B ILL C LINTON ( ) G EORGE W. B USH ( ) B ARACK O BAMA (2009 – P RESENT )

Campaign Promises v. Reality: - Mandate? - Midterm Election (1994) – Newt Gingrich and the Contract for America - Divided Government Clinton’s Agenda: 1. Health Care Reform? 2. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy + Defense of Marriage Act 3. Crime and Gun Control - Brady Bill +Assault Rifle Ban 4. Welfare Reform – AFDC 5. Economy and Budget Deficits - Raises Taxes - Budget battle and 1996 Shutdown - Dot-com boom Balance Budget and Surplus Clinton’s Domestic Policies

-Special Investigator – Kenneth Starr 1. Whitewater Affair – Loans and Cover-up in Arkansas + Vince Foster 2. Sexual Harassment Charges – Paula Jones - Grand Jury Hearing and dismissal - Monica Lewinski and Linda Tripp - Starr calls Grand Jury - Lewinski’s Testimony - Clinton’s admission - Starr’s Report - Perjury + Obstruction of Justice - House Impeachment + Senate Acquittal - Results? – Teflon President and the Economy, Apathy Clinton’s Impeachment

-Wanted Peace and increase standard of living around the world - Multilateral Successes: - Bosnia – NATO Peacekeeping Troops - Kosovo NATO Bombings - Haiti – Aristide – UN - N. Ireland – Good Friday Agreement Failures: - Rwanda – Hutus + Tutsis – Genocide - Arabs + Israelis? – Oslo Accords Nuclear Proliferation - Pakistan, India, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Former Soviet Republics? Terrorism – WTC, Oklahoma City, Embassy in Kenya, USS Cole.

North American Free Trade Association NAFTA – US, Canada, Mexico General Agreement on Trade + Tariffs (GATT )– World Trade Organization (WTO) Member Nations Supporters – increase in trade, improve economy, raise standard of living, lower prices (Walmart Phenomenon) Opponents – US factories and downsizing, Outsourcing, Human Rights, environment

Election 2000– Florida Recount - Bush v. Gore George W. Bush (R) Al Gore (D)

Results of the Election - Voter Apathy, Reform Electoral College?, HAVA, Mandate? Supply-side Economics – 30% Tax Cut - Reduction in Government Spending – Downsizing- college loans, school lunch programs, welfare - Deregulation – Environment – ANWR and Kyoto Protocol, Financial Institutions No Child Left Behind Act Second Term - Social Security, Immigration, Hurricane Katrina Midterm Elections – Divided Government 2007 – Recession – Stock Market, Housing Market, Unemployment

War on Terrorism – - September 11, 2001 – WTC, Pentagon Americans died - Islamic Extremists – Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda - Invasion of Afghanistan – Overthrow Taliban - USA Patriot Act - Department of Homeland Security - TSA - Axis of Evil – Iran, Iraq, North Korea - War in Iraq – WMDs - Bush Doctrine – Preemptive and Unilateral CAFTA – Free Trade

Two major areas of concern: A. The Economy – Great Recession 1. Outsourcing - unemployment 10% 2. Budget Deficits and National Debt - $8.3 Trillion 3. Housing Market and Stock Market B. Foreign Policy: 1. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq 2. US Reputation and Unilateralism Election of 2008: John McCain v. Barack Obama Election of 2008

1.Economy – Great Recession - Stimulus Package - $787 Billion – Government Spending - Regulations on banks, mortgages, + stock market - Banking and Auto Industry Bailouts - Citigroup, Chrysler, GM - Balanced Budget and National Debt – $17.5 Trillion 2. Foreign Policy - Return to Multilateralism, US Reputation and Credibility, Diplomacy - Wars in Iraq (Dec. 2011) and Afghanistan (2014) - Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden - Middle East and Arab Awakening – Libya, Syria - Iran and North Korea

3. Health Care - Uninsured Americans – 15%, Cost of Health Care - Stem Cell Research and preventative care - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) – January 2014 – individual mandate, exchanges and subsidies 4. The Environment - Rachel Carson +Silent Spring - EPA and Recycling Programs - Al Gore + An Inconvenient Truth - Global Warming + Emissions Standards (CAFE) - Alternate Sources of Energy – Green Technology - Tax incentives and energy efficiency

5. Immigration – - Current Policy - Preferences - Asian and Hispanic Immigration - Illegal Immigrants – Border Security, Path to Legalization, Safe Havens, Dream Act 6. Gun Control – Assault Rifles, Other Limits? 7. Gays Rights – Repeal of DADT, Supreme Court overturns DOMA, Gay Marriage (17) 8. Social Security and Medicare– - Graying of America and Baby Boom - Funding? - Options: Increase Taxes, Raise Retirement Age, Cut Benefits, Investment