Ch 41. America in the Post-1991 World

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1 Ch 41 America in the Post-1991 World

2 Election of 1992 Democrats - Bill Clinton (Gov of AR) VP Al Gore (environmentalist) Democratic Leadership Council pro-growth, strong defense, anti-crime policies Platform stimulate economy, reform welfare system, overhaul healthcare A New Democrat less liberal Nominated amid accusations of womanizing, draft evasion Republicans - George H. W. Bush VP Dan Quayle Platform - Family values, ended Cold War, successful Persian Gulf War Weakened by economic recession Independent Ross Perot (TX billionaire) Platform federal deficit is a problem, not associated with Washington Split Republican party

3 Votes: Clinton 370, Bush 168, Perot 0 -record turn out! 55% of eligible voters 1 st Baby Boomer President

4 President Bill Clinton Democrat

5 Presidential Rankings: C-Span Survey, Abraham Lincoln 15. Bill Clinton 29. Zachary Taylor 2. Franklin Roosevelt 16. William McKinley 30. Benjamin Harrison 3. George Washington 17. John Adams 31. Martin Van Buren 4. Theodore Roosevelt 18. George H.W. Bush 32. Chester Arthur 5. Harry Truman 19. John Quincy Adams 33. Rutherford Hayes 6. John Kennedy 20. James Madison 34. Herbert Hoover 7. Thomas Jefferson 21. Grover Cleveland 35. John Tyler 8. Dwight Eisenhower 22. Gerald Ford 36. George W. Bush 9. Woodrow Wilson 23. Ulysses Grant 37. Millard Fillmore 10. Ronald Reagan 11. Lyndon Johnson 12. James Polk 13. Andrew Jackson 14. James Monroe 24. William Taft 25. Jimmy Carter 26. Calvin Coolidge 27. Richard Nixon 28. James Garfield 38. Warren Harding 39. William Harrison 40. Franklin Pierce 41. Andrew Johnson 42. James Buchanan

6 Foreign Policy *no clear policy*

7 NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) Reduced or eliminated trade barriers between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada Clinton was originally protectionist US feared losing jobs to low-wage Mexican workers Promoted creation of WTO WTO - global free trade system Predecessor was GATT (Gen. Agreement on Tariffs & Trade) Met in Seattle (1999) trade talks fizzled Protestors don t want globalization

8 NAFTA is an example of increased globalization in the post-1991 era.

9 Somalia US troops sent to prevent famine due to clashing rival clans Rebels killed 12+troops Blackhawk Down 1994 withdrew w/o achieving any defined goal Rwanda- chose to stay out of genocide Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide deposed in military coup 20,000 troops sent to restore Aristide, 1000s of refugees sought asylum in US Aristide forced out again in 2004, politically asylum in Africa

10 China Clinton denounced Bush for no economic sanctions after Tiananmen incident Soon learned that China is too economically important to US, sought improved trade 2000 full fledge trading partner Middle East Meeting b/w Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin & PLO leader Yasir Arafat (1993) Oslo Accords - Agreed to self-rule for Palestinians in Israel 2 yrs later, Rabin assassinated US struggles for permanent settlement Arafat dies in 2004

11 Yugoslavia Bosnia war broke out in Bosnia b/w Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims who sought independence from Yugoslavia Ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims occurred and most of Bosnia was overrun by Bosnian Serbs and Serbians in 1995 Dayton Agreements (1995) split Bosnia into Serbian and Muslim areas and UN peacekeepers were sent in to preserve the peace NATO force failed to pacify Balkan region

13 Kosovo Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic (1999) new round of ethnic cleansing against Albanians in Kosovo NATO launches air war against Serbia didn t stop terror, refugees flood to neighboring area Milosevic arrested in 2001 tried by World Court in The Hague US has enduring role in region

15 Vietnam recognized in 1995 Last years Sought peace in No. Ireland and Korean peninsula Went to India and Pakistan to reduce rivalry

16 Domestic Policy

Initial Changes Dems sweep Congress, more diversity Make a govt that looked like America Carol Moseley-Braun (IL ) 1 st Af. American woman in Senate Janet Reno 1 st female Attn.

17 Initial Changes Dems sweep Congress, more diversity Make a govt that looked like America Carol Moseley-Braun (IL ) 1 st Af. American woman in Senate Janet Reno 1 st female Attn. General Donna Shalala Sec. of Health and Human Services Ruth Bader-Ginsburg Sup. Ct Justice Clinton s cabinet is ethnically & racially diverse Henry Cisneros Dept of HUD Latino Ron Brown Sec of Commerce Afr. American

18 Domestic Policy 1 st term

19 Don t Ask, Don t Tell US policy on homosexuals in the military -first major initiative lifted ban on gays in the military = political firestorm Compromise: Don t Ask, Don t Tell (repealed in 2010) Health care redesign Hillary Clinton appointed to do complicated plan hated! later became NY Senator 1 st First Lady in elected office, later Sec of State

20 Dignity and Respect, the U.S. Army s training guide on its homosexual policies.

21 Defense of Marriage Act, 1993: gave states the right not to recognize samesex marriage Family and Medical Leave Act, Allowed family members up to 12 weeks away from work (without pay) for giving birth, adoption, or caring for an ill family member

22 1993 Deficit-reduction Bill shrunk debt to lowest level in a decade 1998 federal budget surpluses! Economy was the most positive thing about Clinton Brady Bill gun-control law $30 bil anti-crime bill ban on several assault weapons

23 Violence and Terrorism L.A. Riots, 1992 Rodney King, an African American, was brutally beaten by LAPD officers -- The incident was taped When a predominantly white jury acquitted the two officers, violence erupted in South Central Los Angeles and spread to other areas

24 Over 50 people died, hundreds of buildings were burned and widespread looting occurred In response, two officers tried on civil rights violations and they were subsequently convicted and sent to prison

25 Violence in America WTC Bombing (1993) - Radical Islamic extremists were involved in the plot to punish the U.S. for its support for Israel Oklahoma City Bombing Timothy McVeigh truck into federal office building, killed 168 Revenge for 1993 standoff in Waco, TX b/w federal agents and Branch Davidians Showed underground of alienated citizens Many citizens anti-govt States passed term limits for local politicians 1999 Columbine HS in Colorado killed 12 students and a teacher Cause? TV, video games, movies, parents Access to guns!

World Trade Center bombing, 1993 6 dead, 1,000 injured in the North

26 World Trade Center bombing, dead, 1,000 injured in the North Tower Truck bomb Ramzi Yousef Underground damage in the North Tower

27 Waco, TX Branch Davidians, led by David Koresh Federal and state enforcement took over compound

28 Oklahoma City bombing, 1995 Ex-Desert Storm veteran, Timothy McVeigh was convicted of the bombing that killed hundreds of men, women, and children lethal injection McVeigh s action was a response to the Waco incident Site of the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building

29 Atlanta Olympic Park bombing, 1996 Two dead, several wounded Eric Rudolph, a Christian terrorist, was responsible for several anti-gay and antiabortion bombings

30 Violence in America Gun debate with NRA (Nat l Rifle Assoc) Michael Moore s Bowling for Columbine for gun control Million Mom March in 2000 for gun control

31 The Contract with America 1994 Congressional elections a backlash against Clinton Newt Gingrich (GA Rep) offered voters A Contract with America an all-out assault on budget deficits and decrease in welfare programs Republicans swept both houses 1 st time in 40yrs Restricted unfunded mandates obligations on state/local govt without revenue Gingrich becomes Speaker of the House

32 Clinton worked with Gingrich to find common ground Welfare Reform Bill of (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act) Deep cuts in welfare grants, required ablebodied people to find jobs 5 yr cap on benefits, 2-year max at one time Ended welfare for legal immigrants

33 Impact Many Dems resign, upset with Clinton for signing this Welfare rolls dropped to lowest level Gingrich went too far when he wanted to send welfare kids to orphanages 1995 Govt shut down - until budget package agreed on President Clinton signs the PRWORA

34 Election of 1996 Democrats - Bill Clinton Republicans Bob Dole (KS Sen) Ind Ross Perot Votes: 379 to 159 -South becoming more Republican by 2000

35 Domestic Policy 2 nd term

36 Modest goals with a Rep. Congress 1 st balanced budget Economy is good new internet (dot.com) businesses Employment down to 4% Affirmative Action Mend it, don t end it (a political hot potato) Voters in CA Proposition 209 no affirmative action preferences in govt or higher education # of minorities in state schools goes down Clinton criticized this but doesn t reverse it not much support for aff. action anymore

37 Government surpluses , Clinton and Congress agreed to a balanced budget 2. Gov t surpluses began to appear in 1998 for the first time in 30 years

38 Regulation of tobacco Clinton authorized the crack down on the tobacco industry New regulations reduced public access to cigarettes and significantly reduced advertising In 1997, the tobacco industry agreed to the historic federal regulations

39 Campaign finance reform Clinton campaign received funds from improper sources Foreigners, contributors paid $ to stay overnight in White House Both parties don t want reform need $ for TV ads Few do want this (Sen. John McCain)

40 Scandal seemed to follow Clinton Whitewater Land Corp scandal no indictment, but Clinton pressured judges/bankers to invest in a failed business, fraud Monica Lewinsky Affair, 1998 Jan 1998 accused of sexual assault by Paula Jones Asked about Monica Lewinski WH intern Clinton lied under oath Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr Finally admitted it 11 possible grounds for impeachment 2 charges: perjury before grand jury, obstruction of justice Dems said personal misconduct is not high crimes and misdemeanor Most Americans felt it wasn t a big deal

42 Impeachment Trial Chief Justice William Rehnquist Overwhelmingly acquitted Later negotiated a deal for immunity from further legal action regarding scandal Fine, 5 yr suspension of his law license

43 Legacy Positives: social justice, racial harmony, economic growth through globalization Negatives: more conservative than most Dems, brought back cynicism

Clinton Administration. Election of Election 1992 Con t 4/30/13

Clinton Administration. Election of Election 1992 Con t 4/30/13 Clinton Administration Election of 1992 George Bush runs for re-election Bill Clinton nominated by Democrats Moderate Formed Democratic Leadership Council: designed to move Democratic party from their