Hist 450 Week 8

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HIS-450 Topic 8 Globalism and Terrorism Worksheet Instructions: In 200-300 words, respond to the following prompts. Each prompt should be supported with research. 1. What is “Clintonomics”? Describe the changes to the U.S. economy during the 1990s. What role did Globalism play in those changes? Explain. in office from 1993-2001 are often described as “Clintonomics”. During his first State of the Union Address, President Clinton proposed an economic recovery plan aimed at reducing the deficit and unemployment while increasing growth. In general, Clinton intended to meet these seemingly contradictory objectives by (1) revising tax codes, (2) instituting growth initiatives and (3) reducing government spending (Kube, 1993). These policies were accompanied by deficit reduction, the creation of NAFTA, a free trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and encouraging China’s admission into the World Trade Organization (WTO). The era was continued the deregulation of the Regan-Bush era and was characterized by decreasing budget deficits, low interest rates, and globalization of the economy. Following the Great Recession of 1991, the price of U.S. government debt declined. This resulted in increased interest rates on that debt, as well as rising interest rates for the consumer. Clinton responded to this with the Deficit Reduction Act of 1993, which combined budget cuts with tax increases on higher earning Americans. Although the legislation was politically unpopular, it calmed the bond markets, which allowed the Federal Reserve, to keep interest rates relatively low. As a result of the low interest rates, there was a marked increase in business investment which sent economic growth and stock markets higher throughout the 1990s. The Clinton administration, much like its predecessor, was dedicated to free trade. President Clinton continued the negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, Clinton was concerned about the effects of free trade on American jobs and worker’s pay, as well as the environmental effects in countries with weak environmental protections. At the administration’s insistence, labor and environmental protections were incorporated into the agreement. Clinton also supported China’s admission into the WTO. In retrospect, Clinton’s economic policies may not have been as successful as it initially appeared. Artificially low interest rates and deregulation of the financial system (Especially regarding home loans) led to the 2008 financial crisis. The policy of free trade has also come under increasing attack, with U.S. workers losing jobs under NAFTA. Clinton’s support of China’s admission to the WTO has also been criticized. While globalization may have increased corporate profits, it has led to the continued loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs and capacity to foreign countries, especially China.

Reference: Kube '94, Barb (1993) "Clintonomics: A Vision of Change," The Park Place Economist : Vol. 1 Available at: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/parkplace/vol1/iss1/13 2. What was the significance of the mid-term election of 1994? How did Newt Gingrich and the “Contract with America” contribute to the creation of bi-partisan legislation? Explain. The 1994 midterm elections completed the political transition that had begun with Ronald Reagan’s electoral victory in 1980. As part of the republican election strategy, Gingrich wrote his “Contract with America” and succeeded in getting most Republican congressional candidates to endorse it. The document was a concise statement of conservative positions and goals including tax cuts, balanced budgets, welfare reform, legal and tort reform, and increased defense spending. For the first time since 1956, the Republicans controlled Congress with Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Republicans gaining control of the Senate for the first time since 1986.Gingrich read the election results as a mandate for implementing his “Contract with America.” As per the Contract with America, Congress enacted legislation that weakened affirmative action programs, cut foreign aid, cut Medicare, cut taxes, and reduced budget deficits. Forced to adopt a defensive political strategy, Clinton vetoed Republican legislation whenever he sensed that he had public opinion on his side (Moss, 2012). Twice in the fall of 1995, Clinton vetoed Republican budget proposals that would have cut social programs. The Clinton vetoes forced a government shutdown, but public anger was focused mainly on republicans. Ultimately, both Congress and President Clinton were forced to adopt a Centrist middle. As a result of this compromise, the minimum wage was increased, the telecommunications industry was deregulated, and agricultural policy was updated. The era was also known for a dramatic reform of the welfare regulations. Reference: Moss, G.D., Thomas, E.A., (2012) Fifth Edition Moving On: The American People Since 1945. 3. Describe the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. What role did the U.S. play in these wars? In your opinion, should the U.S. have engaged in these wars? Why or why not? The Balkan wars were a series of wars that resulted from the post-Soviet breakup of Yugoslavia into six countries mostly based on ethnicity. The wars were known for their violence

against civilians including genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war-related sexual vi0lence and rape. It is estimated that 140,000 civilians were killed during the wars with over 2.4 million refugees and 2 million civilians internally displaced (homeless). Material damages were catastrophic, and the country littered with land mines. On March 9, 1995, The New York Times told of a leaked CIA report that blamed the Serbs for 90 percent of the war crimes. As a result, and in response to a Serbian attack that killed 38 civilians and wounded over 200, the U.S. and NATO launched Operation Deliberate Force on August 28, 1995. During the operation, NATO air forces attacked the Serbian heavy forces in Bosnia. After three weeks of continuous attacks, the Serbs ceased hostilities, and in November 1995, the Dayton Peace Accords were signed. There has always been some question as to why the U.S. waited so long to respond to the conflict and why it chose the time. This can be explained to some extent by effective Serbian propaganda that convinced most reporters that the war was an ethnic conflict or civil war in which all sides were equally guilty, rather than the vast majority of atrocities being committed by the Serbians. Another problem was that the refugees looked too affluent and well-fed. However, American did not have a strategic interest in the war as, according to many Croatians and Bosnians, “We have no oil fields here” (Ricchiardi, 1996). Reference: Ricchiardi, S. (1996). Confused Images: How the Media Fueled the Balkans War . U-M Library Digital Collections. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jii/4750978.0003.215? view=text;rgn=main 4. Discuss President Clinton’s Impeachment. What were the charges? What penalty was he given? What penalty is the average person given for this crime? Do you think that famous people and politicians should be judged by a different standard than a common person? Explain. The Clinton’s were no strangers to questionable dealings. Prior to his election as President, Bill Clinton was involved in questionable real estate deals (Whitewater), and accused misuse of state employees (Troopergate), sexual assault, and numerous affairs (Johnson, 1996). In one case, a state employee named Paula Jones sued Clinton for sexual harassment. It was during his testimony in that case that Clinton is alleged to have committed perjury and obstruction of justice. After the suspicious suicide of deputy White House Council Vince Foster, an independent investigator, Kenneth Starr, was appointed. The investigation was later expanded to include the suspected perjury and obstruction of justice that occurred during the Paula Jones trial. The Starr Report outlined a case for impeaching Clinton on 11 grounds, including perjury, obstruction of justice, witness-tampering, abuse of power, and also provided explicit

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details of the sexual relationship between the president and Ms. Lewinsky. On October 8, the House authorized a wide-ranging impeachment inquiry, and on December 11, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment. On December 19, the House impeached Clinton. After nearly 14 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Clinton, charging him with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton was acquitted in the Senate. A person convicted of perjury under federal law may face up to five years in prison and fines (18 U.S.C. § 1621). Potential penalties for obstruction of justice vary, but generally include a fine and/or 6 months to 20 years in prison (18 U.S.C. §§ 1501-1521). However, it is important to remember that impeachment is a political, not a criminal prosecution. According to the Constitution and American tradition, we are all equal under the law. However, it often seems that there are now two legal system in the U.S., one for the elites and the party of the government and another far more punitive system for everyone else. We see this is a federal justice system that refuses to charge Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden for numerous alleged crimes while it files 34 Felony charges against a Republican former president for paperwork mistakes 5 years after the statute of limitations has expired. Reference: Johnson, C. (2016, June 21). Clinton Scandals: A Guide From Whitewater To The Clinton Foundation . NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/06/12/481718785/clinton-scandals-a-guide- from-whitewater-to-the-clinton-foundation 5. Describe Operation Iraqi Freedom. Assess its positive and negative consequences to the United States. The Second Persian Gulf War , known as Operation Iraqi Freedom, can be divided into two distinct phases. The initial phase was a brief but intense conventionally fought war occurring from March to April 2003. The first phase opened with an aerial campaign using precision guided weapons and stealth technology to rapidly take out Iraqi command and control facilities, as well as leadership elements rendering. This left the Iraqi military strategically blind and essentially leaderless, making it further vulnerable to the vastly superior American forces. The campaign was televised live and became known as “Shock and Awe”. After the initial onslaught, a combined force from the United States and Great Britain invaded Iraq and rapidly defeated Iraqi forces. This was followed by a longer second phase in which the western forces occupied Iraq. Theis second phase was marked by a violent insurgency that cost over 3000 American lives, whereas the actual war claimed 150 western forces. As the country stabilized, the United States gradually reduced its military presence, completing its withdraw in December 2011. Although initially successful, the campaign ended up deeply dividing Americans and alienating key U.S. allies (Pew, 2024) . Negative perceptions of American unilateralism were

widespread in Europe, with a growing percentage of Europeans wanting foreign policy and security arrangements to be made independent from the United States. (An interesting desire since the Europeans have no desire to pay for their own security.) At the time, anger toward the United States in Muslim countries was pervasive, with Osama bin Laden viewed favorably by large percentages in Pakistan (65%), Jordan (55%) and Morocco (45%). Even in Turkey, where bin Laden was highly unpopular, as many as 31% say that suicide attacks against Americans and other Westerners in Iraq are justifiable (Pew, 2004). In retrospect, 62% of Americans said the war was not worth fighting, with the majority of military veterans, including those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, concurring. Reference: A Year After Iraq War | Pew Research Center . (2004, March 16). Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project; https://www.facebook.com/pewresearch. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2004/03/16/a-year-after-iraq-war/

Hist 450 Week 8

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