Bill Clinton

In his farewell address on January 18, 2001, President Bill Clinton stated:

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    The world is more connected every day in every way. America’s security and prosperity require us to continue to lead in the world. At this remarkable moment in history, more people live in freedom than ever before."1

    His statement underscores the optimism felt during the first decade after the Cold War. Overall, Clinton's presidency was not free from foreign-policy blunders and scandal. Yet he left office on a wave of popularity.

    Bill Clinton: Presidency

    Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States. He served between 1993 and 2001. At the beginning of his first term, Clinton showed little interest in foreign policy than his predecessors and sought to focus on the economy. This period was an optimistic time after the end of the Cold War when many believed that the world had entered a better era.

    As time went on, however, the U.S., under Clinton's leadership, got involved in conflicts in the Balkans, Middle East, and Africa. However, the 1990s are generally considered a time of relative peace for the U.S.

    Presidency of Bill Clinton, Fig. 1 - President Bill Clinton, 1993. Source: Executive Office of the President of the United States (public domain), StudySmarter.

    Fig. 1 - President Bill Clinton, 1993. Source: Executive Office of the President of the United States (public domain).

    Bill Clinton: Interesting Facts

    Bill Clinton was educated at:

    • Georgetown University;
    • University College, Oxford;
    • Yale Law School.

    The 42nd president has had a long political career as:

    • Governor of Arkansas twice (1979-1981, 1983-1992);
    • Attorney General of Arkansas (1977-1979).

    He is the husband of Hillary Clinton, who was:

    • New York State Senator ( 2001-2009);
    • Secretary of State (2009-2013);
    • Democratic Presidential nominee (2016).

    Bill Clinton made many media appearances, including those with other heads of state, displaying his talent:

    • Playing the saxophone.

    Clinton was one of the youngest U.S. presidents in the country's history. He was also the second president to be impeached.

    Bill Clinton: Accomplishments and Failures

    There are many issues for which Bill Clinton is famous. They include:

    NameDateDetails
    Clinton Health Care Plan of 19931993Bill Clinton failed to pass his healthcare reform plan to introduce universal healthcare in the country.
    Somalia Intervention1993The Black Hawk incident occurred in late 1993 when American soldiers were killed in Mogadishu. Clinton was criticized for his role.
    NAFTA1994NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was launched in 1994 after being signed in 1992. The agreement liberalized trade between Mexico, Canada, and the United States by removing tariffs.
    Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act1994Often called the 1994 Crime Bill, this legislation is the largest in the U.S., giving additional power to the federal government.
    Dayton Accords1995The Dayton Accords were signed in Ohio in 1995, bringing the Bosnian War (1992-1995) to an end.
    NATO enlargement1999NATO's fourth enlargement wave took place in 1999, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.
    Iraq Liberation Act1998The Iraq Liberation Act was used to meddle in the domestic affairs of Iraq to remove its leader Saddam Hussein. Four-day-long strikes on Iraq followed it as part of Operation Desert Fox in December 1998.
    NATO bombing of Serbia1999Under the official pretext of helping Kosovo Albanians in the Balkans, NATO bombed Serbia for 78 days as part of Operation Allied Force with depleted uranium leading to many civilian casualties and long-term cancer effects.

    Bill Clinton: Domestic Politics

    Bill Clinton focused on the economy, such as keeping a balanced budget. In domestic politics, he also pursued the following initiatives:

    • Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act passed in 1994);
    • Clinton Health Care Plan (failed to pass in 1993).

    Trade

    The Bill Clinton presidency led to significant developments in domestic and international trade.

    NAFTA

    NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) was an agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. NAFTA was signed in 1992 by the previous President, George H.W. Bush, the Mexican leader Carlos Salinas, and the Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. However, NAFTA came into effect under Clinton in 1994. The purpose of this agreement was to facilitate free trade, for instance, by removing tariffs on imported goods between the three countries.

    Presidency of Bill Clinton, Fig. 2 - NAFTA Initialing Ceremony, 1992. Standing: President Carlos Salinas de Gortari (Mexico), President George H. W. Bush (U.S.), Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Canada). Source: United States Government (public domain), StudySmarter.

    Fig. 2 - NAFTA Initialing Ceremony, 1992. Standing: President Carlos Salinas de Gortari (Mexico), President George H. W. Bush (U.S.), Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Canada). Source: United States Government (public domain).

    The critical areas of NAFTA included:

    • agricultural products;
    • cars;
    • textiles.

    NAFTA had mixed results:

    • the growth of trade between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico;
    • an economic integration on the continent;
    • outsourcing which resulted in job loss.

    NAFTA was also linked to:

    • North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (to fight pollution);
    • North American Agreement for Labor Cooperation (to improve labor conditions).

    Overall, NAFTA raised questions about the benefits and drawbacks of free trade.

    Bill Clinton: Foreign Policy

    During Bill Clinton's presidency, the United States had few military involvements with boots on the ground. He preferred to link foreign policy with trade. In his Budget Message to Congress in 1994, President Clinton expressed his emphasis on the role of economics in the realm of international relations:

    We have put our economic competitiveness at the heart of our foreign policy."2

    NATO Expansion

    NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was established in 1949 as a military alliance that challenged the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Soviet counterpart, the Warsaw Pact, dissolved after the Cold War. NATO was preserved even though it no longer had an opponent.

    At this time, Russia, the legal heir of the Soviet Union, was promised no expansion toward its borders, but no agreement was signed. In 1999, NATO carried out its fourth enlargement to include:

    • The Czech Republic,
    • Hungary,
    • Poland.

    In the decades since, NATO continued to expand into the historic Russian sphere of influence closer to the Russian borders. Many American politicians and academics, such as George Kennan and Henry Kissinger, criticized this move as aggressive and destabilizing for the region.

    Somalia

    The U.S. involvement in Somalia began during the previous George H. W. Bush administration due to instability that led to the Somali Civil War. At that time, the U.S. pursued humanitarian goals. However, Clinton decided to increase American presence in Somalia and target its warlords. The decision backfired and led to the Black Hawk Down incident (Operation Gothic Serpent) on October 3-4, 1993.

    • During the Battle of Mogadishu, two of the four U.S. Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down and ended up in the enemy-controlled territory. Involved in urban warfare, 73 U.S. soldiers were wounded and 18 killed. Some dead bodies were dragged through the streets and televised in the U.S.

    Because of this foreign-policy blunder, the Clinton administration received substantial criticism and displayed better restraint in committing boots on the ground in other conflicts.

    Presidency of Bill Clinton, Fig. 3 - U.S. Marine helicopter patrolling Mogadishu, Somalia, 1992. Source: U.S. Air Force (public domain), StudySmarter.

    Fig. 3 - U.S. Marine helicopter patrolling Mogadishu, Somalia, 1992. Source: U.S. Air Force (public domain).

    Did you know?

    In 2001, Hollywood director Ridley Scott created the film Black Hawk Down based on these events.

    Haiti

    A crisis broke out in Haiti after a military regime changed against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. In response to the subsequent turmoil in that country, American and Canadian peacekeepers were sent to help in October 1993. The peacekeepers were insufficiently equipped and were forced to turn around when they encountered a mob armed with machetes promising them "another Somalia."3 Clinton's critics argued that the events in Somalia and Haiti damaged America's image.

    Rwanda

    An estimated half a million people were killed in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. However, because of the failures in Somalia and Haiti, the Clinton administration chose not to intervene. Later, the President called this decision a failure.

    Iraq

    President George H. W. Bush challenged Iraq during the Gulf War (1990-1991). Bill Clinton continued his predecessor's foreign policy by signing the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act, which sought to topple the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein by meddling in that country's domestic politics. This document was later used as a precedent for the 2003 invasion of that country under the false pretext of finding weapons of mass destruction. The war destabilized the region for decades.

    International Terrorism

    The Clinton administration wanted to capture the terrorist Osama bin Laden but was unsuccessful. Bin Laden's organization Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for bombing American embassies in East Africa in 1998, with an overall death toll in the hundreds.

    Balkan Wars

    The dissolution of Yugoslavia, a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country in the Balkans, led to conflicts in the region with complex roots. They included:

    • Bosnian War (1992-1995)
    • Kosovo War (1998-1999)

    The Bosnian War resulted in the Dayton Accords signed in 1995 in Ohio by:

    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Croatia
    • Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)

    The agreement put an end to the war. Richard Holbrooke acted as the leading U.S. peace negotiator.

    Presidency of Bill Clinton, Fig. 4 - President Slobodan Milosevic (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), President Alija Izetbegovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and President Franjo Tudjman (Croatia) sign a draft of the Dayton Peace Accords, 1995. Source: U.S. Air Force (public domain), StudySmarter.

    Fig. 4 - President Slobodan Milosevic (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), President Alija Izetbegovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and President Franjo Tudjman (Croatia) sign a draft of the Dayton Peace Accords, 1995. Source: U.S. Air Force (public domain).

    However, regional unrest continued. In 1999, NATO bombed Serbia and Montenegro (then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), which it viewed as aggressors, between March and June. NATO supporters argue that the U.S.-led NATO intervention saved the Kosovo Albanians.

    Critics asserted that the strikes resulted in civilian deaths, ranging from hundreds to thousands. These included ethnic Serbs and the staff at the Chinese embassy. Furthermore, NATO employed depleted uranium linked to increased cancer rates. Critics also argued that NATO used this opportunity to expand into the Balkans:

    • Kosovo Force (KFOR) NATO military bases;
    • North Macedonia NATO membership (2020).

    Bill Clinton: Impeachment

    In late 1998, the process of impeaching President Clinton began. Impeachment was linked to a lawsuit about sexual harassment filed by Paula Jones and Clinton's inappropriate physical relationship with Monica Lewinsky. The latter was 22 years old and worked as a White House aide.

    Impeachment was launched by the House of Representatives and was followed by a Senate trial in 1999. The President faced the following charges:

    • obstruction of justice (influencing legal proceedings)
    • perjury (lying under oath)

    Impeachment is the legal process by which a governing body charges a public official with misconduct. In some countries, the process leads to the removal of the individual from office.

    The House of Representatives impeached Clinton. However, he was acquitted by the Senate.

    The Monica Lewinsky scandal was broadly covered in the media.

    Bill Clinton in 2001

    At the end of his second term in 2001, Bill Clinton left office. He had one of the highest approval ratings of all U.S. presidents despite the foreign-policy blunders, failure to pass universal healthcare, and the impeachment scandal.

    Presidency of Bill Clinton - Key Takeaways

    • Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001).
    • His presidency was fueled by optimism after the Cold War and focused on economic policies.
    • Bill Clinton is famous for NAFTA, the Black Hawk incident, the Dayton Accords, NATO enlargement, the Iraq Liberation Act, and the NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro.
    • Clinton was also the second American President to be impeached though he remained in power.

    References

    1. Ambrose, Stephen and Douglas Brinkley, Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938, Ninth Revised Edition, London: Penguin Books, 2010, p. 429.
    2. Ibid, p. 398.
    3. Ibid, p. 405.
    Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Clinton

    What did Bill Clinton do as a president?

    Bill Clinton was in office between 1993-2001. He became president after the Cold War came to an end. As a result, there was an initial period of optimism about economic development around the world and hope for peace in international relations. Some of the policies for which he came to be known were signing NAFTA, which facilitated trade in North America. Clinton also signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Internationally, Clinton got the U.S. involved in a series of Balkan conflicts in the 1990s. For example, in 1995, the U.S. facilitated the Dayton Accords, which ended the Bosnian War (1992-1995). However, the Balkan conflict continued, and in 1999 NATO bombed Serbia killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure. Under Bill Clinton, NATO also began its expansion into the former Soviet territories and the Russian historical sphere of influence despite the promises given to the Russian leaders. 

    When did Bill Clinton end his presidency?

    Bill Clinton served as president between 1993 and 2001. His final day in office was on January 20, 2001. 

    What was Clinton known for?

    Bill Clinton is known for having a long political career. Prior to becoming president, Bill Clinton worked as both the governor and the attorney general of Arkansas. 
    As president, Clinton came to be known for signing the NAFTA agreement on trade in North America. In international relations, Clinton is famous for his foreign policy in the Balkans, including the 1995 Dayton Accords ending the Bosnian war, and the NATO bombing of civilians in Yugoslavia with depleted uranium. The failed 1993 intervention in Somalia during his presidency led to the famous Hollywood Movie Black Hawk Down (2001). Finally, as president, Clinton was also known for the scandal that occurred while in office that got him impeached for lying under oath. 

    What were President Clinton's major initiatives?

    Bill Clinton's major initiatives included 1) NAFTA; 2) balancing the budget; 3)  Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act; 5) facilitating international trade after the Cold War; 6) failed Somalia intervention; 7) Dayton Accords to end the Bosnian War; 8) NATO expansion into the traditional Russian sphere of influence; 9) NATO bombing of civilians in Serbia.

    What were three of Clinton's foreign policy accomplishments?

    Bill Clinton's foreign policy accomplishments are 1) the 1995 Dayton Accords that put an end to the Bosnian War in the Balkans; 2) NATO enlargement into the Russian sphere of influence which some view as a positive development, but critics view as disastrous; 3) the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia, which supporters view as setting the path for Kosovo independence, and critics cite civilian deaths among the Serbs and the Chinese embassy, and increased cancer rates after NATO's use of depleted uranium. 

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    What important trade agreement came into effect under Bill Clinton?

    Which Iraq policy took place under Bill Clinton?

    Which Hollywood film was based on a foreign policy blunder under Bill Clinton?

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