1. THE PRESIDENCY OF BILL CLINTON

2. THE 1992 LA RIOTS 3 March 1991 – Rodney King led police on a chase through the Los Angeles before surrendering Brutally beaten by police officers Powell, Briseno, and Wind Citizen had been filming the arrest 29 April 1992 – the police officers were found not guilty on all charges except one assault charge against Powell Los Angeles erupted into violence

3. 1992 ELECTION Ross Perot (19%) and H.W. Bush (37%) split the Republican vote Clears the way for politically unknown Bill Clinton Centrist politician: appealed to the mainstream Benefits from end of the Cold War optimism and economics of a shrinking military

4. “IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!” BUSH’S TAX INCREASE MAKES HIM A ONE TERM PRESIDENT

5. WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS First post-Cold War and “Baby Boom” president New Democrat Reaction to Reaganism More moderate on social issues Open to tax cuts, free trade, and deregulation Break from the Democrats

6. 1990S ECONOMIC BOOM Causes Light regulation on industry Dot com Boom End of Cold War (low defense spending) Results in longest peace time economic expansion in history

7. CLINTON’S FOREIGN POLICY Rise of Al Qaeda World Trade Center bombed in 1993 Khalid Sheik Mohammad US embassies bombed in Kenya and Tanzania 1998 USS Cole attack 2000

8. CLINTON’S AMERICA Family Medial Leave Act Gives 12 paid weeks off for any medical reason Failed in effort to nationalize health care “HillaryCare” precursor to ObamaCare Anger over appointing of his wife to lead

9. NAFTA (1994) AND GATT Reaction to European Union of 1993 (the Euro) North American Free Trade Agreement No trade barriers between Canada, the US, and Mexico Had bi-partisan support General agreement on trade and tariffs Free trade

10. REPUBLICAN REVIVAL 1994 – GOP wins Congress Newt Gingrich leads “Contract with America” Pushed tax cuts, cut size of gov’t, reformed welfare, increased defense Reaction against proposed HillaryCare and gov’t growth Balanced the budget US has a budget surplus Very popular

11. OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING - 1995 168 Americans killed in a truck bomb blast Worst act of domestic terrorism in US history Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols

12. THE WAR IN KOSOVO - 1999 US leads NATO to stop Serbian-led genocide of Muslins in former Yugoslavia Peacekeeping forces remain, Milosovic tried on war crimes Kosovo get independence in 2008

13. COLUMBINE - 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people at Columbine High School in Colorado then commit suicide

14. SCANDAL IN THE WHITE HOUSE Alleged financial misdoings (Whitewater Development Corps – real estate venture) Investigation starts in 1994 Insider trading never proved, but suspected Special Prosecutor on Whitewater (Ken Starr) uncovers sexual affair Clinton’s history of alleged womanizing Enter Monica Lewinski

15. THE MONICA LEWINSKY SCANDAL “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Clinton denies the affair in the Paula Jones sexual harassment suit

16. IMPEACHMENT OF THE PRESIDENT Bill Clinton is impeached on Obstruction of justice Perjury Malfeasance in office His presidential approval ratings were highest during the scandal Acquitted by the Senate