An Uncertain Future: Clinton and Bush II

The Perot Revolt

• A New Generation• William Clinton (D)• Bush I and Quayle (R)• H. Ross Perot (Independent)• Rodney King Riots• Perot: 19.7 million and 0 EV• Bush: 39.1 million / 168 EV• Clinton: 44.9 million / 370 EV

Neoliberalism

• Neoliberals

• Higher Taxes on the Rich

• Earned Income Tax Credit

• The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

Problems

• Health Care Reform

• Waffler?

• “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

• Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Steven Breyer

• Court Tilts Right Anyway

Foreign Policy

• Palestine and Israel

• China

• Somalia and Rwanda

• Bosnia

• NATO changes

Clinton vs. Republicans

• 1994 Midterms– Newt Gingrich– Contract with America

• The Budget Crisis of 1995-6

• Welfare Reform

1996

• Bill Clinton vs. Bob Dole (R)

• Perot and the Reform Party

• Clinton: 47.4 million (379 electoral)

• Dole: 39.2 million (159 electoral)

• Perot: 8 million

Clinton’s Second Term

• Violence and Domestic Terror

• Conservatives vs. Crime

• War on Drugs

• Falling Crime

• Debating the Death Penalty

Clinton Self-Destructs

• Whitewater

• Ken Starr

• Monica Lewinsky

• Definitions of Sex

• Impeachment

• Consequences

“It’s the Economy, Stupid”--The 1990s Boom

• Boom Times

• The Surplus

• Higher Efficiency

• The Service Economy

• Urban

• High-Tech Sector– Silicon Valley

Instant Communications

• The Internet

• The World Wide Web

• The Dotcoms

• Mobile Telephones / Cellphones

• Into the World Market

Politics of Trade

• NAFTA

• World Trade Organization

• Tourism and Trade

Broadening Democracy

• Clinton and Bush II’s first cabinets

• America in 2000:– 281,400,000 Americans– Growing Ethnic Diversity: 35.2 million

hispanics, 34 million blacks, 10.24 Asian Americans

Women in Politics

• National Level

• Women in Suburban Politics

• National Organizations

• The Clarence Thomas nomination

• Women in Office

• Gender Gap

Minorities at the Ballot Box

• Political Power at the Local Level

• Return to District Voting

• National Level

• Equalization?

• Illegal Immigration and Bilingual Education

• Affirmative Action?– University of California vs. Bakke (1978)

The 2000 Election

• Albert Gore, Jr.

• George Bush, Jr.

• The Florida Mess

• The Power of the Center

Bush Before 9-11

• King of Deficits

• Deregulation

• Education– No Child Left Behind (2001)– Zelman v. Simmons-Harris (2002)

• Downsized Diplomacy

9-11: The Towers Are Falling

• Al-Queda

• Afghanistan

• Ignoring the Threat

• 9-11

• Placing Blame

• Brief Unity

Responses to 9-11

• Security Measures– The Patriot Act – The Department of Homeland Security

• Oppression of Dissent

• Afghanistan

Iraq War II

• Revenge

• Lies and other Excuses

• The UN

• March 2003 Invasion

• Swift Victory: May 1, 2003

• Failed Aftermath: Over 3,000 US soldiers dead

Arrogation of Powers

• Imperial Commander in Chief

• Executive Privilege

• Imperial Vice President

• Heritage of the Nixon and Ford Administrations

Bush II Meltdown

• Abu Ghraib

• 2004: John Kerry (D) vs. Bush II (R)– A Narrow Defeat

• Hurricane Katrina (2005)

• Trouble in Iraq

• 2006: Democratic Comeback– Republican Filibustering

• Bush Plumbs New Depths