from the Soviet Union; in a 1991 address that critics labeled the "[[Chicken Kiev speech]]", he cautioned against "suicidal nationalism".{{sfn|Herring|2008|pp=907, 913–914}} In July 1991, Bush and Gorbachev signed the [[START I|Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I)]] treaty, in which both countries agreed to cut their strategic nuclear weapons by 30 percent.{{sfn|Greene|2015|p=204}}

In August 1991, hard-line Communists launched a [[1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt|coup]] against Gorbachev; while the coup quickly fell apart, it broke the remaining power of Gorbachev and the central Soviet government.{{sfn|Naftali|2007|pp=137–138}} Later that month, Gorbachev resigned as [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|general secretary of the Communist party]], and Russian president [[Boris Yeltsin]] ordered the seizure of Soviet property. Gorbachev clung to power as the [[President of the Soviet Union]] until December 1991, when the Soviet Union [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|dissolved]].{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=205–206}} [[Post-Soviet states|Fifteen states]] emerged from the Soviet Union, and of those states, Russia was the largest and most populous. Bush and Yeltsin met in February 1992, declaring a new era of "friendship and partnership".<ref name="mwines1">{{cite news|last1=Wines|first1=Michael|title=Bush and Yeltsn Declare Formal End to Cold War; Agree to Exchange Visits|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/02/world/bush-and-yeltsin-declare-formal-end-to-cold-war-agree-to-exchange-visits.html|access-date=August 24, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 2, 1992}}</ref> In January 1993, Bush and Yeltsin agreed to [[START II]], which provided for further nuclear arms reductions on top of the original START treaty.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=238–239}}

==== Invasion of Panama ====
{{Main|United States invasion of Panama}}

Through the late 1980s, the U.S. provided aid to [[Manuel Noriega]], the anti-Communist leader of Panama. Noriega had long-standing ties to United States intelligence agencies, including during Bush's tenure as Director of Central Intelligence, and was also deeply involved in drug trafficking.<ref>{{cite book| last=Dinges| first=John| title=Our Man in Panama| date=1990| url=https://archive.org/details/ourmaninpanamaho00ding| url-access=registration| pages=50, 88| publisher=Random House| location=New York City| isbn=978-0-8129-1950-9| via=Internet Archive}}</ref> In May 1989, Noriega annulled the results of a democratic presidential election in which [[Guillermo Endara]] had been elected. Bush objected to the annulment of the election and worried about the status of the [[Panama Canal]] with Noriega still in office.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=226–227}} Bush dispatched 2,000 soldiers to the country, where they began conducting regular military exercises violating prior treaties.<ref name="rutgers">{{cite web|url=http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~hbf/panama.htm|title=Panama: Background and Buildup to Invasion of 1989|access-date=April 11, 2008|author=Franklin, Jane|year=2001|publisher=Rutgers University|archive-date=July 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704195428/http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~hbf/panama.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> After Panamanian forces shot a U.S. serviceman in December 1989, Bush ordered the [[United States invasion of Panama]], known as "Operation Just Cause". The invasion was the first large-scale American military operation unrelated to the Cold War in more than 40 years. American forces quickly took control of the Panama Canal Zone and [[Panama City]]. Noriega surrendered on January 3, 1990, and was quickly transported to a prison in the United States. Twenty-three Americans died in the operation, while another 394 were wounded. Noriega was convicted and imprisoned on racketeering and drug trafficking charges in April 1992.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=226–227}} Historian Stewart Brewer argues that the invasion "represented a new era in American foreign policy" because Bush did not justify the invasion under the [[Monroe Doctrine]] or the threat of Communism, but rather because it was in the best interests of the United States.<ref>{{cite book|first=Stewart|last=Brewer|title=Borders and Bridges: A History of U.S.-Latin American Relations|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HPod9HcYUJ4C&pg=PA146|year=2006|publisher=Greenwood |page=146|isbn=9780275982041}}</ref>

==== Gulf War ====
{{Main|Gulf War}}
[[File:President Bush meets with General Colin Powell, General Scowcroft, Secretary James Baker, Vice President Quayle... - NARA - 186429.jpg|thumb|Bush meets with [[Robert Gates]], General [[Colin Powell]], Secretary [[Dick Cheney]] and others about the situation in the Persian Gulf, 1991]]

Faced with massive debts and low oil prices in the [[aftermath of the Iran–Iraq War]], Iraqi leader [[Saddam Hussein]] decided to conquer the country of Kuwait, a small, oil-rich country situated on Iraq's southern border.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=139–141}} After [[Iraqi invasion of Kuwait|Iraq invaded Kuwait]] in August 1990, Bush imposed [[Sanctions against Iraq|economic sanctions]] on Iraq and assembled a [[Coalition of the Gulf War|multi-national coalition]] opposed to the invasion.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=230–232}} Some in the administration feared that a failure to respond to the invasion would embolden Hussein to attack Saudi Arabia or Israel.{{sfn|Herring|2008|pp=908–909}} [[Robert Gates]] attempted to convince [[Brent Scowcroft]] that Bush should tone down the rhetoric but Bush insisted it was his primary concern to discourage other countries from "unanswered aggression".<ref name="gates00">{{cite news |title=Robert M. Gates Oral History |url=https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-oral-histories/robert-m-gates-deputy-director-central |access-date=29 March 2024 |agency=Miller Center |publisher=Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia}}</ref> Bush also wanted to ensure continued access to oil, as Iraq and Kuwait collectively accounted for 20 percent of the world's oil production, and Saudi Arabia produced another 26 percent of the world's oil supply.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=233}}

At Bush's insistence, in November 1990, the [[United Nations Security Council]] approved a resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=232}} Gorbachev's support and China's abstention helped ensure passage of the United Nations resolution.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=146–147, 159}} Bush convinced Britain, France, and other nations to commit soldiers to an operation against Iraq. He won important financial backing from Germany, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=149–151}} In January 1991, Bush asked Congress to approve a joint resolution authorizing a war against Iraq.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=232–233}} Bush believed that the United Nations resolution had already provided him with the necessary authorization to launch a military operation against Iraq. Still, he wanted to show that the nation was united behind military action.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=160–161}} Despite the opposition of a majority of Democrats in both the House and the Senate, Congress approved the [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 1991]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=232–233}}

After the January 15 deadline passed without an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, U.S. and coalition forces conducted a bombing campaign that devastated Iraq's power grid and communications network and resulted in the desertion of about 100,000 Iraqi soldiers. In retaliation, Iraq launched [[Scud missile]]s at Israel and Saudi Arabia, but most missiles did little damage. On February 23, coalition forces began a ground invasion into Kuwait, evicting Iraqi forces by the end of February 27. About 300 Americans and approximately 65 soldiers from other coalition nations died during the military action.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=233–235}} A ceasefire was arranged on March 3, and the United Nations passed a resolution establishing a [[United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission|peacekeeping force]] in a demilitarized zone between Kuwait and Iraq.{{sfn|Greene|2015|p=165}} A March 1991 [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] poll showed that Bush had an approval rating of 89 percent, the highest presidential approval rating in the history of Gallup polling.{{sfn|Waterman|1996|p=337}} After 1991, the United Nations maintained economic sanctions against Iraq, and the [[United Nations Special Commission]] was assigned to ensure that Iraq did not revive its [[Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction program]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=236}}

==== NAFTA ====
{{Main|North American Free Trade Agreement}}
[[File:President Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas participate in the... - NARA - 186460.jpg|thumb|From left to right: (standing) President [[Carlos Salinas]], President Bush, Prime Minister [[Brian Mulroney]]; (seated) [[Jaime Serra Puche]], [[Carla Hills]], and [[Michael Wilson (Canadian politician)|Michael Wilson]] at the NAFTA Initialing Ceremony, October 1992]]

In 1987, the U.S. and Canada reached a [[free trade agreement]] that eliminated many tariffs between the two countries. President Reagan had intended it as the first step towards a larger trade agreement to eliminate most tariffs among the United States, Canada, and Mexico.{{sfn|Wilentz|2008|pp=313–314}} The Bush administration, along with the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]] Canadian prime minister [[Brian Mulroney]], spearheaded the negotiations of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] (NAFTA) with Mexico. In addition to lowering tariffs, the proposed treaty would affect patents, copyrights, and trademarks.<ref name="fedex">{{cite web|url=http://www.fedex.com/us/customersupport/ftn/faq/nafta.html?link=4 |publisher=Federal Express|title=Frequently Asked Questions: NAFTA|access-date=April 11, 2008}}</ref> In 1991, Bush sought [[fast track authority]], which grants the president the power to submit an international trade agreement to Congress without the possibility of amendment. Despite congressional opposition led by House Majority Leader [[Dick Gephardt]], both houses of Congress voted to grant Bush fast track authority. NAFTA was signed in December 1992, after Bush lost reelection,{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=222–223}} but President Clinton won ratification of NAFTA in 1993.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.law.duke.edu/lib/researchguides/nafta.html|title=NAFTA|publisher=Duke University|access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420094150/http://www.law.duke.edu/lib/researchguides/nafta.html |archive-date=April 20, 2008}}</ref> NAFTA was controversial for its impact on wages, jobs, and overall economic growth.<ref name="jzarroli">{{cite news|last1=Zarroli|first1=Jim|title=NAFTA Turns 20, To Mixed Reviews|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/12/08/249570005/nafta-turns-20-to-mixed-reviews|access-date=August 24, 2016|publisher=NPR|date=December 8, 2013}}</ref> In 2020, it was replaced entirely by the [[United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement]] (USMCA).

=== Domestic affairs ===
==== Economy and fiscal issues ====
The U.S. economy had generally performed well since emerging from [[Early 1980s recession in the United States|recession in late 1982]], but it slipped into a mild [[Early 1990s recession in the United States|recession in 1990]]. The unemployment rate rose from 5.9 percent in 1989 to a high of 7.8 percent in mid-1991.<ref name="Accepting the Harsh Truth Of a Blue-Collar Recession, New York Times, Dec. 25, 1991">{{Cite news|last=Lohr|first=Steve|date=December 25, 1991|title=Accepting the Harsh Truth Of a Blue-Collar Recession|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/25/business/accepting-the-harsh-truth-of-a-blue-collar-recession.html|access-date=January 5, 2022|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Blue-collar Towns Have Highest Jobless Numbers, Hartford Courant, Sept. 1, 1991">[http://articles.courant.com/1991-09-01/business/0000212544_1_white-collar-unemployment-aetna-life Blue-collar Towns Have Highest Jobless Numbers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717215054/http://articles.courant.com/1991-09-01/business/0000212544_1_white-collar-unemployment-aetna-life |date=July 17, 2018 }}, ''Hartford Courant'' [Connecticut], W. Joseph Campbell, September 1, 1991.</ref> Large [[United States public debt|federal deficits]], spawned during the Reagan years, rose from $152.1&nbsp;billion in 1989<ref>{{cite news| last=Redburn| first=Tom| title=Budget Deficit for 1989 Is Put at $152.1 Billion : Spending: Congress and the White House remain locked in a stalemate over a capital gains tax cut| date=October 28, 1989| url=https://articles.latimes.com/1989-10-28/news/mn-697_1_capital-gains-tax-cut| work=[[Los Angeles Times]]| access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> to $220&nbsp;billion for 1990;<ref name=NYT10-27-90>{{cite news| last=Uchitelle| first=Louis| title=The Struggle in Congress; U.S. Deficit for 1990 Surged to Near-Record $220.4 Billion, but How Bad Is That?| date=October 27, 1990| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/27/us/struggle-congress-us-deficit-for-1990-surged-near-record-220.4-billion-but-bad.html| work=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> the $220&nbsp;billion deficit represented a threefold increase since 1980.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=72–73}} As the public became increasingly concerned about the economy and other domestic affairs, Bush's well-received handling of foreign affairs became less of an issue for most voters.{{sfn|Waterman|1996|pp=340–341}} Bush's top domestic priority was to end federal budget deficits, which he saw as a liability for the country's long-term economic health and standing in the world.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=360–361}} As he was opposed to major defense spending cuts{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=228–229}} and had pledged not to raise taxes, the president had major difficulties in balancing the budget.<ref name="millercenterdomesticaffairs">{{cite web|url=http://millercenter.org/president/biography/bush-domestic-affairs|title=George H. W. Bush: Domestic Affairs|publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia|access-date=January 18, 2017|date=October 4, 2016}}</ref>

Bush and congressional leaders agreed to avoid major changes to the budget for [[fiscal year#United States|fiscal year]] 1990, which began in October 1989. However, both sides knew spending cuts or new taxes would be necessary for the following year's budget to avoid the draconian automatic domestic spending cuts required by the [[Gramm–Rudman–Hollings Balanced Budget Act]] of 1987.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=95–97}} Bush and other leaders also wanted to cut deficits because Federal Reserve Chair [[Alan Greenspan]] refused to lower interest rates and thus stimulate economic growth unless the federal budget deficit was reduced.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=409–410}} In a statement released in late June 1990, Bush said that he would be open to a deficit reduction program which included spending cuts, incentives for economic growth, budget process reform, as well as tax increases.<ref>{{cite news| last1=Balz| first1=Dan| last2=Yang| first2=John E.| title=Bush Abandons Campaign Pledge, Calls for New Taxes| date=June 27, 1990| newspaper=The Washington Post| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/06/27/bush-abandons-campaign-pledge-calls-for-new-taxes/a7ea302f-cecb-43b0-8d8e-5009bc294ee3/?noredirect=on| access-date=June 7, 2018}}</ref> To [[Fiscal conservatism|fiscal conservatives]] in the Republican Party, Bush's statement represented a betrayal, and they heavily criticized him for compromising so early in the negotiations.<ref>{{cite book |last=Heclo |first=Hugh |editor1-last=Nelson |editor1-first=Michael |editor2-last=Perry |editor2-first=Barbara A. |title=41: Inside the Presidency of George H. W. Bush |publisher=Cornell University Press |date=2014 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/41insidepresiden00unse/page/68 68–69] |chapter=Chapter 2: George Bush and American Conservatism |isbn=978-0-8014-7927-4 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eR35AgAAQBAJ&q=%22Conservatives+began+to+smell+betrayal+in+the+Washington+air%22&pg=PA68 |url=https://archive.org/details/41insidepresiden00unse/page/68 }}</ref>

In September 1990, Bush and congressional Democrats announced a compromise to cut mandatory and discretionary programs funding while raising revenue, partly through a higher gas tax. The compromise additionally included a [[PAYGO|"pay as you go"]] provision that required that new programs be paid for at the time of implementation.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=100–104}} House Minority Whip [[Newt Gingrich]] led the conservative opposition to the bill, strongly opposing any form of tax increase.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=446–447}} Some liberals also criticized the budget cuts in the compromise, and in October, the House rejected the deal, resulting in a brief government shutdown. Without the strong backing of the Republican Party, Bush agreed to another compromise bill, this one more favorable to Democrats. The [[Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990]] (OBRA-90), enacted on October 27, 1990, dropped much of the gasoline tax increase in favor of higher income taxes on top earners. It included cuts to domestic spending, but the cuts were not as deep as those proposed in the original compromise. Bush's decision to sign the bill damaged his standing with conservatives and the general public, but it also laid the groundwork for the budget surpluses of the late 1990s.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=104–106}}

==== Discrimination ====
{{Quote box
|title =
|quote    =  "Even the strongest person couldn't scale the [[Berlin Wall]] to gain the elusive promise of independence that lay just beyond. And so, together we rejoiced when that barrier fell. And now I sign legislation which takes a sledgehammer to another wall, one which has for too many generations separated Americans with disabilities from the freedom they could glimpse, but not grasp."
|source   = —Bush's remarks at the signing ceremony for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990{{sfn|Meacham|2015|p=395}}
|width    = 30em
|align    = right
|qalign   = center
|bgcolor  = }}

The [[disability|disabled]] had not received legal protections under the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, and many faced discrimination and segregation by the time Bush took office. In 1988, [[Lowell P. Weicker Jr.]] and [[Tony Coelho]] introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act, which barred employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities. The bill had passed the Senate but not the House and was reintroduced in 1989. Though some conservatives opposed the bill due to its costs and potential burdens on businesses, Bush strongly supported it, partly because his son, Neil, had struggled with [[dyslexia]]. After the bill passed both houses of Congress, Bush signed the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990]] into law in July 1990.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=90–92}} The act required employers and public accommodations to make "reasonable accommodations" for disabled people while providing an exception when such accommodations imposed an "undue hardship".<ref name="griffin1">{{cite news|last1=Griffin|first1=Rodman|title=The Disabilities Act|url=http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1991122700|access-date=August 25, 2016|publisher=CQPress|date=December 27, 1991}}</ref>

Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] later led the congressional passage of a separate civil rights bill designed to facilitate launching employment discrimination lawsuits.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=79–80}} In vetoing the bill, Bush argued that it would lead to racial quotas in hiring.<ref>[[Ann Devroy|Devroy, Ann]]. "Bush Vetoes Civil Rights Bill; Measure Said to Encourage Job Quotas; Women, Minorities Sharply Critical". ''The Washington Post'' October 23, 1990, Print.</ref><ref name=holmes1>{{cite news|title=President Vetoes Bill on Job Rights; Showdown is Set |last=Holmes |first=Steven A. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/23/us/president-vetoes-bill-on-job-rights-showdown-is-set.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 23, 1990 |access-date=March 21, 2013}}</ref> In November 1991, Bush signed the [[Civil Rights Act of 1991]], which was largely similar to the bill he had vetoed in the previous year.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=79–80}}

In August 1990, Bush signed the [[Ryan White CARE Act]], the largest federally funded program dedicated to assisting persons living with [[HIV/AIDS]].<ref>{{cite news| title='He Did Not Lead on AIDS': With Bush, Activists See a Mixed Legacy| last=Stack| first=Liam| date=December 3, 2018| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/us/george-bush-hiv-aids.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220102/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/us/george-bush-hiv-aids.html |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |url-access=limited |url-status=live| newspaper=The New York Times| access-date=April 29, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Throughout his presidency, the [[AIDS epidemic]] grew dramatically in the U.S. and around the world, and Bush often found himself at odds with AIDS activist groups who criticized him for not placing a high priority on HIV/AIDS research and funding. Frustrated by the administration's lack of urgency on the issue, [[ACT UP]] dumped the ashes of deceased HIV/AIDS patients on the White House lawn during a viewing of the [[AIDS Quilt]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite web| last=Domonoske| first=Camila| title='Kinder Gentler Indifference': Activists Challenge George H.W. Bush's Record On AIDS| date=December 4, 2018| publisher=NPR| url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/04/673276127/kinder-gentler-indifference-activists-challenge-george-h-w-bush-s-record-on-aids| access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref> By that time, HIV had become the [[List of causes of death by rate|leading cause of death]] in the U.S. for men aged 25–44.<ref>{{cite web| title=Update: Mortality Attributable to HIV Infection Among Persons Aged 25–44 Years – United States, 1991 and 1992| url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00022174.htm| work=The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report| date=November 19, 1993| id=42(45)| pages=869–872| publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention| location=Atlanta, Georgia| access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref>

==== Environment ====
In June 1989, the Bush administration proposed a bill to amend the [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act]]. Working with Senate Majority Leader [[George J. Mitchell]], the administration won passage of the amendments over the opposition of business-aligned members of Congress who feared the impact of tougher regulations.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=92–94}} The legislation sought to curb [[acid rain]] and smog by requiring decreased emissions of chemicals such as [[sulfur dioxide]],<ref name="cleanair1">{{cite news|title=Bush Signs Major Revision of Anti-Pollution Law|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/16/us/bush-signs-major-revision-of-anti-pollution-law.html|access-date=August 25, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 16, 1990}}</ref> and was the first major update to the Clean Air Act since 1977.<ref name="pshabecoff1">{{cite news|last1=Shabecoff|first1=Philip|title=Senators Approve Clean Air Measure By a Vote of 89-11|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/04/us/senators-approve-clean-air-measure-by-a-vote-of-89-11.html|access-date=August 25, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 4, 1990}}</ref> Bush also signed the [[Oil Pollution Act of 1990]] in response to the [[Exxon Valdez oil spill|''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill]]. However, the [[League of Conservation Voters]] criticized some of Bush's other environmental actions, including his opposition to stricter auto-mileage standards.<ref name="ebrown1">{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Elizabeth|title=Conservation League Gives Bush 'D' on Environment|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1991/0319/19071.html|access-date=August 25, 2016|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|date=March 19, 1991}}</ref>

==== Points of Light ====
{{Main|Points of Light}}

Bush devoted attention to voluntary service to solve some of America's most serious social problems. He often used the "thousand points of light" theme to describe the power of citizens to solve community problems. In his 1989 inaugural address, Bush said, "I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good."<ref name="President's Report">{{cite book|title=The Points of Light Movement: The President's Report to the Nation|publisher=Executive Office of the President, 1993|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cH8vlwSAjv0C|year=1993}}</ref> During his presidency, Bush honored numerous volunteers with the Daily Point of Light Award, a tradition that his presidential successors continued.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Haven |first1=Stephanie |title=Obama, Bush present 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award for volunteers |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-bush-present-5000th-daily-point-of-light-award-for-volunteers/ |publisher=CBS News |date=July 15, 2013}}</ref> In 1990, the Points of Light Foundation was created as a nonprofit organization in Washington to promote this spirit of [[volunteerism]].<ref name=Perry>{{cite journal|last=Perry|first=Suzanne|title=After Two Tough Years, New Points of Light Charity Emerges|journal=Chronicle of Philanthropy|date=October 15, 2009|url=http://philanthropy.com/article/After-Two-Tough-Years-New/57753/|access-date=May 23, 2013}}</ref> In 2007, the Points of Light Foundation merged with the [[Hands On Network]] to create a new organization, [[Points of Light]].<ref name=Edward>{{cite journal|last=Edward|first=Deborah|title=Getting to Yes: The Points of Light and Hands On Network Merger|journal=RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, the University of Texas at Austin|year=2008|url=http://www.rgkcenter.org/sites/default/files/file/research/gettingtoyes.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061145/http://www.rgkcenter.org/sites/default/files/file/research/gettingtoyes.pdf |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |url-status=live|access-date=May 23, 2013}}</ref>

==== Judicial appointments ====
{{Further|George H. W. Bush Supreme Court candidates|George H. W. Bush judicial appointments|George H. W. Bush judicial appointment controversies}}
[[File:Clarence Thomas official SCOTUS portrait.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.85|Bush appointed [[Clarence Thomas]] to the Supreme Court in 1991.]]

Bush appointed two justices to the [[Supreme Court of the United States]]. In 1990, Bush appointed a largely unknown state appellate judge, [[David Souter]], to replace liberal icon [[William J. Brennan Jr.]]<ref name="souter1"/> Souter was easily confirmed and served until 2009, but joined the liberal bloc of the court, disappointing Bush.<ref name="souter1">{{cite news|last1=Crawford Greenburg|first1=Jan|title=Supreme Court Justice Souter to Retire|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/SCOTUS/story?id=7477791&page=1|access-date=August 24, 2016|work=ABC News|date=May 1, 2009}}</ref> In 1991, Bush nominated conservative federal judge [[Clarence Thomas]] to succeed [[Thurgood Marshall]], a long-time liberal stalwart. Thomas, the former head of the [[Equal Employment Opportunity Commission]] (EEOC), [[Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination|faced heavy opposition]] in the Senate, as well as from [[United States pro-choice movement|pro-choice groups]] and the [[NAACP]]. His nomination faced another difficulty when [[Anita Hill]] accused Thomas of having sexually harassed her during his time as the chair of EEOC. Thomas won confirmation in a narrow 52–48 vote; 43 Republicans and 9 Democrats voted to confirm Thomas's nomination, while 46 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted against confirmation.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=243–244}} Thomas became one of the most conservative justices of his era.<ref name="ntotenberg">{{cite news|last1=Totenberg|first1=Nina|title=Clarence Thomas' Influence On The Supreme Court|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/10/11/141246695/clarence-thomas-influence-on-the-court|access-date=August 24, 2016|publisher=NPR|date=October 11, 2011}}</ref>

==== Other issues ====
Bush's education platform consisted mainly of offering federal support for a variety of innovations, such as open enrollment, incentive pay for outstanding teachers, and rewards for schools that improve performance with underprivileged children.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Bush Presidency: First Appraisals|last1=Campbell|first1=Colin|last2=Rockman|first2=Bert|publisher=Chatham House Publishers, Inc.|year=1991|isbn=0-934540-90-X|location=Chatham, New Jersey|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bushpresidencyfi0000unse/page/83 83]|url=https://archive.org/details/bushpresidencyfi0000unse/page/83}}</ref> Though Bush did not pass a major educational reform package during his presidency, his ideas influenced later reform efforts, including [[Goals 2000]] and the [[No Child Left Behind Act]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=239–240}} Bush signed the [[Immigration Act of 1990]],<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Schultz|first1=Jeffrey D.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WDV40aK1T-sC&pg=PA282|title=Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics: African Americans and Asian Americans|last2=Haynie|first2=Kerry L.|last3=Aoki|first3=Andrew L.|last4=McCulloch|first4=Anne M.|date=2000|publisher=Oryx Press|isbn=978-1-57356-148-8}}</ref> which led to a 40 percent increase in legal [[immigration to the United States]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fix|first=Michael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUJGWwD-9x8C&pg=PA304|title=The Paper Curtain: Employer Sanctions' Implementation, Impact, and Reform|date=1991|publisher=The Urban Institute|isbn=978-0-87766-550-2}}</ref> The act more than doubled the number of visas given to immigrants on the basis of job skills.<ref name="rpear1">{{cite news|last1=Pear|first1=Robert|title=Major Immigration Bill Is Sent to Bush|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/10/29/us/major-immigration-bill-is-sent-to-bush.html|access-date=August 25, 2016|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 29, 1990}}</ref> In the wake of the [[savings and loan crisis]], Bush proposed a $50&nbsp;billion package to rescue the [[Savings and loan association|savings and loans]] industry, and also proposed the creation of the [[Office of Thrift Supervision]] to regulate the industry. Congress passed the [[Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989]], which incorporated most of Bush's proposals.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=97–100}}

=== Public image ===
[[File:Bush I approval rating.png|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Bush's approval ratings (red) compared to his disapproval ratings (blue) during his presidency]]

Bush was widely seen as a "pragmatic caretaker" president who lacked a unified and compelling long-term theme in his efforts.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/presidents/george-h-w-bush-1482924.html |title=The Independent George H. W. Bush |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=January 22, 2009 |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/54609/michael-howard/the-prudence-thing-george-bush-s-class-act |title=The Prudence Thing: George Bush's Class Act |issue=November/December 1998 |journal=Foreign Affairs |date=November 1, 1998 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |last1=Howard |first1=Michael |volume=77 |pages=130–134 |doi=10.2307/20049135 |jstor=20049135 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963342-2,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100108084103/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963342-2,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 8, 2010 |magazine=Time |title=Where Is the Real George Bush? |date=January 26, 1987 |access-date=May 3, 2010 |first=Robert |last=Ajemian}}</ref> A Bush [[sound bite]], referring to the issue of overarching purpose as "the vision thing", has become a metonym applied to other political figures accused of similar difficulties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/quotations/phrasefable/visionthing/?view=uk |title=Quotations : Oxford Dictionaries Online |publisher=Askoxford.com |access-date=July 30, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030204213218/http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/quotations/phrasefable/visionthing/?view=uk |archive-date=February 4, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do |isbn=978-1-4391-4815-0 |last1=Thomas |first1=Helen |first2=Craig |last2=Crawford |publisher=Scribner |url=https://archive.org/details/listenupmrpresid00thom |year=2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-a-palermo/meg-whitmans-vision-thing_b_300845.html |title=Joseph A. Palermo: Meg Whitman's "Vision Thing" |work=HuffPost |access-date=September 5, 2010 |date=September 26, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090929/NEWS02/909290341/1003/NEWS02 |title=It's time to do the 'vision' thing |work=[[Barre Montpelier Times Argus]] |date=September 29, 2009 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204102054/http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090929/NEWS02/909290341/1003/NEWS02 |archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mazurak |first=Zbigniew |url=http://www.therealitycheck.org/?p=7492 |title=Sarah Palin as a GOP Nominee? |publisher=The Reality Check |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/10/01/barack_obama_does_not_want_to_become_known_as_the_great_ditherer |title=Obama does not want to become known as 'The Great Ditherer' |first=David |last=Rothkopf |date=October 1, 2009 |work=Foreign Policy |access-date=September 5, 2010 |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326180923/http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/10/01/barack_obama_does_not_want_to_become_known_as_the_great_ditherer |url-status=dead }}</ref> His ability to gain broad international support for the [[Gulf War]] and the war's result were seen as both a diplomatic and military triumph,<ref name="white house bio">{{cite book |last1=Freidel |first1=Frank |last2=Sidey |first2=Hugh |title=The Presidents of the United States of America |date=2006 |publisher=White House Historical Association|chapter-url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/george-h-w-bush/ |access-date=February 15, 2017 |chapter=George H. W. Bush}}</ref> rousing bipartisan approval,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://people-press.org/report/182/modest-bush-approval-rating-boost-at-wars-end |title=Modest Bush Approval Rating Boost at War's End: Summary of Findings – Pew Research Center for the People & the Press |publisher=People-press.org |access-date=September 5, 2010|date=April 18, 2003}}</ref> though his decision to withdraw without removing Saddam Hussein left mixed feelings, and attention returned to the domestic front and a souring economy.<ref name="pbs">{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bush41/program/intro.html |work=American Experience |title=George H. W. Bush |publisher=PBS |date=October 3, 1990 |access-date=September 5, 2010 |archive-date=April 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430215321/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bush41/program/intro.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> A ''New York Times'' article [[Supermarket scanner moment|mistakenly depicted]] Bush as being surprised to see a supermarket [[barcode reader]];<ref name=Goldberg08>{{cite journal |last=Goldberg |first=Jonah |date=August 22, 2008 |title=The Corner: The Supermarket Scanner Story Cont'd |journal=[[National Review]] |url=http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/167613/supermarket-scanner-story-contd-jonah-goldberg | access-date=June 26, 2017}}</ref><ref name=Rosenthal92>{{cite news |last=Rosenthal |first=Andrew |date=February 5, 1992 |title=Bush Encounters the Supermarket, Amazed |journal=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/05/us/bush-encounters-the-supermarket-amazed.html | access-date=November 5, 2015}}</ref> the report of his reaction exacerbated the notion that he was "out of touch".<ref name=Goldberg08 />

Bush was popular throughout most of his presidency. After the Gulf war concluded in February 1991, his approval rating saw a high of 89 percent, before gradually declining for the rest of the year, and eventually falling below 50 percent according to a January 1992 [[Gallup Inc.|Gallup]] poll.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 21, 1992 |title=Stop panicking in public, Mr. President |journal=[[Democrat and Chronicle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-stop-panicking-in/129085796/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 24, 2001 |title=Bush Job Approval Highest in Gallup History |journal=[[Gallup Inc.]] |last=Moore |first=David W. |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/4924/bush-job-approval-highest-gallup-history.aspx}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Presidential Job Approval Center |journal=[[Gallup Inc.]] |url=https://news.gallup.com/interactives/507569/presidential-job-approval-center.aspx |access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref> His sudden drop in his favorability was likely due to the [[early 1990s recession]], which shifted his image from "conquering hero" to "politician befuddled by economic matters".<ref name="snopes">{{cite web |url=http://www.snopes.com/history/american/bushscan.htm |title=Maybe I'm Amazed |date=April 1, 2001 |access-date=April 11, 2008 |website=Snopes.com |archive-date=May 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527030747/http://www.snopes.com/history/american/bushscan.asp |url-status=dead}}</ref> At the elite level, several commentators and political experts lamented the state of American politics in 1991–1992 and reported the voters were angry. Many analysts blamed the poor quality of national election campaigns.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Troy|first=Gil|year=1995|title=Stumping in the Bookstores: A Literary History of the 1992 Presidential Campaign|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27551506|journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly|volume=25|issue=4|pages=697–710|jstor=27551506|issn=0360-4918}}</ref>

=== 1992 presidential campaign ===
{{Main|George H. W. Bush 1992 presidential campaign}}{{Further|1992 United States presidential election}}

Bush announced his reelection bid in early 1992; with a coalition victory in the Persian Gulf War and high approval ratings, Bush's reelection initially looked likely.<ref name="skornacki">{{cite news|last1=Kornacki|first1=Steve|title=What if Mario Cuomo had run for president?|url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/what-if-mario-cuomo-had-run-president|access-date=August 25, 2016|publisher=MSNBC|date=January 2, 2015}}</ref> As a result, many leading Democrats, including [[Mario Cuomo]], Dick Gephardt, and [[Al Gore]], declined to seek their party's presidential nomination.{{sfn|Waterman|1996|pp=337–338}} However, Bush's tax increase angered many conservatives, who believed that Bush had strayed from the conservative principles of Ronald Reagan.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=444–445}} He faced a challenge from conservative political columnist [[Pat Buchanan]] in the [[1992 Republican Party presidential primaries|1992 Republican primaries]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=246}} Bush fended off Buchanan's challenge and won his party's nomination at the [[1992 Republican National Convention]]. Still, the convention adopted a socially conservative platform strongly influenced by the [[Christian right]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=251–252}}

[[File:ElectoralCollege1992.svg|upright=1.3|thumb|Bush was defeated in the [[1992 United States presidential election|1992 presidential election]] by [[Bill Clinton]].]]

Meanwhile, the Democrats nominated Governor [[Bill Clinton]] of Arkansas. A moderate who was affiliated with the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] (DLC), Clinton favored welfare reform, deficit reduction, and a tax cut for the middle class.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=247–248}} In early 1992, the race took an unexpected twist when Texas billionaire [[H. Ross Perot]] launched a third-party bid, claiming that neither Republicans nor Democrats could eliminate the deficit and make government more efficient. His message appealed to voters across the political spectrum disappointed with both parties' perceived fiscal irresponsibility.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Perot Vote|publisher=President and Fellows of Harvard College|access-date=April 23, 2008|url=http://www.hks.harvard.edu/case/3pt/perot_vote.html}}</ref> Perot also attacked NAFTA, which he claimed would lead to major job losses.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=251}} National polling taken in mid-1992 showed Perot in the lead, but Clinton experienced a surge through effective campaigning and the selection of Senator Al Gore, a popular and relatively young Southerner, as his running mate.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|pp=504–506}}

Clinton won the election, taking 43 percent of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes, while Bush won 37.5 percent of the popular vote and 168 electoral votes.<ref>{{cite web|title=1992 Presidential General Election Results|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1992|website=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|access-date=May 22, 2018}}</ref> Perot won 19% of the popular vote, one of the [[List of third party performances in United States presidential elections|highest totals for a third-party candidate]] in U.S. history, drawing equally from both major candidates, according to exit polls.<ref>{{cite news|last=Holmes |first=Steven A. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE0DB1F3FF936A35752C1A964958260 |title=The 1992 Elections: Disappointment – News Analysis – An Eccentric but No Joke; Perot's Strong Showing Raises Questions On What Might Have Been, and Might Be – |work=The New York Times |date=November 5, 1992 |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref> Clinton performed well in the Northeast, the Midwest, and the West Coast, while also waging the strongest Democratic campaign in the South since the 1976 election.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=252–253}} Several factors were important in Bush's defeat. The ailing economy which arose from recession may have been the main factor in Bush's loss, as 7 in 10 voters said on election day that the economy was either "not so good" or "poor".<ref>{{cite news|author=R. W. Apple Jr. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE5D81439F937A35752C1A964958260 |title=THE 1992 ELECTIONS: NEWS ANALYSIS; The Economy's Casualty – |location=Pennsylvania; Ohio; New England States (Us); Michigan; West Coast; New Jersey; Middle East |work=The New York Times |date=November 4, 1992 |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/09/BUGBI72U8Q1.DTL&type=business|title=Downside of the Reagan Legacy|work=The San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=April 11, 2008|author=Lazarus, David|date=June 9, 2004}}</ref> On the eve of the 1992 election, the unemployment rate stood at 7.8%, which was the highest it had been since 1984.<ref>{{cite journal | author = WSJ Research | year = 2015 | journal = [[The Wall Street Journal]] | title = How the Presidents Stack Up: A Look at U.S. Presidents' Job Approval Ratings (George H.W. Bush) | url=https://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-presapp0605-31.html | access-date=November 4, 2015}}</ref> The president was also damaged by his alienation of many conservatives in his party.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=233–234}} Bush partially blamed Perot for his defeat, though exit polls showed that Perot drew his voters about equally from Clinton and Bush.{{sfn|Meacham|2015|p=521}}

Despite his defeat, Bush left office with a 56 percent job approval rating in January 1993.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/poll%5Fclintonlegacy010117.html|title=Poll: Clinton Legacy Mixed|author=Langer, Gary|work=ABC News|date=January 17, 2001|access-date=April 11, 2008}}</ref> Like many of his predecessors, Bush issued a [[List of people pardoned by George H. W. Bush|series of pardons]] during his last days in office. In December 1992, he granted executive clemency to six former senior government officials implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal, most prominently former Secretary of Defense [[Caspar Weinberger]].<ref name="scientists">{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/news/iran/1992/921224-260039.htm |title=Bush pardons Weinberger, Five Other Tied to Iran-Contra |access-date=April 11, 2008 |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |author1=Mcdonald, Dian |date=December 24, 1992 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421150512/http://www.fas.org/news/iran/1992/921224-260039.htm |archive-date=April 21, 2008}}</ref> The charges against the six were that they lied to or withheld information from Congress. The pardons effectively brought an end to the Iran-Contra scandal.<ref>Carl Levin, and Henry Hyde, "The Iran-Contra Pardons-Was It Wrong for Ex-President Bush to Pardon Six Defendants". ''American Bar Association Journal'' 79 (1993): 44–45. Levin says yes, Hyde says no.</ref>

According to [[Seymour Martin Lipset]], the 1992 election had several unique characteristics. Voters felt that economic conditions were worse than they were, which harmed Bush. A rare event was the presence of a strong third-party candidate. Liberals launched a backlash against 12 years of a conservative White House. The chief factor was Clinton uniting his party and winning over several heterogeneous groups.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lipset|first=Seymour Martin|year=1993|title=The Significance of the 1992 Election|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/419496|journal=PS: Political Science and Politics|volume=26|issue=1|pages=7–16|doi=10.2307/419496|jstor=419496|s2cid=227288247 |issn=1049-0965}}</ref>