Technology policy ought to be topic number one (or two, or at least three) on the campaign trail, considering its importance to the economy and everyday life. Understandably, candidates are talking about jobs and the mess in Iraq instead. So in order to find out what President Bush and his Democratic challengers think about IT and its impact on the nation, we sent them questionnaires asking about their positions on five policy areas that will be important to CIOs in the next four years and beyond. These include critical infrastructure security, jobs, privacy, corporate governance and information technology?a category that encompasses their priorities for IT research and development, as well as their approach to IT standards, innovation and e-commerce. (Read about the decisions the next president will have to make concerning these issues in "The Next President’s IT Agenda," Page 54.)

Only Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) responded in full. Meanwhile, CIO writers and editors combed the candidates’ records and interviewed sources who have interacted with the contenders in the political arena and in the boardroom.

Find out where each candidate stands. Then decide which of them really gets IT.

George W. Bush

Party: Republican

Age: 57

Hometown: Midland, Texas

Current job: President, 2001-present

Website: www.georgebush.com

I.T. experience: In both his White House and campaign policy papers Bush cites the tech sector as a wellspring for economic growth. Actions such as his signing the USA Patriot Act demonstrate Bush’s willingness to seek new IT-enabled capabilities to aid government agencies in the war on terrorism. When it comes to new rules that affect business processes and IT systems, he has been less aggressive. Federal regulations issued under Bush for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) made it easier for CIOs to comply with these laws.

Background: During the 2000 election against Democrat Al Gore, Bush campaigned as "a compassionate Conservative," a devout Christian who is pro business, anti taxes and supports spending on education. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, reshaped Bush’s view of his presidency and led to his declaring war on terrorism. Bush is unopposed for the Republican nomination.


Policy Positions
Critical infrastructure: Bush has continued former President Clinton’s policy of asking for, rather than requiring, the private sector’s cooperation in securing corporate networks.

Bush has signed two acts that together put the federal government’s infrastructure on the front burner and sent annual federal IT spending past the $50 billion mark. The E-Government Act of 2002, sponsored by Bush’s potential rival in November, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), promotes better IT security within federal agencies. In response to 9/11, Bush signed a law creating the Department of Homeland Security, a cabinet-level office that merged 22 federal agencies. Among numerous IT projects, the agency is working to create one network to share unclassified data and communications about threats and responses with 50 states and thousands of local emergency responders.