The Hon. Richard Cheney served as the former Vice President of the United States during the George W. Bush administration. Over the span of his political career, Dick Cheney has served at the highest levels of the US Government and the private sector. Dick Cheney has been at the center of the policy debate during all the major crises that occurred over the last forty years, from the war in Vietnam, through the Cold War, to the demise of the Soviet Union, and the rise of Islamic extremism. He brings a unique perspective to the economic and geopolitical challenges of our time. During his term as Vice President, he transformed national security and intelligence policy and is widely acknowledged as one of the most powerful and influential Vice Presidents ever. Prior to being elected Vice President, Cheney held various positions including as chairman and CEO of Halliburton; Secretary of Defense; White House Chief of Staff; and Representative of the State of Wyoming in the United States House of Representatives. He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978 and served until 1989. Early in his political career, Cheney also worked in the office of Congressman William A. Steiger and later joined the Office of Economic Opportunity being run by Donald Rumsfeld, director of the organization at the time. He also served as Assistant to the President under Gerald Ford and oversaw the Ford presidential campaign in 1976. Cheney received his B.A. and an M.A. in political science from the University of Wyoming.