■ Essential QuestionEssential Question:–How did the events of the

Clinton years (1993-2001) shape U.S. history?

■ Warm-Up Question:Warm-Up Question:–Why was Ronald Reagan an

important president? What were his successes & failures?

America in the 1980s

America experienced new changes in the 1980s:

Cable television was introduced with

new shows such as MTV & CNN

TV shows like Roseanne & The Cosby Show had

non-traditional lead roles

America in the 1980sAmerica experienced new

changes in the 1980s:

New technologies included cassette players,

home video games, personal computers, &

portable phones

America in the 1980sAmerica experienced new

changes in the 1980s:

’80s society focused on wealth & consumerism (the “Me Generation”)

America in the 1980sAmerica experienced new

changes in the 1980s:

Politically, Reagan’s victory over stagflation &

the Soviet Union made him a popular leader

America by 1992Republican control of the

presidency continued after Reagan under George Bush

After defeating Iraq in the Persian Gulf War in 1991,

Bush’s popularity was high

But, large gov’t deficits due to years of tax cuts &

increased military spending led to a recession in 1992

After promising “no new taxes” in 1988,

Bush raised taxes in order to decrease deficit spending

The Election of 1992In the 1992 election, George Bush lost to

Arkansas governor Bill Clinton

The Presidency of Bill Clinton Clinton defined himself a “new Democrat” by embracing both liberal & conservative policies

Watch this Clinton/Gore campaign ad from 1992.

In what ways is Clinton selling

himself as a “different kind” of Democrat?

The Presidency of Bill Clinton Clinton defined himself a “new Democrat” by embracing both liberalliberal & conservative policies

Clinton proposed a plan to guarantee

affordable health care for all Americans

Republicans in Congress defeated

Clinton’s “big gov’t” health care reform

The Presidency of Bill Clinton Clinton defined himself a “new Democrat” by

embracing both liberal & conservativeconservative policiesClinton worked with

Republicans to reform the welfare system The law put limits on

how long people could receive benefits & allowed states to

decide how welfare money would be spent

The Presidency of Bill Clinton Clinton defined himself a “new Democrat” by

embracing both liberal & conservativeconservative policiesClinton worked with Congress to reduce the

federal deficit & balance the

federal budget

In 1997, Clinton cut gov’t spending & lowered taxes

For the 1st time in 30 years, the gov’t had a surplus which Clinton used to pay down the nation’s debt

Dow Jones Industrial Average, 1901-2010

Clinton’s deficit reduction coincided with a boom in the technology industry; This led to the longest sustained era of economic growth in U.S. history

“Contract with America”Many of Clinton’s

conservative policies were in response to Republican

control of Congress

In 1994, Republicans took control of the

House of Representatives for the 1st time since 1954

& named Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich

as Speaker of the House

“Contract with America”Gingrich pushed for a

“Contract with America” that would have created a

balanced budget amendment, tax cuts, welfare reform, &

tougher crime laws The clash between

Clinton & Gingrich led to a gov’t shut down in 1995Clinton used the rivalry with Republicans to win

re-election in 1996

Foreign PolicyClinton signed

the North American North American Free Trade Free Trade

Agreement (NAFTA)Agreement (NAFTA) which reduced trade barriers among USA,

Mexico, & Canada

Criticisms of NAFTA?

Foreign PolicyDuring his presidency,

Clinton committed U.S. troops to

peacekeeping efforts

From 1995 to 1999, U.S. troops were sent

to Bosnia to stop ethnic cleansing by

Serbs & to Kosovo to stop a civil war

From 1993-1995, U.S. troops were sent

to Somalia to offer food & restore order

to civil war

Crime & Terrorism During the Clinton

years, America experienced new

waves of violence Race riots hit

Los Angeles in 1992 when 4 white police

officers were acquitted of police brutality charges in

the Rodney King case

Crime & Terrorism During the Clinton

years, America experienced new

waves of violence In 1995, Gulf War veteran Timothy

McVey detonated a bomb that destroyed a federal building in

Oklahoma City, killing 168 people

Crime & Terrorism During the Clinton

years, America experienced new

waves of violence

In 1999, 2 students opened fire at

Columbine High School in Colorado, killing 13 people &

wounding 23 others

Crime & Terrorism During the Clinton

years, America experienced new

waves of violence After the Persian Gulf War, Osama bin Laden

formed al-Qaeda & began terrorist attacks

on the USAEmbassy bombings in Tanzania & Kenya & attack on USS Cole

Bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993

Scandals & ImpeachmentWhile president, Clinton faced numerous scandals

While still governor of Arkansas, Clinton was

connected to an improper land deal

(Whitewater scandal)

Clinton was accused of numerous sexual affairs, including White House

intern Monica Lewinsky

Scandals & ImpeachmentWhile president, Clinton faced numerous scandals

When Clinton lied under oath about his relationship

with Monica Lewinsky, Republicans in Congress voted to impeach him

Clinton became only the 2nd president to be

impeached, but he was not removed from office

Conclusions■ The Clinton years during the 1990s

represented new changes for the U.S.–The Democratic Party took back the

presidency by becoming more moderate –The economic boom of the 1990s was

based largely on technology innovation that would crash in early 2000–The emergence of terrorism, at home

& abroad, presented new threats to American security

Closure Activity: Presidential Scandals■ Review your notes on the following

presidential scandals; Rank order each from most (#1) to least scandalous (#5):–Credit Mobilier (Grant) –Teapot Dome (Harding)–Watergate (Nixon)–Iran-Contra (Reagan)–Monica Lewinsky (Clinton)

■ Discussion Q: To what degree should a scandal “taint” a president’s legacy?