The Clinton Administration

President George H.W. Bush could not sustain his popularity after the Gulf War. The American economy had gone into recession. The federal deficit rose. Bush broke his promise to not increase taxes. Saddam Hussein was still in power and threatening the Middle East. During the 1992 election, voters responded by nominating a centrist candidate, Democrat William Jefferson Clinton. 2

When Clinton took office, the Democrats also controlled both houses of Congress. One of his first acts was to sign the Family Medical Leave Act, guaranteeing employees unpaid leave in the event of a health crisis. He also increased the minimum wage, made college loans easier to obtain, and expanded tax credits for higher education.

Clinton also attempted to reform healthcare. A task force, led by First Lady Hillary Clinton, was formed to develop a program that would guarantee care for all Americans. But Clinton overestimated popular support for the initiative; most Americans thought it was too complicated. The healthcare reform bill was widely criticized, and it was dropped after a year of debate. This setback, two years into Clinton’s term, signaled a turning point in his popularity, and Republicans responded. 4

Led by Congressman Newt Gingrich, the Republicans set forth a plan called the Contract With America. The contract’s message created strong voter turnout among Republicans in 1994. For the first time in 40 years, the Republicans won control of the House and the Senate. 5

Clinton used some conservative ideas, such as balancing the federal budget and reducing the deficit, during his 1996 bid for reelection. A sustained period of economic growth in the mid-1990s helped Clinton win reelection by a wide margin.

By the 1980s, computers were transforming American business and everyday life. Technological advances made other electronics, such as video games and cell phones, possible. Apple Computers and Microsoft made computers and software affordable for millions of Americans.

New communications technologies enabled companies to do business around the world. Multinational corporations began doing business in many different countries at one time. Globalization has made products cheaper and available to more people, but this comes at a price: economic woes that affect one region are now often felt in other regions.

Fastest Growing Occupations (2019) The production of goods in the United States is declining, but our production of services is quickly increasing. Economists call this a service economy. Fastest Growing Occupations (2019) Alternative Energy Techs Home Health Aides Physicians Assistants Nurse Practitioners Physical Therapists Software Developers Workers in many different fields are finding that they now need computer skills to get jobs.

The late twentieth century became known as the “information age.” Computers, cell phones, and satellites made communication and information access fast and easy. The Internet, a worldwide network of computers, transformed business, education, and entertainment. Today the internet is increasingly available in more ways, including on mobile devices. This technology continues to transform American life at school, work, and home. 10

But Clinton’s presidency was also marred by scandal. In 1994, Clinton was investigated by a special federal prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, regarding an Arkansas real estate investment. In 1998, Clinton was investigated again regarding his relationship with a White House intern. Under oath, he denied that the two had an affair. Later, he admitted he had lied. The House impeached him in 1998. After a Senate trial in early 1999, Clinton was acquitted on both counts.

Global Politics and Economics in the 1990s

A world economic leader, the U. S A world economic leader, the U.S. supported free trade blocs and promoted globalization. Under Clinton’s watch, the United States agreed to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the North American response to Europe’s European Union (EU), in 1994. But many groups opposed NAFTA, saying it would take jobs away from the United States and hurt the environment.

Trade between the United States, Canada, and Mexico increased between 1990 and 2000.

Clinton signed 270 free trade agreements, including GATT and the accords of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Although critics continued to raise concerns over these agreements, most people agree that economic globalization has had positive effects.

With the Cold War over, the United States had to redefine its role in the world. It took a primary role in financing and managing the World Bank, which helps developing nations with issues such as healthcare, human rights, and poverty. The United States believes that developing countries with stable economies are vital to its own security.

U.S. Military Intervention in the 1990s Many Americans favored economic support for foreign countries. Just as many feared lending military support to embattled nations. But Clinton felt several conflicts demanded U.S intervention. 1992 – Somalia 1994 – Haiti 17

In the Balkans, the fall of communism brought about the destabilization of Yugoslavia. Long-simmering ethnic and religious tensions came to a boil in the region. A brutal civil war erupted between Serbs, Bosnians, and Croats. In 1995, NATO bombed Serbian strongholds in order to end their brutal practice of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.

Conflict in the Middle East increased in the 1990s. Fighting between the Israelis and Palestinians became more violent, threatening to destabilize the entire region. In 2000, Clinton brought Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli leader Ehud Barak to Camp David to broker a peace agreement between them. It was not successful.

The United States became a target of Middle Eastern extremists. A terrorist group called al Qaeda exploded a bomb in the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993. The group also set off bombs, killing more than 225 people at American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. In 2000, they attacked the USS Cole, a warship anchored off Yemen, killing 17 American sailors. American leaders learned that fighting terrorism would be extremely difficult, both at home and abroad. 20

Clinton addressed the issue of gun violence by signing the Brady Bill in 1993 and the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994 (expired 2004). But violence still shook the nation, with the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the Columbine High School shootings in 1999. In response, stiff laws were passed to deter terrorism, and schools adopted “zero tolerance” measures against violence. 21