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Clinton's Major Accomplishments & US Role in the 90s

Explore Clinton's achievements, including domestic reforms, economic growth, and US involvement in the world. Learn about the issues faced in the 90s and those that remain in the 2000s. Includes a timeline activity.

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Clinton's Major Accomplishments & US Role in the 90s

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  1. Ch. 23 Sec. 1 Clinton and the 90s Essential Questions: What were some of Clinton major political accomplishments? What role did the U.S. play in the world in the 90s? Give Examples.

  2. Timeline Activity • Create a timeline using the U.S. events listed on your timeline on pg. 724 • Also add the following events: 1) Your Birthday, April 1999 Columbine HS Shooting, Feb. 2004 Facebook is launched, August 2005 Hurricane Katrina, 2008 Barack Obama becomes first African American President. • Also, using Ch. 23 Sec. 1 list the issues that faced the U.S. in the 1990s and list issues we still face in the 2000s. Finally, use the section to explain what role the U.S. played in the world in the 1990s.

  3. Bill Clinton President George H.W. Bush could not sustain his popularity after the Gulf War. • The U.S. economy had gone into recession • The federal deficit rose • Bush broke his promise to not increase taxes • Saddam Hussein was still in power and threatening the Middle East During the 1992 election, voters responded by nominating a centrist candidate, Democrat William Jefferson Clinton.

  4. Bill Clinton • Born on Aug. 19, 1946 • Wife is Hilary Rodham Clinton (1 daughter) • Graduated from Georgetown University and Law Degree from Yale • Attorney general of Arkansas at 30 years of age • Nation’s youngest governor at 32 years of age (Arkansas)

  5. Domestic Issues Clinton Fought For When Clinton took office, the Democrats also controlled of both houses of Congress. One of his first acts was to sign the Family Medical Leave Act, guaranteeing employees unpaid leave in the event of a health crisis. He also increased the minimum wage, made college loans easier to obtain, and expanded tax credits for higher education.

  6. Brady Bill Clinton addressed the issue of gun violence by signing the Brady Bill in 1993. Required federal background checks on firearm purchasers. But violence still shook the nation, with the Oklahoma City bombingin 1995 and the Columbine High School shootingsin 1999. In response, stiff laws were passed to deter terrorismand schools adopted “zero tolerance”measures against violence.

  7. Oklahoma City Bombing • Bombing of federal building • Deadliest domestic terrorist attack ever • 168 die and injured more than 600 • Committed by Timothy McVeigh • 1st federal execution since Victor Fegeur

  8. Clinton also attempted to reform healthcare. But Clinton overestimated popular support for the initiative; most Americans thought it was too complicated. The healthcare reform bill was widely criticized and it was dropped after a year of debate. A task force, led by First Lady Hillary Clinton, was formed to develop a program that would guarantee care for all Americans. This setback, two years into office, signaled a turning point in Clinton’s popularity. The Republicans responded.

  9. Led by Congressman Newt Gingrich, the Republicans set forth a plan called the Contract With America. The contract’s message created strong voter turnout among Republicans in 1994. For the first time in 40 years, the Republicans won control of the House and the Senate.

  10. 1996 Election Clinton used some conservative ideas, such as balancing the federal budget and reducing the deficit, during his 1996 bid for reelection. • Clinton defeated Republican candidate Bob Dole and Independent Ross Perot A sustained period of economic growth in the mid-1990s helped Clinton win reelection by a wide margin.

  11. Clinton’s Accomplishments • U.S. saw more peace and economic improvement under Clinton than any other president • 1st Democratic President to win re-election since FDR (Obama just did it as well) • Lowest unemployment rates in recent history • Expanded international trade

  12. U.S. and it’s Role as World Leader A world economic leader, the U.S. supported free trade blocs and promoted globalization. Under Clinton’s watch the U.S. agreed to NAFTA, the North American response to Europe’s EU, in 1994. But many groups opposed NAFTA, saying it would take jobs away from the U.S. and hurt the environment.

  13. Trade between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico increased between 1990 and 2000.

  14. Clinton signed 270 free trade agreements, including GATT and the accords of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

  15. With the Cold War over, the U.S. had to redefine its role in the world. It took a primary role in financing and managing the World Bank, which helps developing nations with issues such as health care, human rights, and poverty. The U.S. believes that developing countries with stable economies are vital to its own security.

  16. U.S. Military Intervention in the 1990s Many Americans favored economic support for foreign countries. Just as many feared lending military support to embattled nations. 1992 – Somalia 1994 – Haiti But Clinton felt several conflicts demanded U.S intervention.

  17. In the Balkans, the fall of communism brought about the destabilization of Yugoslavia. Long-simmering ethnic and religious tensions came to a boil in the region. A brutal civil war erupted between Serbs, Bosnians, and Croats. In 1995, NATO bombed Serbian strongholds in order to end their brutal practice of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.

  18. Conflict in the Middle East increased in the 1990s. Fighting between the Israelis and Palestiniansbecame more violent, threatening to destabilize the entire region. In 2000, Clinton brought Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and Israeli leader Ehud Barak to Camp David to broker a peace agreement between them. It was not successful.

  19. The U.S. itself became a target of Middle Eastern extremists. A terrorist group called al Qaedaexploded a bomb in the World Trade Center in New York City in 1993. The group also set off bombs killing more 225 people at American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. In 2000, they attacked the USS Cole, a warship anchored off Yemen, killing 17 American sailors. American leaders learned that fighting terrorism would be extremely difficult.

  20. But Clinton’s presidency was also marred by scandal. In 1994, Clinton was investigated by a special federal prosecutor, Kenneth Starr, regarding an Arkansas real estate investment. In 1998, Clinton was investigated again regarding his relationship with a White House intern. Under oath, he denied that the two had an affair. Later, he admitted he lied. The House impeached him in 1998. After a Senate trial in early 1999, Clinton was acquitted on both counts.

  21. Monica Lewinsky Affair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIP_KDQmXs • 2nd President to be Impeached (not convicted) • Impeached on charges of Perjury and Obstruction of Justice • Senate voted 55-45 not guilty on perjury charge • Senate voted 50-50 on obstruction charge • **Need 2/3rdto convict

  22. Popular Culture of 1990s

  23. What’s up with 1995 • Gallon of Gas- $1.09 • Stamp- $0.32 • Windows 95 • Toy Story- 1st ever fully computer generated movie • Jumanji and Braveheart are other top movies • Top songs: “Waterfalls” by TLC, “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan

  24. What’s up with 1996? • Gallon of gas- $1.22 • Stamp- $0.32 • Min. Wage- $5.15 • “Macarena” by Los Del Rios #1 song • “Twister” and “Independence Day” top movies

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