Bill ClintonGreat president, or the Greatest president?

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 >.