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The Presidency of William
Jefferson Clinton1993-2000
The Clinton Administration
Essential Question:
How should historians judge the impact, effectiveness, and legacy of the Clinton administration?
Clinton’s Early Years
Bill Clinton meets President John F. Kennedy as a 16 year-old delegate of Boy’s Nation on June 6, 1963
Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham at Yale Law School, January 1972
Bill Clinton runs for Student Council
President at Georgetown University
Education
Georgetown University, Oxford University, Yale Law School
Early interest in politics
Attorney general of Arkansas at 30 years of age
Nation’s youngest governor at 32 years of age (Arkansas)
Bill Clinton taking the Oath of Office as the Governor of Arkansas on January 9, 1979
1992 Presidential Election
Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1992
Pushed for middle-class tax cuts and a national health-care system
Relied on his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, a top lawyer
Clinton presented himself as the protector of the middle class
Clinton won 370 electoral votes to Bush’s 168, although Clinton won less than 50 percent of the popular vote.Clinton 1992 Campaign Ad
1992 Election Results
Road to the Whitehouse
During the campaign, Clinton was accused of sexual harassment by Paula Jones
Clinton was also accused of having an inappropriate relationship with Gennifer Flowers
Despite the scandals involving these women, Clinton was elected.
Ask Yourself…
The personal lives of many famous people are prone to public scrutiny. Do you think it is fair that Bill Clinton was forced to address questions about his personal relationships when running for office?
Would these scandals have impacted your decision to vote for Bill Clinton? Why?
Clinton’s Domestic Issues
1) Budget Deficit Campaigned on promise to
reduce taxes for the middle class
However, Clinton raised taxes. Critics complained that the tax
increase would hurt the economy but this did not happen.
2) Health Care Health care costs were rising
and tens of millions of Americans had little or no health insurance.
Hillary Clinton headed a special task force which proposed a government-sponsored program of health care.
The plan was defeated after months of debate.
Clinton’s Domestic Issues Cont.
3) Developed NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) Eliminated tariffs
between the US, Canada & Mexico
Meant to stimulate the economy by encouraging increased free trade
NAFTA
Positives: Increased trade Increased agricultural
production Jobs created
Negatives Poor working
conditions Loss of jobs in the US
Other Domestic Challenges
4) Internet emerged as a major means
of communication and commerce People “telecommute” (do
their jobs from home) People were concerned
about inappropriate material on the Internet
The White House tried to pass a law to limit sexually explicit material, but the Supreme Court ruled that it violated the right to freedom of speech
Other Domestic Challenges
5) Terrorism Terrorists used a
truck filled with explosives to blow up the Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people in 1995.
Timothy McVeigh, an army veteran, was convicted for planning the bombing
The bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 killed168 and injured approximately 700.
Timothy McVeigh
American Terrorism
• In response to the bombing, Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 1996
• The Act was in many way similar to the Patriot Act that was signed following the 9/11 attacks
• Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death and was executed in 2001
Foreign Policy Challenges
1) Haiti – 1991 Clinton pledged the
use of American troops to lead a UN mission to remove a military dictator.
The presence of UN forces helped bring about a generally peaceful change in government.
Foreign Policy Challenges
2) Oslo Accords – 1993 2nd U.S. attempt for peace
in the Middle East Clinton hosted the signing
of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
Agreed to self-rule for Palestinians in return for the Palestinians recognizing Israel’s right to exist Violence broke out and final
peace settlement not reached Jordan became the 2nd Arab
state to recognize Israel
Foreign Policy Challenges
3) Somalia – 1993 Bush had sent troops
to help the UN distribute food to victims of the civil war.
UN forces also worked to end the fighting.
After 19 Americans died, the mission lost public support and Clinton withdrew the remaining soldiers in March 1994 Stopped U.S. from
sending help to Rwanda.
Foreign Policy Challenges
4) Rwanda – 1994 In April 1994 genocide
erupted due to a conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups
Between 500,000 to 1 million people, mainly Tutsi, were killed over 100 days
Almost 2 million Hutus fled Rwanda for refugee camps in neighboring countries Clinton ordered airdrops of
food & supplies for refugees UN & US faced criticism for not
responding Clinton admitted, “I blew it.”
Foreign Policy Challenges
5) Bosnian War – 1992-1995 Result of the breakup of
Yugoslavia split into Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina made up of: Bosnian Orthodox Serbs
(wanted Bosnia to remain part of Yugoslavia & are supported by Serbian gov’t)
Bosnian Muslims and Catholic Croats (wanted independence for Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Foreign Policy Challenges
Bosnian Serbs & the Serbian gov’t started ethnic cleansing of the Muslim population in Bosnia & the Albanian population in Kosovo
Ethnic cleansing = removal of an ethnic group from a geographic area Force them to move by murdering members of the group
to scare them away or by deporting them Intent is to create a territory inhabited by people that are
all the same in ethnicity, religion, culture, and history
Genocide = murder to completely kill off the group
Ethnic cleansing = murder only to the point of making the group leave the territory
Foreign Policy Challenges
US convinced NATO allies to take military actionClinton arranged peace talks in Dayton, Ohio
signed a peace plan called the Dayton AccordsIn 1996 = 60,000 NATO troops (with 20,000
Americans) entered Bosnia to enforce the peace planIn 1998 = war in Kosovo broke out
2 major ethnic groups: Serbs & Albanians Albanians wanted to keep Kosovo separate from Serbia
Slobodan Milosevic, leader of Serbia, used violence against Albanian civilians to keep Kosovo in Serbia
In March 1999, NATO began bombing Serbia Convinced Serbia to pull troops out of Kosovo
Re-election
In 1996 Clinton defeated Bob Dole of Kansas.
The only Democrat to win reelection to a 2nd term of office as president since FDR
What events led to scandal and impeachment proceedings during the Clinton presidency?
1) Whitewater real estate deal Kenneth Starr led an
investigation into a failed real estate investment the Clintons were involved in during the 1970s.
Clintons accused of improper campaign contributions, political and financial favors, hiding files which they claim to have lost
Other participants were found guilty of fraud
2) Paula Jones sexual harassment case In 1997, Jones sued Clinton for
sexual harassment Lawsuit occurred around the
same time as the Lewinsky investigation
Clinton settled out of court for $850,000
What events led to scandal and impeachment proceedings during the Clinton presidency?
3) Monica Lewinsky case During the grand jury
investigation, Clinton was accused of lying under oath about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky
Clinton continued to deny the relationship until evidence of the relationship was brought to light
Many demanded he be punished for committing perjury
Impeachment
On December 18, 1998, the U.S. Congress voted to impeach the President.
The House approved two articles of impeachment but the Senate did not have the 2/3 majority needed to convict Clinton
Ask Yourself….
Was President Clinton wrong for lying about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky?
How did Clinton’s actions impact the image of the Presidency? Do you think the U.S.
Senate should have voted to impeach the President?
P6 HW: Evaluate the Clinton Administration
Considering all you have learned about Clinton, his domestic policies, and his foreign policies, do you think he was a good President or a bad one? Why?
Also consider this – Did Clinton make the right decision when he:• Allowed the US to take part in NAFTA?• Passed the Anti-Terrorism act in 1996?• Sent troops to be part of the UN forces
as humanitarian aid to Rwanda & Bosnia?
• Lied about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky?
Successes of the Clinton Presidency
1) The Family Medical Leave Act was passed up to 12 weeks per year of unpaid
family leave for births or family illness)
2) Interest rates reduced on loans more people could affordably borrow
money to buy homes and cars
3) Welfare programs reformed recipients would not receive assistance
for more than 2 years required people to work to receive
benefits
Successes of the Clinton Presidency
4) AmeriCorps created Similar to Peace Corps but in
the US Work in low-income housing,
teaching children to read, cleaning up environment
5) Brady Bill Required a waiting period to
buy handguns Required background checks
Successes of the Clinton Presidency
• 6) By raising income taxes and taxes on fuel, Clinton was able to overcome the national debt and create a budget surplus
Foreign Policy Challenges
5) Bosnian War – 1992 Civil War within Bosnia
and Herzegovina between different groups
Violence raged between the new countries formed from the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Clinton helped broker the Dayton Accords to end the fighting in Bosnia in 1995
He urged NATO to act against Serbia.
The Serb army was forcing ethnic Albanians from the Serbian region of Kosovo.