A member of the Republican Party, Bush was elected the 46th governor of Texas in 1994, then re-elected in 1998. He won the nomination of the Republican Party for the 2000 presidential race and ultimately defeated Democratic Vice President Al Gore in a very close, and legally disputed, election which ended in a Supreme Court decision; see Bush v. Gore. In 2004, Bush was elected to a second presidential term, defeating John Kerry, the junior Democratic Senator from Massachusetts. His term will expire on January 20, 2009.

Bush's presidency has been defined by the War on Terror following the September 11, 2001 attacks. After the attacks, Bush and the United States Congress created the Department of Homeland Security and increased the powers of law enforcement agencies with the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act. In 2003, the United States and a multinational force took military action in Iraq, overthrowing and eventually capturing Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. However, the war has lasted far longer than the administration's original estimate of 6 weeks to 6 months. The commitment of troops from the United States and Europe has been controversial both domestically and internationally. A central theme in Bush's continuing policy in Iraq has been the creation of a democracy, to which end, Iraq held free elections in 2005.

Bush has also signed into law a Medicare prescription drug plan and tax cuts at all income levels. Bush's terms of office coincided with Republican control of the U.S. Congress, giving him greater control over policy formulation than presidents dealing with an opposition-controlled legislature.