America Confronts the Post-Cold War Era

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America Confronts the Post-Cold War Era

• 1992-2004
• There is nothing wrong with America that cannot
  be cured with what is right in America
• Bill Clinton, Inaugural, 1993

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Opportunities and Obstacles

• During the last decade of the 20th century
• Slumbering economy
• Widening gender gap
• Anti-incumbent spirit
• Provided key opportunity for Democrats-out of the
  White House all but 4 years since 1968.

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The 1992 Democratic Primary

• William J. Clinton (Gov. of Arkansas)- won
  democratic primary in spite of accusations of
  womanizing draft evasion.
• New Democrat- pro-economic growth, strong
  national defense, and anti-crime
• Chose Al Gore (another white southerner) as
  running mate.

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1992 Election Campaign

• Democratic Campaign issues
• Stimulate the economy
• Reform welfare system
• Overhaul nations healthcare system (40 million
  Americans without coverage).

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1992 Republican Convention Campaign

• Nominated George H.W.Bush running mate Danforth
  Quayle
• Republican convention emphasis
• Family values
• Bush Campaign unenergetic campaign long winded
  speeches made him looked old next to youthful
  Clinton.
• Took credit for Cold War end Persian Gulf
  leadership
• US citizens most concerned about lagging economy.

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American Independent Party

• Candidate H. Ross Perot
• Billionaire from Texas
• Emphasized the need to reduce the HUGE budget
  deficit
• Won 20 of the vote on election day
• Won over 19 million votes (most for 3rd party
  since TR Bull Moose Party 1912)

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Bill Clinton Elected President- 1st Baby Boomer
elected President!!
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Democrats win Big In Congress

• Democrats won Big majorities in Congress in 1992
  also.
• Near Record numbers of new members
• 39 African-Americans, 19 Hispanic, 7 Asian, 1
  Native American
• 48 women (Carol Moseley-Braun -1st
  African-American woman to serve in US Senate).

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A Government that looks like America Bill
Clinton

• Janet Reno- 1st female Attorney-General
• Donna Shalala- 1st female Sec. of Health Human
  Services
• Henry Cisneros- Housing Urban Development
• Ron Brown- Sec. of Commerce
• Ruth Bader Ginsberg- Clinton nominated to Supreme
  Court 1993

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A Series of Blunders

• Advocated an end to ban on gays lesbians in
  armed forces.
• Fierce opposition occurred
• Finally settled on a Dont ask, Dont tell
  Policy- far short of ending the ban.
• 2. Attempted to Reform the nations healthcare
• Appointed Hillary Clinton to lead taskforce to
  redesign the healthcare system.
• Complicated heavily opposed by the insurance
  industry, the plan was DOA in 1993.

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Clinton Domestic Achievements

• The Deficit Reduction Bill (1993)- combined with
  great economy by 1996 lowered federal deficit by
  lowest level in a decade.
• Creates unique issue of federal SURPUSES how to
  use them.
• 2. The Brady Bill (1993)- gun control law.
• 1994- Clinton also got Congress to pass
  anti-crime law which outlawed several types of
  assault weapons placed more officers on the
  streets.

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1999 Columbine shootings caused huge gun control
debate in the US
Clinton signs the Brady Bill as James Brady
(former Press Sec. for Reagan) looks on with
approval (1993)
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Anti-Government Attitudes Inflamed

• The Branch Dravidian Standoff (1993) federal
  agents stormed a religious sects compound in
  Waco, Texas.
• 168 men, women, children killed
• Fire set supposedly by cult members instead of
  being taken alive

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David Koresh-Branch Davidian Leader
Branch Davidian Compound burning
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• Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)- federal office
  building bombed by domestic terrorists in
  retaliation for Branch Dravidian standoff.
• Highlighted underworld of militia groups across
  the US suspicious of the government
• States also passed term
• limits for office

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1994 Congressional Elections

• Clinton blunders antigovernment feelings gave
  Republicans great opportunity.
• Led by Newt Gingrich (Ga. Rep) offered the
  Contract with America contained promises to
  attack budget deficits and reduce welfare
  programs.
• Result of Election All Republican gubernatorial,
  senatorial, congressional candidate were
  re-elected.
• Picked up 11 new governorships, 8 Senate seats,
  53 House seats (Gingrich Speaker)
• Republicans take control of both houses 1st time
  in 40 years!!

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Accomplishments of the Republican led Congress

• Like Clinton-the Republicans overplayed their
  hand.
• Restricted Unfunded Mandates- fed. Laws that
  imposed new obligations on states local
  governments without providing new revenue.
• The Welfare Reform Bill (1996)- deep cuts to
  welfare required able-bodied recipients to find
  work.
• Compelled Clinton to sign-horrified liberals
• Restricted welfare for legal illegal immigrants

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The 1995 Budget Impasse

• Americans became convinced the Republicans were
  overreaching
• For example, Gingrich proposed children of
  welfare families be sent to orphanages
• Disagreement over the presidents budget by
  Republicans shut the government down for a few
  days American backlash against Republicans.

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The 1996 Election

• Republicans chose Kansas Senator Robert Bob
  Dole.
• Democrats re-nominated Clinton.
• The Reform Party candidate Ross Perot picked up
  only half the votes he got in 1992.
• Clinton won a 2nd Term- 1st Dem. Reelected since
  FDR!!
• Republicans kept control of Congress

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1996 Clinton wins again!!
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Clinton vs. Republican Congress

• Clinton proposed only modest agenda in the face
  of Republican opposition and seized the middle
  ground.
• Prosperous economy tax revenues led to 1998 1st
  balanced federal budget in 30 years!!
• Endorsed the Welfare Reform Act
• Mend it, not end it Affirmative Action
• Hopwood v. Texas
• Prop 209
• Clinton criticized assaults on Affirmative
  action, but, did not reverse them. Why??

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The dot.com Economic Boom

• Clintons major advantage over Republicans was
  the booming economy.
• By 2000, the US had the longest sustained
  economic growth in US history.
• Driven by high tech industry (dot.com)
• Unemployment remained low (4)
• Inflation remained low

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Clinton Foreign Trade

• (1993) North American Free Trade Agreement
  (NAFTA)- free trade zone between the US, Canada,
  Mexico.
• Clinton reversed campaign stand shocked labor
  leaders.
• 2. Supported creation of the World Trade
  Organization (WTO)
• Clinton hosted meeting in Seattle in 1999.
• Protestors against globalization organized

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Campaign Finance Reform

• During the 1996 election, Congress investigators
  discovered that the Clinton campaign received
  improper contributions (contributors who got to
  stay overnight in the Lincoln bedroom
  foreigners).
• Both parties were reliant on vast sums of money
• Some members of Congress made campaign finance a
  major issue.

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Clinton Foreign Policy

• The end of the Cold War ended long standing
  policies. Clinton struggled to find a policy to
  replace it.
• Somalia (1993)- US troops sent as part of
  peace-keeping force dozen US troops killed by
  Somali rebels.
• Clinton withdrew troops March 1994.
• 2. Rwanda (central Africa) 1995 ethnic violence
  broke out Washington stood by about 500,00
  people were killed.

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1993- Somalia
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Clinton Foreign Policy

• 3. Haiti- Democratically elected leader
  Jean-Bertrand Aristide was deposed by military
  coup in 1991.
• Thousands of Haitian refugees seek refuge in US
• 1994--Clinton sent 20,000 US troops to restore
  Aristide to power.

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The 1991 overthrow of Bertrand Aristide created a
refugee exodus. Here Refugees seek asylum in the
US. The US denied access.
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Clinton China Policy

• 1992 Clinton criticized Pres. Bush for not using
  sanctions against China for human rights
  violations.
• found out that China was much too important to
  the US economy.
• Clinton wanted better trade with China
  hesitated to confront China on human rights.
• Congress passed a trade bill with China in 2000,
  which made a US trade partner (pushed by
  Clinton).

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Clinton the Balkans Crisis

• In the former Yugoslavia- ethnic violence raged
  through Bosnia. Clinton administration hesitated
  until
• 1995- Clinton committed US troops to a NATO
  peace-keeping force
• NATO forces were spread to Poland, Hungary, the
  Czech Republicconflict continued.
• 1999- Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic
  carried out a new phase of ethnic cleansing
  against Albanians in Kosovo.
• US led NATO forces launched airstrikes against
  Serbia.
• Milosevic was arrested in 2001 placed on trial
  for war crimes- US role as peace-keepers grows

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Clinton the Middle East

• A major focus until Clinton left office.
• 1993- Clinton brokered a meeting between (Israeli
  premier Yitzhak Rabin PLO leader Yasir Arafat)
• Both men agreed to idea of self-rule
  Palestinians.
• Rabin assassinated 2 years later.
• Arafat died 2004

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Clinton Scandal

• Dogged him since BEFORE he was president.
• Whitewater Land Corporation - failed real estate
  investment deal.
• Clintons involved- federal special prosecutor
  assigned
• Wrong doing never materialized.

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Clinton Scandal

• 2. Biggest scandal- Monica Lewinski
• 1998 report revealed Clintons sexual affair with
  White House intern.
• Clinton lied about the affair in another womans
  sexual harassment law suit against him.
• 1998- Kenneth Starr (Special Prosecutor)-
  resented a report to Congress.
• 2 Articles of Impeachment passed by House
  (perjury obstruction of justice).
• Did his conduct rise to the level of high crimes
  misdemeanors?
• Senate trial vote- 5 Republicans joined Democrats
  to block expulsion from office.

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The Clinton Legacy

• Moderate reformer (public support for Patient's
  Bill of Rights)
• Federal Surpluses- used to hire 100,000 teachers
  50,000 police officers.
• Economic growth (full employment, low poverty
  rates, median income rose)
• New Democrat- consolidated the Reagan-Bush
  revolution against liberalism.
• Lowered expectations government
• Low standard of personal conduct
• Made a deal with special prosecutor immunity
  agreed to a fine five year suspension from law
  practice.
• Made controversial pardons to financial
  supporters