EQ: To what extent did Bill EQ: To what extent did Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama fulfill and Barack Obama fulfill their domestic policy goals?their domestic policy goals?

Connection: Match the president with their policy goal.

• Franklin D. Roosevelt landing a man on the moon• John F. Kennedy deregulating business

• Abraham Lincoln ending the Great Depression• Ronald Reagan preserving the environment• Theodore Roosevelt freeing the slaves

ConnectionConnection

What factors shape the goals and priorities of a president’s agenda?

How would you rate a presidential policy as a success or failure?

Resource – T-Chart Resource – T-Chart

RepublicansDemocrats

The Democratic Party - The Democratic Party - 20002000Generally support

◦ Believe in government’s power to improve life for ordinary people

◦ Reform the welfare system

◦ Balance the budget◦ Expand trade◦ Take a tough stand

on crime

Generally appeals to◦ Liberals◦ minorities◦ Immigrants◦ Union members◦ Moderates

The Republican Party - The Republican Party - 20002000Generally

supports a conservative agenda◦ Reducing the size

of government◦ Lowering taxes◦ Maintaining a

strong military◦ Promoting

traditional social values

Generally appeals to◦ Evangelical

Christians◦ Rural

communities◦ Blue-collar

workers◦ Veterans◦ businesspeople

Third Party CandidatesThird Party Candidates About 30-35% of voters

define themselves as independents.

The presence of this group pressure candidates to take moderate views into account during campaigns.

Ross Perot – 1992 – 19% of vote

Ralph Nader – 2000 – 2.7% but accused of being a “spoiler”, costing Al Gore the election.

Bill Clinton – 1992 ElectionBill Clinton – 1992 ElectionBill Clinton vs. George H.W. BushWinning factors

◦ Economy was in recession since 1990

◦ Ross Perot – conservative vote chipped

◦ “Leaner, not meaner government”No electoral mandate – only 43%

of popular vote◦ Democratic majority in both houses

of CongressNew Democrats

◦ more moderate – still promoting social programs, but with a smaller government

Bill Clinton – Reforms and Bill Clinton – Reforms and LawsLaws

Family Medical Leave Act◦ Allows workers to take time off for

family emergencies without risking job Budget

◦ stimulus spending and tax increases on top 1.2% of earners

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”◦ Homosexuals in the military

Americorps◦ Domestic version of Peace Corps

Brady Bill ◦ Waiting period and mandatory

background checks

Early attempts at Health Care◦ Led by Hillary Clinton◦ Failed to gain ground

Welfare Reform

AFDC > TANF◦ Assistance for single mothers◦ Limited time on assistance◦ Recipients required to find

work Balanced Budget Act

◦ Budget surplus in 1998.◦ Began paying off debt◦ Economy boomed, also due to

internet bubble. ◦ Republicans argued that

surplus should go back to people in tax cuts

NAFTA◦ Created free trade zone with

Canada and Mexico

1994 – Republican 1994 – Republican Revolution Revolution Midterms elections

◦ Republicans gain ground due to scandals, tax increases, and failed support for health care.

Newt Gingrich - Contract with America◦ Republicans fight against

Democratic changes to gain control of both Houses in Congress

◦ 10-point plan focused on balancing the budget, combating crime, reforming welfare, cutting taxes, creating jobs, and minimizing lawsuits.

Bill Clinton - IssuesBill Clinton - IssuesWhite Water

◦ Accusations of illegal profiting from an investment in Arkansas real estate.

Investigation leads to scandals – Monica Lewinsky◦ Accusations of sexual

harassment and an affair with a White House intern.

Impeachment◦ Perjury/ obstruction of

justice◦ Remained in office after the

vote.

AREAS OF AREAS OF SUCCESS?SUCCESS?

CHALLENGING CHALLENGING AREAS?AREAS?

Connection (part II)Connection (part II)Which policies of the Clinton

administration were the most successful?

Which policies were the least successful?

Connection (part II)Connection (part II)What were some of the best

successes of these three presidents?

What were some of the worst moments of their presidencies?

George W. Bush – 2000 George W. Bush – 2000 ElectionElection270 votes needed to win

◦ Gore – 266/ Bush-246◦ Needed to win Florida – too

close to call Issues with recountGore demanded recountBush v. Gore

◦ Bush tried to stop recount. Florida SC ruled against him, but Supreme Court voted to stop recount.

Florida went to Bush (under 2,000 votes)

George W. Bush – Reforming George W. Bush – Reforming EducationEducation

NCLB – No Child Left Behind◦Ushered in a new

era of accountability.

◦Required schools to test their students’ progress in reading and math

George W. Bush – Laws and George W. Bush – Laws and ProgramsProgramsOffice of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

◦ Assisted religious and community groups in getting federal funding to combat social problems

Healthy Marriage Initiative◦ Federal funds for programs aimed at encouraging low-

income couples to marrySecure Fence Act

◦ Authorized construction of 700 miles of fencing along border

Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit◦ Help to seniors and people with disabilities to pay for Rx

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ban◦ Limited federal funding of stem cell research to stop the

use of human embryos in medical research

George W. Bush - George W. Bush - EconomicsEconomics

Summer 2001 - $1.35 trillion tax cut

September 11th – economy suffers

Federal budget falls from a surplus of $128 billion in 2001 – deficit of $158 billion in 2002

Cost of War on Terror Further tax cuts - $350 billionHowever, tax revenues up in

2005 as economy recovers

The Great RecessionThe Great RecessionEconomic expansion short-

livedHousing bubble burst in 2006Subprime mortgages/home

values crash/foreclosuresSlowed spending/ lay-offs Investment Firms and Banks

go underBailouts – TARP – troubled

asset relief program◦ $700 billion/ $17 billion to auto

makers◦ Institutions seen as “too big to

fail”

George W. Bush - IssuesGeorge W. Bush - IssuesHurricane Katrina –

2005◦ Hurricane devastated

New Orleans and other Gulf Towns

◦ Levy broke, flooding the town

◦ Response by FEMA seemed slow and disorganized

AREAS OF AREAS OF SUCCESS?SUCCESS?

CHALLENGING CHALLENGING AREAS?AREAS?

Barack Obama – 2008 Barack Obama – 2008 ElectionElectionObama/Biden vs.

McCain/PalinWith 365 electoral

votes to McCain’s 173, Obama became nation’s first African American president.

Electoral mandate for change.

The Great Recession The Great Recession ContinuesContinuesEconomy still unstable after Great

Recession.American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

- $787 billion – stimulus package◦ spending and tax cuts/ public works projects

and tax credits for middle class families2nd auto industry bailout - $60 billion to

GM and ChryslerEconomist agree that the recession

officially ended in 2009 due to a combination of effects from Bush and Obama measures

Healthcare and Other Healthcare and Other ReformsReforms

Affordable Care Act ◦ Passed early in administration –

leads to Republican backlash and rise of Tea Party

“Race to the Top”◦ Grants to states and school districts

that made notable advances “Education to Innovate”

◦ Aimed at STEM programs New national fuel efficiency

standards◦ Aimed at raising average fuel

economy to 54.5 mpg by 2025 Embryonic stem cell research

◦ Removed barriers

GridlockGridlockRise of the Tea Party

◦ Conservative, populist protest movement that has transformed into a political movement

◦ Condemn big government, taxes, bailout of Wall Street, and health care law

Debt Crisis/Fiscal Cliff/Sequester◦ Fight over budget and debt

ceiling leads to standoff◦ With no compromise, huge

government cuts made

AREAS OF AREAS OF SUCCESS?SUCCESS?

CHALLENGING CHALLENGING AREAS?AREAS?

ProcessProcess

What would YOU consider the most successful policies of each president? The least successful?