As Clinton left office, his legacy was uncertain. Although he had presided over the greatest period of economic growth in America, his presidency was marred by the impeachment trial, which divided the nation.

THE CLINTON YEARS

CLINTON ELECTED During the 1990s, a technological revolution transformed society. Clinton pushed for budget cuts, health care & welfare reforms, & global trade. He also worked for peace in the Middle East & the Balkans Election - Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush because the 3 rd party candidate took some votes from Rep. Party + struggling the economic situation. Clinton called himself a “New Democrat῀ to separate himself from more liberal democrats. – He wanted to cut middle class taxes & spending and reform health welfare. – As the first ᾿Baby Boom῀ president, Clinton brought a new attitude to the White House. President Bill Clinton ’ s domestic program focused on the economy, the family, education, crime, and health care.

CLINTON’S AGENDA – TAXES & SPENDING Clinton felt the problem with the economy was due to the federal deficit. – The high deficits caused the gov. to borrow large sums of money, which drove up interest rates. Clinton felt that the key to econ. growth was to lower interest rates. Because Clinton had difficulty cutting government spending that went to entitlement programs, he implemented new taxes.

A NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY - NAFTA In late 1900s, computer technology + the Internet helped to create a global economy. The sale of American-made goods abroad essential to American prosperity, but by the 1970s, however, there was a serious increase in trade deficits = Americans purchased more from foreign nations than American industry and agriculture sold abroad. In 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was created to increase international trade. Canada, the U.S., + Mexico joined in a free-trade zone. American manufacturers increased trade with Canada & Mexico. – Lowering international trade barriers  U.S. economy benefited from the sale of American exports + the purchase of imports would keep consumer prices, inflation, & interest rates low for Americans.

GLOBAL ECONOMY – EU & WTO In 1993 the European Union (EU) was created to promote economic & political cooperation among European nations. The EU formed a common bank and the euro, a common currency for member nations. The organization lifted barriers to trade between European nations and set policies on imports from nations outside the community. The World Trade Organization (WTO) administered international trade agreements and helped settle trade disputes. – American supporters of WTO felt it would benefit consumers. – The opposition felt it left no veto power to the United States and poorer nations could outvote it.

GLOBAL ECON. & TRADE WITH CHINA China became important in world trade. Its huge population offered vast potential as a U.S. market. Although many Americans were uneasy about China due to their human rights violations, Clinton negotiated a new trade agreement. The bill passed in October 2000, despite opposition from labor unionists, conservatives, + environmentalists. China was granted normal trade relation status.

CLINTON’S AGENDA – HEALTH CARE Clinton appointed his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to head a task force to prepare a health care plan that guaranteed health care for all Americans, but it was widely opposed by employers, small business owners, the insurance industry, doctor ’ s organizations, & Republicans  plan died without ever coming to a vote. Prior to the 1996 election, Clinton & the Republicans worked to pass the Health Insurance Portability Act to improve health coverage, & the Welfare Reform Act = limited people to no more than 2 consecutive years on welfare + required them to work to receive welfare.

AGENDA - FAMILY, EDUCATION, CRIME Clinton pushed through several pieces of legislation to help the American family. The Family Medical Leave Act gave workers up to 12 weeks per year of unpaid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child, or the illness of a family member. Clinton also had Congress create AmeriCorps, a program that put students to work improving low-income housing, teaching children to read, & cleaning up the environment. Democrats in Congress passed a gun-control law known as the Brady Bill that imposed a waiting period before people could buy handguns. Clinton introduced a bill that provided extra funds to states to build new prisons & put 100,000 more police officers on the streets.

REP. GAIN CONTROL OF CONGRESS By 1994 Clinton popularity declining due to raising taxes, unable to fix healthcare, scandals  many vote Republican in 1994 Congressional election In 1994 congressional Republican leaders, led by Newt Gingrich, created the Contract with America, in which Republicans promised 10 major changes including lower taxes, term limits for members of Congress, & a balanced budget amendment (failed to pass)  for the first time in 40 years, Republicans had won a majority in both houses of Congress.

1996 ELECTION During the 1996 presidential election, Clinton took credit for the booming economy. – Economic boom of the 1990s was the longest sustained period of growth in U.S. history. – Unemployment & inflation were at their lowest levels in 40 years, the stock market soared, wages increased, & crime declined. Clinton won re-election against Republican candidate, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. The candidate for the Reform Party was H. Ross Perot.

CLINTON’S SECOND TERM During Clinton ’ s 2nd term in office, the economy continued to expand. – In 1997, for 1st time in 24 years, the president submitted a balanced budget to Congress. – In 1998 the government ran a surplus, meaning it collected more money than it spent. Clinton aimed his proposals toward children ’ s needs – $500-per-child tax credit & pass a ban on cigarette advertising directed toward children – Adoption and Safe Families Act & Children ’ s Health Insurance Program—providing insurance for children whose parents could not afford it

CLINTON IMPEACHMENT In early 1998, a new scandal involving a personal relationship with a White House intern suggested that the president had committed perjury, or lied under oath. Kenneth Starr was appointed to investigate. In his report, Starr argued that Clinton had obstructed justice, abused his power as president, and committed perjury  In 1998 the House passed two articles of impeachment. On February 12, 1999, the senators cast their votes, with the result short of the two-thirds needed to remove Clinton. Although Clinton was not removed from office, his reputation was permanently damaged.

MODERN CONFLICT: A NEW FOCUS ON HUMAN RIGHTS In the 1970’s and 1980’s American policy focused on containing communism but began to expand to more closely consider human rights and treatment. This trend continued throughout the 90s & today. The actions and policies of these administrations put human rights at the forefront of worldwide issues.

CLINTON’S FOREIGN POLICY - HAITI In 1991 the leader of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was overthrown & sought refuge in U.S. The new rulers used violence to suppress the opposition  Clinton convinced the United Nations to impose a trade embargo on Haiti, creating a severe economic crisis. – Thousands of Haitian refugees fled to U.S. Clinton ordered an invasion of Haiti, but before troops arrived, former president Jimmy Carter convinced Haiti ’ s rulers to step aside.

FOREIGN POLICY – BOSNIA & KOSOVO Yugoslavia split apart in 1991 after the end of communism, & in Bosnia, a 3-way civil war began between Orthodox Christian Serbs, Catholic Croatians, + Bosnian Muslims. The Serbs would not stop their attacks & began calling for ethnic cleansing = the brutal expulsion of an ethnic group from a geographic area. U.S. convinced NATO allies that intervention was necessary, resulting in NATO warplanes attacking Serbs. U.S. arranged for peace talks in Dayton, Ohio, & a peace plan was signed called the Dayton Accords. In 1998 another war began in Kosovo between its 2 major ethnic groups–the Serbs + Albanians. The Serbian treatment of Kosovo Albanians angered people around the world, & leaders tried to unsuccessfully bring the two sides together  in 1999 NATO began bombing Serbia  Serbian troops pulled out of Kosovo.

CLINTON POLICY– ISRAEL/PALESTINE 1993 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin & Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasir Arafat reached an agreement. Clinton invited them to the White House to sign the Declaration of Principles. It was a plan for creating a Palestinian government. There was opposition to the plan from both sides, & in 1995 Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated. Oct violence erupted between the Palestinians + Israeli soldiers.

ISSUES OF CONCERN - GLOBAL WARMING Many environmental activists began to push for a ban on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) because these chemicals had the potential to deplete the earth ’ s ozone, which protects life on Earth from the cancer-causing ultraviolet rays of the sun. In the early 1990s, some scientists found evidence of global warming–an increase in average world temperatures over time. Concern about global warming led to an international meeting in Kyoto, Japan, in nations + the EU signed the Kyoto Protocol promising to reduce carbon emissions. – Few countries put the protocol into effect. U.S. withdrew from the treaty in 2001.

ISSUES OF GLOBAL CONCERN – NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION To help stop nuclear proliferation, or the spread of nuclear weapons to new nations, in the 1980’s/1990’s the US Congress passed laws to cut aid & impose sanctions on nations seeking to acquire nuclear technology. President Clinton also signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, but the Senate refused to pass it, arguing it would limit American nuclear research.