Clinton, Bush, Clinton, Bush, & Obama& Obama

Bill ClintonBill Clinton 1946 – Present1946 – Present 4242ndnd President (1993 – President (1993 –

2001)2001) Won election despite Won election despite

numerous reports of numerous reports of extramarital affairs and extramarital affairs and having no national-level having no national-level political experiencepolitical experience

Promised major health-Promised major health-care reform in his care reform in his campaign, but was campaign, but was unable to gain approval unable to gain approval from a Republican from a Republican controlled Congresscontrolled Congress

The InternetThe Internet During the mid-1990s, During the mid-1990s,

localized computer localized computer networks began to networks began to become interconnected become interconnected as part of the “World as part of the “World Wide Web,” forever Wide Web,” forever changing how we changing how we communicatecommunicate

Between 1997 and 2000, Between 1997 and 2000, internet use soared 300%internet use soared 300%

The internet also sparked The internet also sparked a boom in “dot.com” a boom in “dot.com” companies, briefly driving companies, briefly driving economic prosperity in economic prosperity in the late 1990sthe late 1990s

The Deficit and The Deficit and TaxesTaxes

Clinton had Clinton had campaigned on a campaigned on a platform of platform of economic recovery economic recovery through reduction of through reduction of the federal deficitthe federal deficit

To do this, he was To do this, he was forced to increase forced to increase taxes on the middle-taxes on the middle-class and on fuelsclass and on fuels

Health Care FailureHealth Care Failure Clinton had also Clinton had also

promised health care promised health care reform to provide reform to provide health insurance to the health insurance to the 40 million Americans 40 million Americans without itwithout it

Clinton lacked enough Clinton lacked enough political support in political support in Congress for his Congress for his reforms and was not reforms and was not able to fulfill this able to fulfill this campaign promisecampaign promise

Family Medical Leave Family Medical Leave ActAct

Bill passed in 1993Bill passed in 1993 Provides workers up Provides workers up

to 12 weeks per year to 12 weeks per year of unpaid family of unpaid family leave for the birth or leave for the birth or adoption of a child, adoption of a child, or for dealing with a or for dealing with a serious illness of serious illness of themselves or a themselves or a close family memberclose family member

AmeriCorpsAmeriCorps Created in 1993 to put Created in 1993 to put

people to work people to work improving low-income improving low-income housing, tutoring housing, tutoring students in reading, or students in reading, or in cleaning up the in cleaning up the environmentenvironment

While in AmeriCorps, While in AmeriCorps, you earn a small salary you earn a small salary and scholarship money and scholarship money for continuing your for continuing your educationeducation

Expanded by Pres. BushExpanded by Pres. Bush Over 500,000 Americans Over 500,000 Americans

have participated in the have participated in the programprogram

Crime & Gun Crime & Gun ControlControl

Brady Handgun Violence Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993: Prevention Act of 1993: requires federal requires federal background check before background check before the purchase of a the purchase of a handgun, disallows handgun, disallows handgun ownership for handgun ownership for convicted felons, illegal convicted felons, illegal aliens, the mentally ill, aliens, the mentally ill, drug addicts, and drug addicts, and domestic abusersdomestic abusers

Clinton also won funding Clinton also won funding for building new prisons for building new prisons and putting over 100,000 and putting over 100,000 more police officers on more police officers on the streetsthe streets

Gingrich’s Contract With Gingrich’s Contract With AmericaAmerica

Rep. Newt Gingrich of Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia, a Republican, put Georgia, a Republican, put forward a plan in 1994 forward a plan in 1994 calling for lower taxes, calling for lower taxes, welfare reform, tougher welfare reform, tougher anti-crime laws, term anti-crime laws, term limits, and a balanced limits, and a balanced budget amendment, which budget amendment, which resulted in Republicans resulted in Republicans winning control of winning control of Congress and Gingrich Congress and Gingrich becoming Speaker of the becoming Speaker of the HouseHouse

Democratic president + Democratic president + Republican Congress = Republican Congress = stalemate for two years stalemate for two years until the two sides learned until the two sides learned to work together in 1996to work together in 1996

Balancing the Balancing the BudgetBudget

Clinton allowed the Clinton allowed the federal government to federal government to shut down in 1995 shut down in 1995 rather than accept a rather than accept a Republican-backed Republican-backed budget which cut into budget which cut into social program social program spendingspending

Eventually the two Eventually the two sides compromised sides compromised and produced a and produced a balanced budget bill balanced budget bill that was acceptable to that was acceptable to all partiesall parties

Welfare Reform Welfare Reform ActAct

Passed in 1996Passed in 1996 Limited recipients to Limited recipients to

no more than 2 no more than 2 consecutive years on consecutive years on welfare and no more welfare and no more than 5 years totalthan 5 years total

Required those Required those receiving welfare to receiving welfare to workwork

Gave tax breaks to any Gave tax breaks to any company hiring a company hiring a person on welfareperson on welfare

1996 Election1996 Election Democrats Democrats

nominated Clinton nominated Clinton for a 2for a 2ndnd term term

Republicans Republicans nominated Sen. Bob nominated Sen. Bob Dole of KansasDole of Kansas

Billionaire H. Ross Billionaire H. Ross Perot ran once again Perot ran once again as an independentas an independent

Clinton won, but in a Clinton won, but in a fairly close racefairly close race

Budget SurplusBudget Surplus As the economy As the economy

recovered, so did recovered, so did federal tax federal tax collections, leading collections, leading to a federal budget to a federal budget surplus – the surplus – the government government actually took in actually took in more in taxes than more in taxes than it spent from 1997 it spent from 1997 to 2002to 2002

Children’s Children’s ProgramsPrograms

Banned tobacco Banned tobacco advertising aimed at advertising aimed at children or teenagerschildren or teenagers

Children’s Health Children’s Health Insurance Program: Insurance Program: provides health provides health insurance for children insurance for children whose families can not whose families can not afford itafford it

Expanded federal Expanded federal loans for college tuitionloans for college tuition

Expanded funding for Expanded funding for Head StartHead Start

ScandalsScandals Travelgate: scandal over Travelgate: scandal over

the questionable the questionable dismissal of White House dismissal of White House Travel Office staffTravel Office staff

Troopergate: scandal Troopergate: scandal over Clinton’s use of over Clinton’s use of state troopers to cover-state troopers to cover-up his extramarital up his extramarital affairs while Governor of affairs while Governor of ArkansasArkansas

Whitewater: scandal Whitewater: scandal over Clinton’s alleged over Clinton’s alleged arranging of illegal loans arranging of illegal loans to a real estate to a real estate developer while developer while GovernorGovernor

The Monica Lewinsky The Monica Lewinsky ScandalScandal

In 1998, Clinton was In 1998, Clinton was accused of having an accused of having an affair with White House affair with White House intern Monica Lewinskyintern Monica Lewinsky

When questioned under When questioned under oath, Clinton lied about oath, Clinton lied about his relationship, his relationship, committing the crime of committing the crime of perjuryperjury

Clinton later admitted to Clinton later admitted to the affair and apologizedthe affair and apologized

ImpeachmentImpeachment In Dec. 1998, Clinton In Dec. 1998, Clinton

became only the second became only the second president to be president to be impeachedimpeached

The House of The House of Representatives passed Representatives passed articles of impeachment articles of impeachment for perjury and for perjury and obstruction of justice obstruction of justice related to the Lewinsky related to the Lewinsky scandalscandal

In Feb. 1999, Clinton was In Feb. 1999, Clinton was acquitted by the Senate in acquitted by the Senate in a narrow votea narrow vote

SomaliaSomalia Battle of Mogadishu: Battle of Mogadishu:

Oct. 3-4, 1993Oct. 3-4, 1993 US forces on a peace-US forces on a peace-

keeping mission in keeping mission in Somalia were ambushed Somalia were ambushed while attempting to while attempting to rescue the crews of two rescue the crews of two helicopters which had helicopters which had been shot downbeen shot down

19 Americans were 19 Americans were killed and 73 woundedkilled and 73 wounded

Popularized in the movie Popularized in the movie Black Hawk DownBlack Hawk Down

US forces left SomaliaUS forces left Somalia

HaitiHaiti After a military coup After a military coup

overthrew the overthrew the democratically elected democratically elected government of Haiti, the UN government of Haiti, the UN put a trade embargo in put a trade embargo in placeplace

To end the violence in Haiti, To end the violence in Haiti, Clinton ordered US troops to Clinton ordered US troops to invade and restore order, invade and restore order, but Haiti’s new rulers were but Haiti’s new rulers were convinced to step down by convinced to step down by former Pres. Carter before former Pres. Carter before the invasion took placethe invasion took place

US troops still took up US troops still took up position in Haiti for many position in Haiti for many weeks to ensure a peaceful weeks to ensure a peaceful transitiontransition

BosniaBosnia Civil war between Civil war between

Orthodox Christian Orthodox Christian Serbs, Catholic Serbs, Catholic Croatians, and Bosnian Croatians, and Bosnian Muslims broke out Muslims broke out between 1991 and between 1991 and 19951995

US-led NATO forces US-led NATO forces were used to end the were used to end the fighting and to enforce fighting and to enforce the 1996 Dayton the 1996 Dayton Accords peace planAccords peace plan

KosovoKosovo Civil war broke out Civil war broke out

in 1998 between in 1998 between Serbs and Albanians Serbs and Albanians in Kosovoin Kosovo

Again, US-led NATO Again, US-led NATO forces were used to forces were used to bring an end to the bring an end to the fighting and to fighting and to enforce a peace enforce a peace planplan

Middle Eastern Middle Eastern Peace?Peace?

Clinton orchestrated an Clinton orchestrated an agreement between agreement between Israel and the Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Organization (PLO) in which the two sides which the two sides agreed to negotiate agreed to negotiate over Palestinian rights over Palestinian rights in Israelin Israel

Unfortunately, no Unfortunately, no lasting peace lasting peace agreement was ever agreement was ever struckstruck

NAFTANAFTA North American Free North American Free

Trade AgreementTrade Agreement Passed in 1994Passed in 1994 Canada, Mexico, and Canada, Mexico, and

the US joined into a the US joined into a “free trade zone”“free trade zone”

Increased US trade Increased US trade with its neighbors, with its neighbors, but shifted many but shifted many manufacturing jobs manufacturing jobs to Mexico while the to Mexico while the US became a service US became a service and technology and technology based economybased economy

European UnionEuropean Union Formed in 1993Formed in 1993 Created to promote Created to promote

economic and political economic and political cooperation amongst cooperation amongst European statesEuropean states

Members share a Members share a common currency (the common currency (the Euro)Euro)

Weakened US political Weakened US political and economic and economic influence in Europe, as influence in Europe, as EU members began to EU members began to cut back on US importscut back on US imports

Kyoto ProtocolKyoto Protocol International International

environmental environmental conference, held in conference, held in Japan in 1997Japan in 1997

38 nations plus the 38 nations plus the EU agreed to EU agreed to reduce greenhouse reduce greenhouse emissions, but the emissions, but the US never approved US never approved the plan and pulled the plan and pulled out of the talks in out of the talks in 20012001

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City BombingBombing

April 19, 1995April 19, 1995 Terror attack carried Terror attack carried

out by American out by American Timothy McVeigh, an Timothy McVeigh, an anti-government anti-government militiamanmilitiaman

Truck bomb detonated Truck bomb detonated in front of the federal in front of the federal building, killing 168building, killing 168

McVeigh was later McVeigh was later executed for his role executed for his role in the attackin the attack

Terror AttacksTerror Attacks World Trade Center World Trade Center

bombing: Feb. 26, 1993, bombing: Feb. 26, 1993, Islamic terrorists detonated Islamic terrorists detonated a truck bomb under the a truck bomb under the WTC in an attempt to bring WTC in an attempt to bring down the North Tower, down the North Tower, killing 6 and injuring over killing 6 and injuring over 10001000

US Embassy bombings: US US Embassy bombings: US embassies in Kenya and embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were attacked by Tanzania were attacked by terror bombers in Aug. 1998terror bombers in Aug. 1998

USS Cole: US warship which USS Cole: US warship which was attacked in Oct. 2000 was attacked in Oct. 2000 by al Qaeda suicide by al Qaeda suicide bomber, killing 17bomber, killing 17

Election of 2000Election of 2000 Democrats Democrats

nominated Vice-nominated Vice-President Al GorePresident Al Gore

Republicans Republicans nominated Texas nominated Texas Governor George Governor George W. BushW. Bush

Environmentalist Environmentalist and reformer Ralph and reformer Ralph Nader ran as an Nader ran as an independentindependent

ControversyControversy In one of the closest In one of the closest

elections in US history, elections in US history, Bush won by only 6 Bush won by only 6 electoral votes, thanks electoral votes, thanks largely to his victory in largely to his victory in FloridaFlorida

The votes in Florida The votes in Florida were so close that a were so close that a recount was called, but recount was called, but due to problems with due to problems with the ballots, recounting the ballots, recounting was difficult and was difficult and required too much required too much interpretation of voter interpretation of voter intentintent

Bush v GoreBush v Gore When Bush was When Bush was

declared the winner in declared the winner in Florida, Gore suedFlorida, Gore sued

The US Supreme Court The US Supreme Court was forced to rule on was forced to rule on the validity of the the validity of the election results and election results and found that a hand found that a hand recount of ballots, recount of ballots, requiring interpretation requiring interpretation of voter intent, was of voter intent, was unfair, thereby allowing unfair, thereby allowing the election results to the election results to standstand