What is Bush Jr.’s psychobiography?

When he began his presidency, the 43rd president- and only 16th to be reelected to a second term- George W. Bush could not easily be classified according to Barber’s scheme. By the time of his second inauguration, however, there was little doubt the president was an active-positive. Bush’s positive attitude toward the presidency, its duties, and toward public service generally was clear from the start. It reflected his sunny self-confidence and a substantial degree of satisfaction from his pursuits in the political arena. Less clear was his orientation toward the job in terms of his energy and involvement. He delegated responsibility and relied on his aides and advisers to an unusual degree. Furthermore, he was notoriously uninterested in the details of policy or process. In contrast, at the onset of his second term, Newsweek (24 January 2005) would describe Bush as an “ambitious,” “hands-on,” “detail-oriented” president who “hates ‘yes’ men.” The events of 9/11 seem to have been the catalyst to change, as Bush now proclaimed himself a wartime president.James David Barber argues that the roots of presidential character are in the past. For George W. Bush, that past includes a family with extensive public service records, the challenge of living up to the standard of his father, the learning experiences offered by a failed business and run for Congress, and a stint as governor of one of the largest states in the country.

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