U.S. History CH. 26 Notes

The Clinton Presidency


Bill Clinton

-> Elected president in 1992


Al Gore

-> Vice President


Gays in the military

-> Clinton sought to end discrimination against gays in the military. Compromise policy= "Don't ask/Don't tell"


Health Care Reform


-> Clinton sought affordable health care for all Americans

*Hilary Clinton- in charge of the task force on health care

*Insurance companies opposed- Congress does not pass


The economy

-> Clinton inherits huge budget deficit (DEBTS) from Presidents Reagan and Bush

->By the end of his term in office Clinton had reduced the budget and created a budget surplus

->Clinton supports new technologies, software and internet companies

Creates millions of new jobs

->Economy booms

-> Stock market booms


Welfare Reform

->Clinton proposes $10 billion for job training, education and health care to help people learn higher paying jobs and get off welfare

Congress won't pass


-> Republicans support $56 billion cut in welfare- 2 year limit on time that poor Americans can receive benefits

Clinton signs


Foreign Policy

-> Clinton closes military bases; proposes big cuts in military spending now that the Cold War is over.

*Spend more on education, stopping crime and other problems at home

-> Clinton does send U.S. troops to help stop a war in Bosnia when war breaks out there.

*1995-Presidents of Bosniam Croatia and Serbia signs the Dayton Peace Accords


International Trade

->Clinton signs NAFTA-North American Free Trade Agreement- No tariffs or trade barriers between U.S.- Canada & Mexico

->Clinton signs GATT-General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Makes it easier to do business worldwide. Sets up the WTO-World Trade Organization









Republican Opposition to Clinton

1994 Midterm elections
->Republicans win control of both houses of Congress-plus 31/50 governors


Newt Gingrich
->Becomes "Speaker of the House"- Leader of the Republicans in Congress


Government Shutdown
->Republicans/Gingrich CONTRACT WITH AMERICA:
*Cut taxes
*Increase military spending
*Cut welfare payments

->Democrats/Clinton
*Tax on wealthy
*Cut military spending (now that the Cold War is over)
*Money for job training childcare

->CAN'T AGREE ON PRIORITIES
->CAN'T PASS THE FEDERAL BUDGET BY THE DEADLINE
-> GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN FOR A FEW WEEKS IN 1995, 1996.
->FEDERAL EMPLOYEES DON'T GET PAID


The American people
->American people/opinion polls tend to support Clinton-blame stubborn radical Republicans like Gingrich for the governmnt shutdown


CLINTON RE-ELECTED IN 1996









The Clinton Impeachment

Paula Jones
-Brings a lawsuit against Pres. Clinton--that he made sexual advances/sexual harrassment in 1991.

U.S. Supreme Court decides in Clinton v. Jones (1997) that a president can be sued while in office for something he did before becoming President

Jones seeks evidence that Clinton had a habit of sexually harrassing women

Settles with Clinton out of court


Kenneth Starr
-Appointed Special Prosecutor to investigate illegal Clinton activity in Whitewater business deal

After 3 years of investigation Starr finds Clinton did nothing wrong in "Whitewater"

Starr expands his investigation to find evidence of wrong doing or cover-up in the Paula Jones case

Clinton has an affair with young White House aid Monica Lewinski
-Jones seeks to use Lewinski as a witness in her case

<-Linda Tripp secretly tape records Lewinski telling her details of her affair with Clinton

*Clinton says under oath "I never had sexual relations with that woman [Monica Lewinski]."

*Starr shows Congress evidence of sexual activity with Monica Lewinski

*Congress impeaches Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice

*Senate trial finds Clinton not guilty of any charges

*Clinton apologizes for lying about sexual relations









THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMY

Clinton works for international treaties that reduce barriers to trade:

GATT and NAFTA

The Passage of these treaties means that:
*Big international corporations can do business less expensively and more easily
*There is more international trade -> This leads to more jobs and a better economy in the U.S.
*The world is more united: "A Global Economy"
*There will be moe jobs for people in poorer countries


Manufacturing jobs

Go to developing countries like China and Mexico

Workers in these countries can be:
*Paid very low wages
*Forced to work long hours
*Not allowed to have union
*Required to work in unsafe, harsh conditions


The Environment

Big corporations can go to countries with fewer environmental restrictions

*They won't have to pay money to follow environmental laws.

*The global environment suffers because corporations are permitted to pollute and dump toxic wastes in poorer countries.


Service Sector Jobs

Manufacturing jobs decrease in the U.S.

Service sector jobs increase, especially in:
*Internet corporations-online businesses called "dotcoms"
*Software


Corporations downsize

Workers are laid off to save

Many workers hired only as part time or temporary workers
-> So corporations don't have to pay benefits and can fire workers whenever they want.