bill clinton - ms. talreja's blog · bill clinton great president, or the greatest president?...
TRANSCRIPT
Background
• Born in Hope, Arkansas on August 19, 1946
• Father died before his birth, took his step father’s last name
• Attended Georgetown University, was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and attended Yale Law
• Married Hillary Rodham in 1975
Career
• An encounter with President Kennedy sparked his interest in public service
• Defeated in congressional race in 1974
• Became Arkansas Attorney General in 1976
• Served as Governor of Arkansas from 1979-1981, and again from 1983 to 1993
• Became the 42nd President: 1993-2001
Chief Legislator• Early struggles: Could not get congressional
approval for health care reform bill
• Faced a Republican Congress after 1994
• Managed to work with Republican Congress to pass bills: welfare reform, minimum wage increase, ect.
• Passed NAFTA with Republican support
B Struggled with agenda early, but managed to pass major bills
Commander-in-Chief
• Originally criticized in campaign for lack of military experience
• Ordered air strikes on Iraq; sent additional troops to Somalia despite public uproar
• Instituted “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which was criticized from both sides of the aisle
• 3 month NATO campaign to end Serbian attacks on Albanians in Kosovo; resulted in peace talks
B- Preformed better than expectations and achieved success in eastern Europe
Chief Executive
• Lowest crime rate in decades
• First two nominees for Attorney General had to withdraw names from consideration
• Appointed women and minorities to major posts: Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Supreme Court and Madeline Albright as Secretary of State
Made his cabinet more representative of U.S. demographics, low crime A-
Head of State• Left office with unprecedentedly high
approval rating
• Caught up in a lot of scandal: Whitewater affair, rumors of infidelity, suicide of aide Vincent Foster, Monica Lewinsky Scandal
• Impeached, but not found guilty by the Senate, on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power
C American people highly approved of his performance, but had personal scandal
Chief of Party• Prominent member of Democratic Leadership
Council while governor: sought to move party toward the center
• Pardoned the spouse of a major Democratic Party campaign contributer
• Policies fit with party agenda - gun control, environmental regulation, minimum wage
• 1994 Republican midterm sweep blamed on Clinton
A- Party suffered slightly in elections, but he represented party well after 1994
Guardian of Economy• Promised in campaign to focus on failing
economy
• Passed NAFTA to encourage free trade
• Presided over greatest period of economic well being in history: high rate of home ownership, lowest inflation in 30 years, and first balanced budget in decades
• Lowest unemployment rate in modern
A+ Booming economy during term
Chief Diplomat• Negotiated NAFTA
• Brokered agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians for Palestinian control of the Gaza Strip
• Negotiated Dayton Peace Accords to try to end conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Worked toward peace initiatives in Northern Ireland
A- Worked toward resolving international conflicts
Overall
• Presided over era of relative peace and economic prosperity
• Caught up in scandal
• High job approval rate at end of term
B+
Works Cited
Bill Clinton. 2010. History Channel. January 7, 2011. < http://www.history.com/topics/bill-clinton >.
Campaigns and Elections. 2010. University of Virginia. January 9, 2011. < http://millercenter.org/president/clinton/essays/biography/3 >.
Domestic Affairs. 2010. University of Virginia. January 9, 2011. < http://millercenter.org/president/clinton/essays/biography/4 >.
Foreign Affairs. 2010. University of Virginia. January 9, 2011. < http://millercenter.org/president/clinton/essays/biography/5 >.
The Presidents. 2009. PBS. January 7, 2011. <www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/42_clinton>.
William J. Clinton. 2010. The White House. Date January 10, 2011. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamjclinton>.
William J. Clinton - Biography. 2010. William J. Clinton Library. January 9, 2011. < http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/william-j.-clinton-bio.html >.