Agenda for 2003: The State of the Union and the World

On the heels of a successful mid-term election that left his party in control of both the House and the Senate, President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union address to Congress January 28.

A flurry of world events—nuclear ambitions by North Korea, the buildup for a possible war in Iraq—as well as homeland security concerns and a listless economy present the president with daunting challenges as he begins the second half of his first term. Though congressional Republicans hold the majority, they do not have enough votes to provide a rubber stamp for the president’s initiatives. And many Democrats are vehement in their opposition to President Bush’s proposals, including his recently unveiled economic stimulus package.

The day after the president’s State of the Union speech, a panel of Brookings scholars with expertise on a broad range of policy topics will assess the prospects for his domestic and foreign policy agendas.