1. Connection: Match the president with their policy goal.
EQ: To what extent did Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama fulfill 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

2. Connection
What factors shape the goals and priorities of a president’s agenda?
How would you rate a presidential policy as a success or failure?

3. Resource – T-Chart
Democrats
Republicans

4. The Democratic Party - 2000 Generally support Generally appeals to
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

5. The Republican Party - 2000 Generally 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

6. Third 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.

7. Bill Clinton – 1992 Election
Bill Clinton vs. George H.W. Bush
Winning 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 Congress
New Democrats
more moderate – still promoting social programs, but with a smaller government

8. Bill Clinton – Reforms and Laws
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

9. 1994 – Republican 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.

10. Bill Clinton - Issues White 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.

11. Areas of Success? Challenging Areas?

12. Connection (part II)
Which policies of the Clinton administration were the most successful?
Which policies were the least successful?

13. Connection (part II)
What were some of the best successes of these three presidents?
What were some of the worst moments of their presidencies?

14. George W. Bush – 2000 Election
270 votes needed to win
Gore – 266/ Bush-246
Needed to win Florida – too close to call
Issues with recount
Gore demanded recount
Bush 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)

15. George W. Bush – Reforming Education
NCLB – No Child Left Behind
Ushered in a new era of accountability.
Required schools to test their students’ progress in reading and math

16. George W. Bush – Laws and Programs
Office 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 marry
Secure 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

17. George W. Bush - Economics
Summer $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 billion
However, tax revenues up in as economy recovers

18. The Great Recession Economic expansion short-lived
Housing bubble burst in 2006
Subprime mortgages/home values crash/foreclosures
Slowed spending/ lay-offs
Investment Firms and Banks go under
Bailouts – TARP – troubled asset relief program
$700 billion/ $17 billion to auto makers
Institutions seen as “too big to fail”

19. George W. Bush - Issues Hurricane Katrina – 2005
Hurricane devastated New Orleans and other Gulf Towns
Levy broke, flooding the town
Response by FEMA seemed slow and disorganized

20. Areas of Success? Challenging Areas?

21. Barack Obama – 2008 Election
Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin
With 365 electoral votes to McCain’s 173, Obama became nation’s first African American president.
Electoral mandate for change.

22. The Great Recession Continues
Economy 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 families
2nd auto industry bailout - $60 billion to GM and Chrysler
Economist agree that the recession officially ended in 2009 due to a combination of effects from Bush and Obama measures

23. Healthcare and Other Reforms
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 mpg by 2025
Embryonic stem cell research
Removed barriers

24. Gridlock Rise of the Tea Party Debt Crisis/Fiscal Cliff/Sequester
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

25. Areas of Success? Challenging Areas?

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