10.4 Politics in the 1990s and 2000

Notes

• Bill Clinton, a Democrat, won in 1992 as a "New Democrat," aiming for the political center.
• Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA, 1994), removing most trade barriers with Canada and Mexico. Supporters cited cheaper goods and more exports; critics, including many unions, blamed it for lost manufacturing jobs.
• His plan for universal health care failed. In 1994, Republicans led by Newt Gingrich won control of Congress with the Contract with America.
• Clinton and Congress passed welfare reform (1996), adding work requirements and time limits. A strong economy and budget deals produced federal budget surpluses from 1998 to 2001.
• The House impeached Clinton in 1998 for perjury and obstruction of justice related to a personal scandal. The Senate acquitted him in 1999.
• Election of 2000: George W. Bush vs. Al Gore came down to a disputed recount in Florida. In Bush v. Gore, the Supreme Court stopped the recount, and Bush won the Electoral College while Gore won the national popular vote.