George H. Bush & Bill Clinton Influence on Modern America
George H. Bush (1989-1993)
George H. Bush presidency was viewed as successful in foreign affairs but a disappointment in domestic affairs. His achievements in foreign policy in foreign policy was not enough to overshadow the economic recession in 1992. However he have a positive influence with "Americans With Diabetes" and the "Clean Air Act Amendments".
Read my lips: NO NEW TAXES
When Bush took office the federal budget was 2.8 trillion, 3 times larger than it had been in 1980. The federal government did not have revenues for any, new domestic ventures, nor did the political climate lend itself to enacting them. Bush stressed a limited agenda of Volunteerism, education reform, and anti-drug efforts. Republicans wanted the government to approach the budget deficit by cutting domestic spending, whereas the democrats wanted raise taxes on rich Americans. June 1990, Bush passes the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 to cut government expenditures and raise taxes. He issued a statement reneging no taxes pledge made during the campaign, stating "tax increases might solve the deficit problem." Bush alienated the more conservative wing of the republican party (breaking his promise not to raise taxes and cutting military spending) which made people feel that he betrayed the Reagan Revolution. Concluding him to lose the 1992 election to Democrat Bill Clinton.
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
Bill Clinton "New Democrat" party co-opted the Reagan appeal to law and order, individualism, and welfare reform. He was the second president to suffer from impeachment. Clinton goal was to decrease unemployment, runaway deficit, improve health care crisis, and welfare reform.
NAFTA
On December 8, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement which eliminated nearly every trade barrier between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, creating the world's largest free trade zone. American corporations would flee the United States in order to profit from much lower Mexican labor costs and the new absence of tariffs. However, labor leaders were skeptical of the NAFTA promises because American corporations would flee the United States in order to profit from much lower Mexican labor costs and the new absence of tariffs. Also there would be an unemployment increase due to the southern neighbor. To prevent that, Clinton inserted limits on agricultural imports to minimize the negative effects of competition on produce and created a North American Development Bank in order to assist development along the Mexican border and show sympathy with the concerns of Hispanic Representatives.
Health Care Clinton failed to realize a major goal of his administration: affordable health care insurance for every American. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without a universal health care system, and Clinton felt passionately about the fact that 60 million Americans did not have adequate health insurance. From a political standpoint, universal health care would link the middle-class and the working-class to the Democratic Party for at least another generation. So if Clinton could control health-care costs, he could remove a major drag on the economy.Clinton named his wife, Hillary Clinton, head of a task force to for health care. Her decision to recruit a task-force network of experts to work in secret on complex issues, such as health-care premiums, managed competition, and health-care alliances. The federal court forced her to make records publicly available of some of the proceedings, after the health-care industry sued for open access reducing the plan's chances for legislative success.
1. Do feel Bush could have lowered the federal budget without increasing taxes? Explain in detail. 2. Did NAFTA help U.S economy, business & economic wise? 3. Does the United States need Universal Health care Insurance? 4. Do you think its right to make American products in other countries, but lower the wage for the individual worker?