Transcript The Clinton Presidency

The Clinton Presidency
“The change that I seek…
isn’t liberal or
conservative. It’s
different and it’s
both.”
The Election of 1992
 Main
Concern: ECONOMY
– Recession
A period of general economic
decline; specifically, a decline in
GDP for two or more consecutive
quarters.
Republican
Increasing
incentives for
big and small
businesses
=> expand /
create more
jobs
Democrats
 Higher
taxes
on the wealthy,
money into
transportation,
communication
networks,
education
system
Bill Clinton’s Economic Proposals
1.) Increase gov’t spending on
country’s infrastructure
2.) Cut taxes for middle class
3.) Modify welfare system
4.) Gradually reduce size of federal
gov’t
Clinton Runs into Problems
Questioning his ethics
– Whitewater
 Questioning his patriotism
– Vietnam War

How do you think
Bush was attacked?
New Style of Campaigning
 Television
–Sell himself
What candidate took the most
advantage of this?
 Clinton: late-night talk show playing
his saxophone; three nationally
televised debates
 Over traditional party structure
Voter Appeals
 Clinton:
12 yrs. experience as
governor
 Bush: long career of gov’t services,
first-term successes in foreign policy
 Perot: no gov’t experience, ran on
business success
 Voters: which candidate could lead
nation out of economic decline
Party Electoral Vote % of Popular
vote
 Democratic:
Clinton 370 43.2%
 Republican:
Bush
 Independent:
 Turnout:
Perot
168 37.7%
0
19.0%
55% of eligible voters
President Clinton’s Terms
 Health
Care Reform
 Economy
 Trade Agreement
 Foreign Policy
Health – Care Reform
 Goal:
Offer all Americans
guaranteed, affordable health
care
 Televised – the cost of health
care was “going to bankrupt the
country”
Health – Care Issues:
 Rising
Cost
–1972 - $387
–1994 - $3, 510
–Reasons (3)
 Approx. 39 million ppl. w/ no
health-care insurance
 Losing Coverage – Lost Job
Reform Plans
 Hillary
Rodham Clinton
–September 1993 introduced to
Congress as “our most urgent
priority”
–Universal Coverage
Clinton and the Economy
 Ronald
Reagan & “Reaganomics”
–1992 national debt approx. $ 4
trillion
Clinton and the Economy
 Reduced
deficit by one-third
between 1992 and 1995
– higher taxes on wealthier
Americans
– spending cuts – military
– w/out cutting entitlement
programs
Clinton and the Economy
 Most
Effective Tool To Reduce
Deficit: Growing Economy
– unemployment decrease
– inflation remained low
– stock market soared
Trade Agreement
 North
American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
– gradual elimination of tariffs and
trade barriers among the three
nations
– goal: single market of 370 million ppl.
producing and consuming goods and
services (compete w/ EU)
NAFTA: Arguments
 Oppose
= labor
unions and
environmentalist
s
–Businesses -move
jobs to Mexico
–Farmers –
undercut Amer.
goods
–Avoid
antipollution law
 For
= businesses
–Create Jobs
–Lower cost of
goods
–Make US more
competitive
Disagreement over Success
 Exports
to Canada risen more
than 33%
 Exports to Mexico only 27%
 Minimum of 100, 000 jobs lost
since
Legislation Successes
 Family
Leave Act
– gives workers up to 12 wks. Of
unpaid “family leave” for the
birth or adoption of a child or
for the illness of a family
member
More…
 Crime
Act (despite opposition still
passed)
– Increase number of police on the
streets
–Build prisons
–Ban 19 assault weapons
–Crime prevention (ex. Leagues)
The Republican Congress
 Newt
Gingrich
– Contract of America
A document
signed by more
than 300
Republican
candidates in
1994, setting forth
the Republican’s
conservative
agenda
Clinton’s Foreign Policy
 Ease
instability that had followed
the end of the Cold War.
 1991 Yugoslavia disintegrate
- Pol / Eco explanations
- Bosnian Serbs and “ethnic
cleansing”
 1992 Somalia – deadly famine
Yugoslavia
 Post
WWII, for
about 4.5
decades
–Stability:Comm
unist
(independent) ,
regime
international
influence
1.) Strong political leadership
2.) Solid economic performance
3.) Potential external threat =
Soviet Union
 All 3 changed
1980 – Tito dies
Economy in decline – inflation and
employment rose
USSR – Gorbachev no threat, so
ethnic groups not together
Yugoslavia: Breakup 1991-1992
- Republic became independent
countries
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Civil War
1992-1995
- War among Muslims, Serbs
Croats
- Bloody Civil War: 250,000
deaths
Internati. Perception of Key Groups
Bosnian Muslims: most favored b/c
‘under-dogs’ / least armed, no ‘ethnic
big brother,’ want a multi-ethnic
Bosnia
Bosnian Serbs: want a greater Serbia,
start conflict, most guilty of ethnic
cleansing
Croats (Catholic): want a greater
Croatia; @ time persuaded to join in
alliance w/ Muslims
Why Peace Possible?
1.) After 3.5 yrs. of fighting, groups
look to compromise
2.) International/Economic
sanctions against sponsor
3.) NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization) first time military
force directly
Dayton Peace Accord, 1995
 Why
Dayton Ohio?
– neutral, good security
– good logistics: maps: Wright
Patterson Air Force Base
– role of America  going to be
noticed
Evaluation
 Did
end bloody war
 Provides a framework for
reconciliation
 Did not follow through