BILL CLINTON (1993-2001)GEORGE W. BUSH (2001-2009)BARACK OBAMA (2009 – PRESENT)

Campaign Promises v. Reality:

- Mandate?

- Midterm Election (1994) – Newt Gingrich and the Contract for America - Divided Government

Clinton’s Agenda:

1. Health Care Reform?

2. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy + Defense of Marriage Act

3. Crime and Gun Control - Brady Bill +Assault Rifle Ban

4. Welfare Reform – AFDC

5. Economy and Budget Deficits

- Raises Taxes

- Budget battle - 1995 and 1996 Shutdown

- Dot-com boom

- 1998 Balance Budget and Surplus

Clinton’s Domestic Policies

-Special Investigator – Kenneth Starr

1. Whitewater Affair – Loans and Cover-up in Arkansas + Vince Foster

2. Sexual Harassment Charges – Paula Jones

- Grand Jury Hearing and dismissal

- Monica Lewinski and Linda Tripp

- Starr calls Grand Jury - Lewinski’s Testimony

- Clinton’s admission

- Starr’s Report

- Perjury + Obstruction of Justice

- House Impeachment + Senate Acquittal

- Results? – Teflon President and the Economy, Apathy

Clinton’s Impeachment

-Wanted Peace and increase standard of living around the world - MultilateralSuccesses:

- Bosnia - 1995 – NATO Peacekeeping Troops- Kosovo - 1998 - NATO Bombings- Haiti – Aristide – UN- N. Ireland – Good Friday Agreement

Failures:- Rwanda – Hutus + Tutsis – Genocide- Arabs + Israelis? – Oslo Accords

Nuclear Proliferation - Pakistan, India, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Former Soviet Republics?

Terrorism – WTC, Oklahoma City, Embassy in Kenya, USS Cole

.

North American Free Trade Association NAFTA – US, Canada, Mexico

General Agreement on Trade + Tariffs (GATT )– World Trade Organization (WTO) - 153 Member Nations

Supporters – increase in trade, improve economy, raise standard of living, lower prices (Walmart Phenomenon)

Opponents – US factories and downsizing, Outsourcing, Human Rights, environment

Election 2000– Florida Recount - Bush v. Gore George W. Bush (R) Al Gore (D)

• Results of the Election - Voter Apathy, Reform Electoral College?, HAVA, Mandate?

• Supply-side Economics – 30% Tax Cut

- Reduction in Government Spending – Downsizing- college loans, school lunch programs, welfare

- Deregulation – Environment – ANWR and Kyoto Protocol, Financial Institutions

• No Child Left Behind Act

• Second Term - Social Security, Immigration, Hurricane Katrina - 2006 Midterm Elections – Divided Government

• 2007 – Recession – Stock Market, Housing Market, Unemployment

War on Terrorism –

- September 11, 2001 – WTC, Pentagon - 3000 Americans died

- Islamic Extremists – Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda

- Invasion of Afghanistan – Overthrow Taliban

- USA Patriot Act

- Department of Homeland Security - TSA

- Axis of Evil – Iran, Iraq, North Korea

- War in Iraq – WMDs

- Bush Doctrine – Preemptive and Unilateral

CAFTA – Free Trade

Two major areas of concern:

A. The Economy – Great Recession

1. Outsourcing - unemployment 10%

2. Budget Deficits and National Debt - $8.3 Trillion

3. Housing Market and Stock Market

B. Foreign Policy:

1. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

2. US Reputation and Unilateralism

Election of 2008: John McCain v. Barack Obama

Election of 2008

1. Economy – Great Recession

- Stimulus Package - $787 Billion – Government Spending

- Regulations on banks, mortgages, + stock market

- Banking and Auto Industry Bailouts - Citigroup, Chrysler, GM

- Balanced Budget and National Debt – $17.5 Trillion

2. Foreign Policy

- Return to Multilateralism, US Reputation and Credibility, Diplomacy

- Wars in Iraq (Dec. 2011) and Afghanistan (2014)

- Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden

- Middle East and Arab Awakening – Libya, Syria

- Iran and North Korea

3. Health Care - Uninsured Americans – 15%, Cost of Health Care- Stem Cell Research and preventative care- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) – January 2014 – individual mandate, exchanges and subsidies

4. The Environment- Rachel Carson +Silent Spring

- EPA and Recycling Programs - Al Gore + An Inconvenient Truth

- Global Warming + Emissions Standards (CAFE)

- Alternate Sources of Energy – Green Technology

- Tax incentives and energy efficiency

5. Immigration –- Current Policy - Preferences- Asian and Hispanic Immigration- Illegal Immigrants – Border Security, Path to Legalization, Safe Havens, Dream Act

6. Gun Control – Assault Rifles, Other Limits?7. Gays Rights – Repeal of DADT, Supreme Court overturns DOMA, Gay Marriage (17)8. Social Security and Medicare–

- Graying of America and Baby Boom - Funding?- Options: Increase Taxes, Raise Retirement

Age, Cut Benefits, Investment