Dick Cheney’s Legacy: A Contested Chapter in American History

Today we mark the passing of Dick Cheney, former Vice President of the United States and a defining figure of 21st-century American governance. Over decades he served in some of the highest offices of state — from Congressman to Secretary of Defense to Vice President — shaping national policy with a force few of his predecessors matched.

His legacy is complex: a record of bold leadership in times of crisis, and a catalogue of contentious decisions and consequences. The invasion of Iraq, the expansion of executive surveillance, the reshaped role of the vice-presidency—all bear his imprint.

While history will continue to debate his choices, one thing is clear: he believed deeply in the responsibilities of authority, in the duty to act, and in the role of government in securing the nation. As we reflect on his life, we may ask not only what he did, but how we understand the mechanisms of power in our time—and how future leaders might learn from his example.

To his family, his colleagues and the many who served alongside him: may his service be remembered, his life honoured, and our national conversation enriched by the lessons he leaves behind.