Facing the future: Bush takes on tough issues in second term.

Washington, D.C.--At noon on January 20, George W. Bush will raise his right hand, place his left hand on a Bible, and make one of the most important promises of his life: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

With those words, he will officially begin his second term as the 43rd president of the United States. Then he will follow in the footsteps of a long line of U.S. presidents: He will deliver a speech outlining his plan for the next four years, parade along Pennsylvania Avenue in front of thousands of cheering Americans, and enjoy a night of inaugural balls. (See Time Trip.)

Bush's celebration comes after almost a year of contentious campaigning against Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. The race was so highly contested that about 120 million people, or 59.5 percent of the voting age population, voted. That's the highest voter turnout since 1968.

Bush won 51 percent of the popular vote, with 3.5 million more votes than Kerry. He was projected to win 286 electoral votes. A candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes to become president. (See page 4 for results by state.)

In his victory speech, Bush said, "I am humbled by the trust and confidence of my fellow citizens. With that trust comes a duty to serve all Americans, and I will do my best to fulfill that duty every day."

Building Support

One of Bush's first duties will be to unite a country divided by the factious election. At the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., Bush addressed part of his victory remarks to Kerry's supporters. "A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation. We have one country, one Constitution, and one future that binds us. And when we come together and work together, there is no limit to the greatness of America."

Even if Kerry's supporters don't come around, Bush will have Congress on his side. Republicans increased their majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives in November's election, making it easier for Bush to win legislative approval for his initiatives.

There will also be new faces in Bush's Cabinet. Shortly after Bush's victory, at least eight members of the president's administration, including Attorney General John Ashcroft and Secretary of State Colin Powell, announced their resignations, as is common for two-term presidencies. Bush plans to fill his new Cabinet with longtime supporters, including national security adviser Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state.

Bush's To-Do List

The Bush administration is going to be busy over the next four years. Here are some of the top items on Bush's agenda:

Iraq: Bush led the nation into the war in Iraq in March 2003, after reports that the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, was harboring weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found, but Bush declared the war a victory after troops toppled Saddam. U.S. soldiers have stayed in Iraq to stabilize and help rebuild the country. The task has been more difficult than many expected. More than 1,100 U.S. soldiers and nearly 100,000 Iraqis have died since the war began. Bush is confident that Iraq's first democratic elections, set for January 30, will quell violent insurgents.

Middle East: After Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death on November 11, Bush vowed to use his second term to help resolve the conflict between the Israeli Jews and the Palestinians. Though Israel and the United States are strong allies, Bush has pledged to help create an independent Palestinian state that can coexist peacefully with Israel.

Economy: With the U.S. deficit at $413 billion--the biggest in history--Bush has vowed to halve the debt by 2009 by cutting federal spending and making permanent the sweeping tax cuts he introduced during his first term. Bush says the tax cuts have pumped more than $2.35 trillion into the economy.

Social Security: Bush has also promised to reform Social Security, a government program that provides retirement insurance, disability benefits, and unemployment compensation to Americans. Social Security funding is taken out of workers' paychecks. Bush plans to change the system by letting younger workers put money from their paychecks that would normally go toward Social Security into personal investment accounts. Critics say the controversial plan could cost up to $2 trillion.

Legacy in the Works?

Despite Bush's ambitious agenda, some people say his biggest challenge will be uniting the country.

"I think the president will do well to remember that 49 percent of the American people didn't vote for him," Democratic strategist Sascha Burns told FOX News. "I hope he will try to reconcile this country. It would be the best thing he could do as president, and it would be a good thing for his legacy."

Get Talking

Ask students: When does President George W. Bush's second term start? What are the biggest issues he faces? Which problems do you think he should address first? Why?

Background

* The country is not as divided as it was for Bush's first inauguration. In the 2000 election, Bush won 271 electoral votes, but lost the popular vote to former Vice President Al Gore by 200,000 votes. Although the Supreme Court declared Bush the winner, some Americans insisted Gore rightfully belonged in the White House.

* Americans nationwide will be able to watch Bush take the Oath of Office on January 20, but that wasn't always the case. Warren Harding's inauguration in 1921 was the first to be amplified by loudspeakers. Before then, few guests could actually hear the inaugural address.

* The first inaugural address broadcast over the radio was Calvin Coolidge's in 1925 and the first televised inauguration was Harry Truman's in 1949. Bill Clinton' s 1997 inauguration was the first to be seen live on the Internet by people worldwide.

* Except for Washington's first inaugural, when he was sworn in on April 30, 1789, all presidents took the Oath of Office in March to avoid bad weather. In 1933, Congress passed the 20th Amendment, changing the inaugural date to January 20. Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1937 inauguration was the first held on that date.

* When a president-elect places his hand on a Bible to take the Oath of Office, the Bible is opened to a passage of his choosing. Each president has chosen a different passage. Theodore Roosevelt's 1901 oath was the only one not sworn on a Bible.

Doing More

Watch Bush's inaugural address with your students. (If it does not work with your school schedule, you can tape the address and show it in class the next day.) Ask students to take notes and write a summary of the speech. Have them pay particular attention to the following: What issues did Bush say were most important? What did actions did he promise to take? What kind of tone did he set for his second term?

Link It

* The Library of Congress: Inaugurations: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/features/inaug/theatre.html

* CNN: Inauguration Special Report: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/bush.term/

RELATED ARTICLE: Time trip.

Presidential inaugurations are more than just pomp and circumstance; they're also a great excuse to PARTY!

James Madison and his wife, Dolley, threw the first inaugural ball in Washington, D.C., in 1809. Four hundred guests paid $4 a person to attend the gala, which included dancing and a formal dinner. The Madisons didn't dance, though; they sat on a platform and watched their guests waltz the night away.

The formal approach didn't last. Inaugural balls quickly became the craziest parties in town. Some partygoers even ended up passing out on the White House lawn. In 1829, after Andrew Jackson's inauguration, 20,000 rowdy revelers jammed into the White House for a public reception. The partying got so out of hand that people were literally falling out of windows! Fed up with the festivities, Jackson sneaked out through a window and checked into a hotel for the night.

The partying took a messy turn at Ulysses S. Grant's first inaugural ball, in 1869. Merrymakers at his celebration started a food fight! Grant's second inaugural gala, in 1873, was also an affair to remember. The ball was held in a tent, and the temperature was so cold that the champagne froze and the guests danced with their coats on. Canaries brought in to sing for the party froze and dropped dead on the guests.

James Buchanan pulled out all the stops for his inaugural ball in 1857. A special building was constructed for the gala, with red, white, and blue walls and gold stars on the ceiling. Buchanan treated his 6,000 guests to $3,000 worth of wine, 400 gallons of oysters, 60 slabs of sheep meat, four slabs of deer meat, 125 beef tongues, 75 hams, 500 quarts of chicken salad, 500 quarts of jelly, 1,200 quarts of ice cream, and a 4-foot-high cake!

Ronald Reagan had a more unusual dessert option for his inaugural-ball guests in 1981--40 million jelly beans, his favorite treat.

At George W. Bush's inaugural ball this year, odds are that the focus will be on the footwear, not the food. Guests have been encouraged to sport tuxedos, evening gowns, and cowboy boots to the formal gala.

RELATED ARTICLE: History quest.

This man's inaugural speech was one of the most famous parts of his presidency. not only was it the longest inaugural speech on record (8,445 words), but it might have killed him! He took the Oath of Office during a snowstorm on March 4, 1841. Afterward, he came down with a cold that turned into pneumonia. He died one month later. That's probably why he was more famous for his military feats. He defeated a Native American confederacy in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 and crushed British soldiers and Native Americans in the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812 *. Who was this man?

You could win a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate! Send your answer, postmarked by January 28, to QUEST, 200 First Stamford Place, P.O. Box 120023, Stamford, CT 06912-0023. Include your name, school name, and address. Good luck!

Congratulations to Mike Priest of St. Catharine of Siena School in Pennsylvania! He solved Quest 10: Edward Jenner.

* War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States and the United Kingdom (1812-1815). During the Anglo-French War. the British constantly interrupted U.S. trade by boarding U.S. ships and impressing American crews into British naval duty. The U.S. tried to use embargos and other economic sanctions to stop the practice, but was unsuccessful. President James Madison eventually declared war on Great Britain. The Treaty of Ghent, signed Dec. 24. 1812, brought the war to an indecisive end. But on Jan. 14, 1815, Andrew Jackson's troops defeated British soldiers at the Battle of New Orleans, ushering in a feeling of great nationalism in the United States. After the war, the United States had greater independence and a more equal trade relationship with Britain.