BILL CLINTON

Modern American Presidency



Modern American Presidency

During the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton, the United States had a better peace and economic status than at any time in history. Bill Clinton was the first

Democratic president to win a second term in office since Franklin D. Roosevelt. He could point to the lowest unemployment rate in modern times, the lowest inflation in 30 years, the highest home ownership in the country's history, dropping crime rates in many places, and reduced welfare roles. Clinton came up with the first balanced budget in years and he achieved a budget surplus. In the year 2000, Bill Clinton called for a national initiative to end racial discrimination as a part of a celebration of the millennium. When president Bill Clinton was elected his election ended an era that the Republican party had controlled for twelve years. His election gave Democrats power of the political branches of the federal government, including the houses of Congress and the Presidency for the first time since the presidency of Jimmy Carter. As soon as Bill Clinton took office he kept a promise and signed the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. This bill required employers of a certain size to allow their employees to take unpaid leave because of a family or medical emergency. Another bill which is still in effect is the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy, which is for gay people and those who could serve in the Army if they did not tell anyone or show that they were gay. During Bill Clinton's first term he put more women and minorities as cabinet members than any other president. This included the first woman, Janet Reno as Attorney General and Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the Supreme Court. During his first term, Bill Clinton also focused on the county's main problems, which were the economy and health care. In a speech, Clinton promised an end to the era of deadlock and drift. (Glad 2007:32-41)

Clinton kepthis promise by signing a bill overturning restrictions on abortions that Republicans put for twelve years. Bill Clinton appointed his wife to write a bill that would guarantee health insurance and stop the rising cost of health care but the plan failed and never made it through Congress. Even though Congress did not pass the health care bill, they pass a couple of Bill Clinton's programs during his first term in office which were, major trade legislation; a program that gave money to students who did community service; the Brady Bill, which made it more hard for bad guys to buy guns; and the anti-crime law imposed the death penalty for more crimes, banned the sale of assault weapons, and gave money to the states to hire 100,000 more police officers and start crime prevention programs. Although the United States was no longer confronted by the cold war, during his first term Clinton faced difficult decisions regarding bloody conflicts in Rwanda, Somalia, Bosnia, and Haiti, all places where the interests ...