The Presidential Inauguration of George W. Bush

However, he did not pledge to find the solutions to these problems by himself, but rather called upon the citizens of the country to work together after recognizing their role in the process.
             At the same time that Bush's inaugural address appeared to reject the idea of an aggressive central government that acted on behalf of its people, he also said that public trust in the government is a major component of a civilized nation. Unity would be achieved in the United States when the public opted to put faith in its leaders; Americans should be able to overcome the negativity of the campaign and put their trust in the president to lead the country to prosperity and cohesiveness. In essence, his address called on people to go along with his administrations agenda, rather than creating chaos by dissenting. He intimated that disagreement with the administration would cause division, intolerance, and chaos. This was another way for him to attempt to solidify his position as a legitimate leader, despite the circumstances under which he had become president. According to his perspective, unity did not come about as a result of shared values and beliefs, but rather became the responsibility of the American people by accepting his leadership almost without question. This point of view is quite ironic, because one of the hallmarks of a true democracy is the ability to engage in disagreement and dissent coupled with the knowledge that such dialogue only strengthens a nation. In addition, this perspective was very prescient because for the majority of Bush's presidency following September 11, his tenure was marked by a great deal of protest accompanied by the federal attempts to thwart it.
             Just as many presidents use their first inaugural addresses to include only a general outline of the principles that will guide their administration, George Bush did not provide any of the specifics of his plans to implement those early goals.