Chapter 26: Entering a New Era 1992-"Present"

Entering a New Era 1992-"Present"

            After twelve years of Republican Rule in the White House, Democrat Bill Clinton ended the Republican period. In 1996, Clinton became the first Democratic President since Franklin D. Roosevelt to won a second term. In the 1990's, with the end of the Cold War abroad and a rapidly changing cultural climate at home, President Clinton and the American people would need to find creative solutions to many complex problems. American voters, concerned with an ailing economy, elected Democrat Bill Clinton to the presidency in 1992. Congress approved Clinton's first budget, but rejected his plan to reform the health-care system. Also the end of the Cold War in the 1990's left Clinton administration struggling to find its way through uncharted water in international relations, new problems would arise since the fall of communism. By the 1990's immigration and aging population had changed the makeup of the US. Minority groups comprised a much larger percentage of the population than ever before and older Americans made up the fastest-growing age group in the country.

Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy

            At the age of 17, Bill Clinton shook hands with President Kennedy. A hard working student from the small town of Hope, Arkansas, Clinton was chosen to participate in Boys Nation, a summer program in which high school students learn about politics. During Clinton's campaign of 1992, it was a three-way race. Like the 1912 campaign, but now in 1992 we find Bill Clinton who was 46 at the time, Senator Al Gore of Tennessee who was in his forties also, and the third candidate H. Ross Perot, a billionaire businessman from Texas who had made a fortune in computer data processing. Although Clinton won the elections, he did have trouble in his administration when his health-care plan was not passed; this was a sign of coming political trouble. During the campaign Newt Gingrich, a representative from Georgia, called on republican candidate to endorse a "Contract with America" to scale back the role of the federal government, eliminate bothersome regulations, reduce taxes, and balance the budget.

            Witnessing the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, President Bush had spoken hopefully of the dawn of a "New World Order." By this, he meant a more stable and peaceful world in which "the strong respect the rights of the weak." At this time period the US worked on spreading democracy over Europe, specially the former Soviet Republic. It applauded the election of Boris Yeltsin as president of Russia, and President Clinton supported Russia steps towards democracy. During the Clinton administration, there we other conflicts in other parts of the world, for example South Africa and its social problems to overturn apartheid-the systematic separation of the black and white races. Since only 15% of the population was white and did not accept to give equal rights to the majority the US and other nations had used economic sanctions-trade restrictions-to encourage reform. Although the US found it fascinating to help the Soviet Union become democratic, other countries such as Bosnia had social conflicts and political divisions in their own country. Also during Clinton's administration, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a landmark agreement that to effect in 1994, a called for removal of trade restrictions among the US, Mexico, and Canada. During the 1990's a great deal of immigration occurred, the culture of the US was being enriched by new people coming in from different cultures, therefore, another efforts to help make diversity wok was multiculturalism, a movement that called for greater attention to non-European cultures in such areas as education. Also during the Clinton presidency a new revolution was to occur and it was the Internet, which is a computer virtual network which allows people to connect around the world.

Boris Yeltsin & Bill Clinton

            As a result of an era of the Clinton administration the US has become one of the greatest World Powers. With all its ups and downs, it has been the mother of democracy and its spreading all over the world. The 90's decade gave birth too many positive results of the 21st century nowadays. The power of several of Clinton’s policies, such as the Health-care (which was not approved by Congress) now is being implemented in the Obama administration. The present America is a result of the 90's and the end of the Cold War. Also one of the biggest revolutionary parts of the 90's was the Internet, which has made our modern world what it is.