Unit 10 Exam Overview “This is my Life” Timeline (take-home part of exam) due on Thursday (125 points) In-class portion of exam on Friday (50 points) 35 Multiple Choice Questions (1 point each) Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31 2 Short Answer Questions (a 10 point question and a 5 point question) We will have a detailed review in class on Thursday
CLINTON YEARS
Clinton’s Agenda Focus on Five Areas: Economy Family Education Crime Health Care
Economy Fix the federal deficit Under Reagan and Bush the deficit nearly quadrupled Lower interest rates, cut spending, raise taxes Tax hike very unpopular after he campaigned to cut taxes Raised taxes on middle and upper income Americans New taxes on gasoline, heating oil, and natural gases
Health Care Reform 15% of Americans lacked health insurance Task force headed by Hillary Rodham Clinton Plan to guarantee health benefits for all Americans Burden of paying for it on employers (Small-businesses feared this) Doctors and insurance industry campaigned against plan Republicans against it, Democrats divided, no plan passed
Families Family Medical Leave Act Up to 12 weeks/year of unpaid family leave for birth or adoption of a child or for illness of a family member AmeriCorps Students to work improving low-income housing, teaching children to read, and cleaning up the environment Volunteers earn a salary and get a scholarship to improve education
Crime and Gun Control Gun-control laws (Brady Bill) Waiting period before purchases Background checks Funding for new prisons and for 100,000 more officers on the streets Also banned 19 assault weapons and provided money for crime prevention programs
Republicans gain control of Congress Clinton unpopular but successful Raised taxes, failed to fix health care, economy improving Newt Gingrich: Contract with America Lower taxes, welfare reform, anticrime laws, term limits for Congress, and balanced budget amendment Most passed in now GOP led House, but were shot down in Senate or vetoed by Clinton
Budget Battles Clinton vetoes Republican budget Gingrich refuses to negotiate or bend Assumes Clinton will not allow gov’t to shutdown Clinton holds ground, government closes Republicans realize they need to work with President Clinton Clinton regains support from Americans for holding his ground
1996 Campaign Clinton works with Republicans for Health Coverage laws and Welfare Reform Clinton takes credit for economic boom: longest sustained growth in US history Unemployment and inflation fell to lowest levels in 40 years Markets soaring, crime falling
And the results are…
Clinton’s Second Term Economy continues to grow Balanced budget…even a surplus! Putting Children First Cigarette advertising bans Health Insurance programs Increase in Student Grants
Impeachment Independent Counsel led by Kenneth Starr to look into Clinton potentially arranging illegal loans while Arkansas Governor Scandal about personal relationship with WH intern and whether he committed perjury Perjury: Lying under Oath Starr concludes study and says Clinton obstructed justice, abused powers as president, and committed perjury
Impeachment Hearings House of Reps passed two articles of impeachment and case moved to Senate for trial Perjury: not guilty Obstruction of Justice: Both fell far short of 2/3 vote needed
Foreign Policy Haiti Influx of refugees UN trade embargo to try to restore democracy Role of Jimmy Carter Bosnia: Christian Serbs begin ethnic cleansing Bosnian Muslims (brutal expulsion of an ethnic group for a geographic area) Some cases of slaughter instead of moving Muslims Dayton Accords for peace
Kosovo Serbs v. Albanians Albanians want Kosovo separate from Serbia Milosevic (Serbian Leader) cracks down on movement Albanians organize army to fight NATO gets involved, Serbs pull out of Kosovo
Middle East Saddam Hussein and the Kurds Israel and Palestine Rabin and Arafat Declaration of Principles to form Palestinian Gov’t Opposition to agreement common; Rabin killed Barak (new Prime Minister) meets with Arafat Jordan and Israel