Richard Bruce Cheney was an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. His tenure is often called the most powerful Vice Presidency in American history, with many historians noting that he was the first vice president to be more powerful than the presidents they served under. As a member of the Republican Party, Cheney previously served as White House Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, the U.S. Representative for Wyoming's only congressional district from 1979 to 1989, and the 17th United States Secretary of Defense under President George H. W. Bush. Also, many consider him to be the architect of the Iraq War.
