bush and clinton Flashcards
economy
Bush=inaugural speech=change from Reagan=promised to decrease 2.7 trillion deficit upon which 200 billion interest was paid annually he failed=defict rose by 4 trillion by 1993=promised no new taxes=1990 agreed to tax rise
Clinton=Fiscal conservatism=legacy Reagans campaign against federal government expenditure on certain social programmes and Reagans defence spending=prime reason for deficit =achieved balanced budget (cut defence spending and raised taxes rich) while keeping social programmes 1996-=economy booming
Reagan effect lasted 96=massive fed deficit =antipathy to big gov spending social programmes led to election fiscally conservative new democrats
-bush lost due to recession reagans legacy deficit trade imbalance loan bailout
big gov
-Bush=opposed big gov =inconsistent= encouraged states to improve education but did not want to spend fed money on it supported disability act to protect disabled workers but vetoed other bills like to give workers 12 weeks unpaid leave for family emergencies
Clinton=wanted to end welfare as we know it so it would cease to be way of live=Reagan effect = proposed welfare reform bill =ended AFDC=gave cash to low income families
Welfare reform Act=bad=denied benefits to immigrants who were not citzens, limited eligability for medicare and food stamps for those who did not work=Clinton dared not veto bill for 3 time as he promised to reduce big gov=re election
good=welfare rolls were halved although booming econ helped=made work pay 86 single mother who left welfare for work=1900 more and lose health benefits 1999 she got 7000 more and health benefits =workforce participation rate poor women increaed 33 to 55 withtin 3 years=removed disincentive to marriage=number children with single parents dropped by 8 percent in five years of bill being passed
-reagans legacy on old democrat philosophy bad time Hilary to produce plan for universal healthcare coverage
revitalisation of presidency
-neither revitalised presidency =Clinton had charisma plagued by sex scandals =bush lacked charisma and ability to deal domestic issues
if increased partisanship =revitalisation then there was one
“there was a pretty hard right group who would never accept clinton”
journalist Klein said that “Clintons presidency unprecedented escalation of partisan emity” “politics had gone rancid”
due to press wanting scandals
Newt Gingrich =the contract with America=old reagan ideas =tax cuts=reduce gov=elimination non essential social programmes =arrognant dominant role in Clinton impeachment despite sex scandal also with young intern clintons move to centre republican policys like tough in crime bill failure
abortion
-Bush=in election campaign declared abortion is murder=dashed RR hopes he would nominate pro-lifer to SC when he nominated David Souter=views unknown=SC rulings pleased anti-abortion lobby=Bowen v Kendrick=denied fed funding to pro choice programmes
-court struck down the Pennsylvanian provision that married woman had to produce statement to husband of abortion
-bush supported anti=-abortion constitutional amendment
clinton=countered reaganism with abortion facilities restored federally funded clinics, and two lib nominated to SC accepted by congress=Clinton reversed bush’s policies of stopping military hospitals from giving abortions and stopping fed funded doctors give advice on abortion polls showed vast majority Americans pro choice =extremists flourshed florida gynaecologist shot by prolife
homosexuality
both took lib stance=bush said wouldnt mind having gay cabinet member Clinton sought to allow gay people to serve openly in military however opposition by military chiefs=compromise with dont ask dont tell formula
permissiveness
Bill Clintons sex life= 12 yr affair with woman while gov Arkansas=Hilary stood with Bill=didnt hurt his chances =affair Lewinsky=intern=Monicagate frontpage news 1998=Clinton first denied and then admitted the affair=Republicans tried to impeach but approval ratings remained high=despite sex scandals Clinton left with 70% approval rating highest since JFK death=baby boomers felt few sex life stand to such scrutiny=changing attitudes towards family values
-henry hyde residing over impeachment resigned after had affair 40 yrs earlier
race
legal status
good =Native American tribes had increased powers on law enforcement on reservations after 74
bad= high speed car chase 92 Rodney King beaten by police.=all white jury found police innocent=riots 55 died and over 2000 injured =police seen racist =disproportionate number black people in jail=denoted black status and unfair victimised BA =SC ruling 90=denied NA Peyote as illcit drug that was used in religious ceremonies
eco status
good=middle class B and H growing=affirmative action=more emplyment opp=sc extended it in Richmond v Croson=to which congress did civil rights bill that Bush vetoed
bad=remained poorer 1/4 black americans H and NA lived below poverty line=average household income was roughly half national avergae
political status
good=more rep=colin powell headed JCS under Bush and during the 80s NAACP lawyers won 100 cases that led to changes to congressional districts and voting systems and assisted the election of 1000 B and H officals by 90. number B congressmen increased from 45 in 1990 to 69 in 1992 in which =17 HA congressmen
bad=1990s Carol Moseley Braun was sole black senator and only second elected to US senate in 20th century no HA senators
women
-economic status improving inferior to men
-unrepresented in politics=improved congress with 28 in HOR and two senate
1992 turning point due to Bushs nomination of African American Clarence Thomas to Supreme court =accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill. 98 male senate dismissal of accusations revitalised women’s campaigners =democrats focus on unrep women=unprecedented women to stand for local state and national office in 1992=number women elected doubled =47 women in HOR and seven senate
STILL UNREP
extent of social change
-R and Religious Right tried to turn back clock to time abortion illegal women knew place affirmative action not around homosexuality was repressed and pop culture not full violence sex=didnt do it but slowed change down=forces of change since 60s too strong unable to silence groups
