US History 2 - Final Test Presidents

William Jefferson Clinton

1993-2001

42^nd President of the United States

Democrat-Arkansas

Known as: “The Comeback Kid”

Former: State Attorney General-Arkansas, Governor of Arkansas

Vice President: Al Gore

1992 Election

 In 1992 Election he defeated President George H.W. Bush and Billionaire Businessman H. Ross Perot.  Clinton ran as a “New Democrat”, a candidate that would take Republican concepts and make them his own, fitting them to his Democratic agenda.

“New Democrat”

a candidate that would take Republican concepts and make them his own, fitting them to his Democratic agenda.

The First Couple

Clinton relied on his wife, First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton, as a top political strategist and advisor.  He placed her in charge of creating a universal healthcare policy for all Americans, but many in the American Medical Association and insurance industry opposed her involvement, because she was the wife of the President and not an elected official.

Hillary Rodham-Clinton

Bill Clinton’s wife, First Lady, as a top political strategist and advisor

Universal Healthcare Policy

a system where all residents of a country are guaranteed access to health services, often through government-provided insurance. This system aims to ensure everyone can receive necessary medical care without financial hardship.

Whitewater

The Clinton’s had been successful investing partners in a real-estate deal and Savings and Loan company called “Whitewater, which had failed, yet had “ripped off” other investors.

Kenneth Starr

an American lawyer and judge who as independent counsel authored the Starr Report, which served as the basis of the impeachment of Bill Clinton. He headed an investigation of members of the Clinton administration, known as the Whitewater controversy, from 1994 to 1998.

Independent Counsel

also known as a special prosecutor, is a lawyer appointed to investigate and potentially prosecute cases where a conflict of interest exists for the usual prosecuting authority. This appointment is designed to ensure impartiality, particularly in investigations involving high-ranking government officials or members of Congress. 

Gun Legisalation

1.  Brady Bill:  Created a waiting period for handgun purchases.

2. The Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act of 1994:  Provided federal funds to hire more police officers around the country.

Brady Bill

Created a waiting period for handgun purchases.

James Brady

survived a gunshot wound to the head in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. an American public official who served as assistant to the U.S. president and the 17th White House Press Secretary, serving under President Ronald Reagan. In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot and wounded Brady during Hinckley’s attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, which occurred two months and ten days after Reagan's inauguration.

The Violent Crime Control & Law Enforcement Act of 1994

Provided federal funds to hire more police officers around the country.

The 1994 Election

 In response to the New Democrats, the Republican Party took over control of the House and Senate in the 1994 Election.  The Republicans were led by Newt Gingrich a Republican from Georgia, who promised a New Contract with America (cut spending and entitlements.

Newt Gingrich

a Republican from Georgia, who promised a New Contract with America (cut spending and entitlements.

New Contract with America

cut spending and entitlements

Welfare Reform

President Clinton worked with Republicans to create the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (cut food stamps, and gave state’s the right to force welfare recipients to work for their benefits)

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act

cut food stamps, and gave state’s the right to force welfare recipients to work for their benefits

Booming Economy

The U.S. Economy continued to increase during the Clinton Years, and the President and Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, announced they would put an end to the Glass-Steagall Act* which forbid banks from working with investment firms.

*This would lead to the economic crisis of 2008

Alan Greenspan

the President and Federal Reserve Chairman

Glass-Steagall Act

forbid banks from working with investment firms

NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

The North American Free Trade Agreement was designed to remove all trade barriers between Canada, Mexico, & The United States.  By lowering tariffs and expanding the global trade, companies could now move their plants and factories anywhere in North America where there were lower taxes. (ex. Ford Truck Plant in Edison, NJ was moved to Mexico)

Foreign Policy

1.  Sends troops to Somalia on a humanitarian mission (18 soldiers are killed)

2.  Sends NATO troops to Haiti to restore peace and order during rebellion.

3.  Sends troops to Bosnia to save Muslims from “ethnic cleansing” by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic

4. Unsuccessfully attempted to bring peace between Israel & Palestine

5. Sends Missile Strikes against the terrorist Osama Bin Laden but misses

Slobodan Milosevic

As Serbia's party leader and president (1989–97), pursued Serbian nationalist policies that contributed to the breakup of the socialist Yugoslav federation.

•  Sends troops to Bosnia to save Muslims from “ethnic cleansing” by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic

Election of 1996

Easily wins re-election over Sen. Bob Dole.

Impeachment

1.  The President is found to have perjured himself in a sexual-harassment suit when he says he is not having any extra-marital affairs currently.

2. President was having an affair with a 21-year-old intern named Monica Lewinsky

3. President says, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Monica Lewinsky”, but then retracts it when evidence appears to show he has.

4. Republicans vote to Impeach the President.

5. President is found not guilty and stays in office.

6. Clinton’s approval ratings remain high, even during impeachment hearings.

Monica Lewinsky

a 21-year-old intern who President Bill Clinton was having an affair with

George W. Bush

2001-2009

43^rd President of the United States

Republican-Texas

Known as: “W” or “#43”

Son of 41^st President George H. W. Bush

Former: Businessman, Owner of the Texas Rangers, Governor of Texas

Vice President: Richard “Dick” Cheney

The 2000 Presidential Election

Texas Governor George W. Bush (R) vs. Vice President Al Gore (D) vs. Ralph Nader (Green Party)

1.  Neither candidate was seen as desirable by the parties; Gore was seen as boring and Bush was seen as unintelligent and a puppet to his Vice President.

2.  Bush runs campaign of “Compassionate Conservative” and seeks to win the Midwest and Southern States.

3.  Gore ends up losing his own state of Tennessee, and both candidates need to win the state of Florida to capture the 270 Electoral Votes needed to win the Presidency.

4.  The state of Florida was evenly divided between Democratic and Republican voters.

5.  Miami-Dade County was the center of the Florida vote, as a recount was ordered by the Florida Supreme Court.

6.  After several weeks of lawsuits, the United States Supreme Court; in the case Bush v. Gore stopped the recount.

7.  Bush ends up winning the state of Florida by 321 popular votes, and wins the Presidency, even though he lost the national popular vote.

8.  The results of the 2000 election severely divided the nation along partisan lines, and have led to the divisions we have in government today.

Al Gore

an American politician and environmental activist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States (1993–2001) in the Democratic administration of President Bill Clinton.

Ralph Nader

an American lawyer and consumer advocate who was a four-time candidate for the U.S. presidency (1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008).

Bush v. Gore

a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court on December 12, 2000, that settled a recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore.

9/11 Attacks

1. The U.S. Was attacked by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, on September 11^th, 2001.

2. Terrorists flew commercial jet airliners into the World Trade Center in NYC, The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and were brought down outside of Pittsburgh, PA.

3. 3^rd Bloodiest day in American History with over 3,000 deaths (Behind Antietam and D-Day)

4. Bush travels to NYC in the days following the attack and meets with rescue crews saying, “I can hear you…and soon the people who did this will hear all of us”.  Event gives President Bush the highest job approval ratings ever by a President (99% approval)

5. The government will use the attacks to create the Department of Homeland Security

6. The government passes the Patriot Act, which expands the government’s authority to fight terrorism, and limit some civil liberties.

Osama Bin Laden

a militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda.

September 11th, 2001

The U.S. Was attacked by the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden

Department of Homeland Security

the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior, home, or public security ministries in other countries.

Patriot Act

expands the government’s authority to fight terrorism, and limit some civil liberties.

War in Afghanistan & Iraq

1. The Bush Doctrine: The belief that the United States will use an aggressive approach and use preemptive strikes on nations viewed as threats to the United States.  (Attack first and ask questions later)

2. U.S. Launches attacks on Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) in 2001 to drive the Taliban and al-Qaeda out, claiming that they were harboring Osama bin Laden.

3. U.S. invades Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) in 2003 claiming that the leader Saddam Hussein has chemical weapons and is harboring terrorists.

4. Some chemical weapons are found, but not nearly the amount the U.S. assumed.

5. President Bush flies on to an aircraft carrier and says, “Mission Accomplished”, implying that combat in Iraq was over….(Bush would say it was a huge political mistake)

6. Saddam Hussein is deposed by his people and eventually hunted down and killed.

7. With Saddam gone, Civil War in Iraq breaks out between Shiite & Sunni Muslims

8. U.S. relations are further strained with the Middle East when it is revealed that accused terrorists are being tortured at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay Prisons.  

9. The U.S. is still involved with on going war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Bush Doctrine

The belief that the United States will use an aggressive approach and use preemptive strikes on nations viewed as threats to the United States.  (Attack first and ask questions later)

Operation Enduring Freedom

the official name used by the U.S. government for the initial phase of the war in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and the broader Global War on Terrorism. It officially began on October 7, 2001, with airstrikes against al-Qaeda and the Taliban in response to the September 11 attacks.

The Taliban

a Sunni Islamist nationalist and pro-Pashtun movement founded in the early 1990s that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until October 2001.

al-Qaeda

meaning "The Base" in Arabic, is a pan-Islamist militant organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and others. It is a Sunni jihadist group that aims to unite the Muslim world under a global Islamic caliphate through violent revolution. Al-Qaeda opposes foreign and secular influences in Muslim countries and seeks to implement Sharia law. They have employed tactics such as suicide attacks and bombings targeting various locations. 

Operation Iraqi Freedom

the name given to the United States' invasion of Iraq, which began on March 20, 2003. The operation was part of a larger "Global War on Terrorism" and aimed to remove Saddam Hussein from power and eliminate Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction. The initial phase of the operation, a large-scale invasion, was relatively swift, with Baghdad falling in a matter of weeks. However, the conflict evolved into a prolonged insurgency and civil war, lasting until the withdrawal of US troops in 2011. 

Saddam Hussein

best known as the President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003, and for his brutal rule, which included the use of violence, repression, and the suppression of political opposition. He also led Iraq into wars with Iran and Kuwait, and was eventually overthrown by a US-led invasion in 2003. 

Mission Accomplished

President Bush flies on to an aircraft carrier and says, “Mission Accomplished”, implying that combat in Iraq was over….(Bush would say it was a huge political mistake)

Shiite Muslims

also known as Shiites, are one of the two main branches of Islam, the other being Sunni Islam. The primary difference between the two stems from a historical dispute over the rightful successor to Prophet Muhammad after his death. While Sunnis believe the successor should be chosen by the community (represented by the Caliphs), Shia Muslims believe that Ali, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, was divinely appointed as the first Imam and rightful successor. 

Sunni Muslims

constitute the majority branch of Islam, encompassing roughly 87-90% of the global Muslim population. They are distinguished by their adherence to the Sunnah, the traditions and practices of the Prophet Muhammad, as understood by the broader Muslim community. This includes recognizing the first three caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman) as legitimate successors to Muhammad, in contrast to Shia Muslims who believe Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law, was the rightful successor. 

Abu Ghraib

a maximum-security prison used to detain and torture political prisoners from the 1970s until 2003.

Guantanamo Bay Prisons

a United States military prison located within Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB). The prison was established in 2002 and has been used to detain alleged unlawful combatants captured in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other locations during the War on Terror. As of May 2025, 15 detainees are still held there. 

No Child Left Behind

1. President Bush and Sen. Edward Kennedy create comprehensive changes to American Education with the No Child Left Behind Act.

2. Students and Schools are given expanded tests on Math and Literacy nation wide, and schools are rated as “Highly Qualified” “Proficient” or “Developing”.

3. Expands federal money paying for charter schools and home schooling

No Child Left Behind Act

1. Students and Schools are given expanded tests on Math and Literacy nation wide, and schools are rated as “Highly Qualified” “Proficient” or “Developing”.

2. Expands federal money paying for charter schools and home schoolin

Election of 2004

1.  President George W. Bush vs. Sen. John Kerry from MA

2.  Bush runs on his record of Homeland Security and the War on Terror, and being an “average guy” and the last Conservative Republican to hold the office of President.

3.  Kerry is seen as a “flip flopper”, a millionaire who is out of touch with the people, even though he was a decorated Vietnam Veteran.

4.  Bush wins the state of OH to win the Presidency and this time wins the popular vote.  

Senator John Kerry

an American attorney, politician and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the administration of Barack Obama. Ran in the 2004 election, from Massachusetts.

Hurricane Katrina

1.  In August of 2005 Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, Alabama, & Mississippi

2. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) reaction is too slow and hundreds of thousands of people are left without supplies and struggling to survive.

3. Bush looks to be “out of touch” with the needs of the people.

Economic Meltdown

1. Investment Banks Bear Stearns, AIG collapse as people default on their home loans

2. The economy collapses and the “Great Recession” begins.

3. President Bush signs a “Bail Out Bill” that saves the rest of the banks and the economy, but looks to many as if he is only saving millionaires and forgetting the working class.

“Great Recession”

a period of significant economic decline that began in the United States in December 2007 and lasted until June 2009. It was the most severe recession in the post-World War II era, impacting the US and other countries globally. 

Barack H. Obama

2009-2017

44^th President of the United States

Democrat-Illinois

First Bi-Racial President, Identified as African American

Former: Illinois State Senator, Illinois Jr. Senator

Vice President: Joseph “Joe” Biden

Election of 2008

-Barack Obama defeated NY Senator Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination, becoming the first person of African American heritage to win the nomination of a political party for President.

-The Republican candidate was AZ Senator John McCain who was running with the Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (only the 2^nd woman to have ever run for Vice President)

-McCain is hurt by the Bush Administration’s record on the collapsing economy, the housing crisis, Hurricane Katrina, and the war in Iraq.

-Senator Obama runs on a message of “Hope & Change”, saying that he will help save the Economy of the United States, and begin improving the image of the United States in the World by ending the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq, and shutting down Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

-President Obama wins the Presidency with 365 Electoral Votes & 69 million popular votes, 10 million more votes than Sen. McCain.

Hillary Clinton

an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator representing New York from 2001 to 2009, and the first lady of the United States as the wife of Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the party's nominee in the 2016 presidential election, becoming the first woman to win a presidential nomination by a major U.S. political party and the only woman to win the popular vote for U.S. president. However, she lost the electoral college to Republican Donald Trump. She is the only first lady of the United States to have run for elected office.

John McCain

an American statesman^[2] and naval officer who represented the state of Arizona in Congress for over 35 years, first as a Representative from 1983 to 1987, and then as a U.S. senator from 1987 until his death in 2018. He was the Republican Party's nominee in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Sarah Palin

Alaska Governor, only the 2^nd woman to have ever run for Vice President.

“Hope & Change”

saying that he will help save the Economy of the United States, and begin improving the image of the United States in the World by ending the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq, and shutting down Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Nobel Peace Prize

• Soon after winning the election, President Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize due to his, “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

• The President’s critics point that President Obama won the prize because he was NOT President George W. Bush, and to the fact that he had been President only 8.5 months.

• President Obama is only the 3^rd President to have been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.

Saving the Economy

• Relying on the economic bail out from the Bush Administration, President Obama and Vice President Biden went about creating a jobs bill, on the scale of a “mini-New Deal”, facing an economy with more than 10% unemployment.

The Tea Party

• In reaction to the “liberal agenda” of the Government, and believing that their rights were being infringed upon, Conservative grass roots followers create the Tea Party

• Their motto is “Don’t Tread On Me!” and they oppose government bailouts, but support Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

• The Tea Party would take over the right wing part of the Republican Party and be led by a real-estate developer from NY turned Reality Show Host, Donald J. Trump.

• Donald Trump and his supporters followed a now debunked theory called “Birtherism”

• “Birthers” believe that President Obama was actually born in Kenya, and is not a legal United States Citizen, or legally allowed to become President.

• Donald Trump challenged President Obama to produce his Birth Certificate, which President Obama did from the State of Hawaii.  This action put to rest the theory of Birtherism.

• In 2011, President Obama openly mocked Donald Trump and the Birther Movement at the White House Correspondence Dinner.

• As a result of the ridicule, Donald Trump begins to plan for running for the White House in 2016.

Donald J. Trump

a real-estate developer from NY turned Reality Show Host

“Britherism”

• a now debunked theory

• “Birthers” believe that President Obama was actually born in Kenya, and is not a legal United States Citizen, or legally allowed to become President.

“Obamacare”

• The President stated that a great deal of the economic crisis was a direct result of sky-rocketing health care costs.

• President Obama urged Congress to pass the Affordable Care Act, which would provide universal health care for all Americans.

• The Bill would require all citizens to pay a health care tax to subsidize those who could not afford insurance.

• The President’s critics quickly called this “Obamacare” and the State of Virginia sued the Government over the constitutionality of the law.

• The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional because it was a Tax, passed by the House of Representatives.

• Republicans would try unsuccessfully to kill Obamacare for the remainder of his Presidency.

Affordable Care Act

would provide universal health care for all Americans.

The Election of 2012

• President Obama ran for re-election against Governor Mitt Romney of MA.

• Obama ran on his record of economic recovery and Obamacare.

• Romney ran on his record as a businessman and conservative values.

• Romney was caught on hidden camera saying, “47% of the country will never vote for me, so I don’t care about them.”

• The video goes viral on Mother Jones and on the news, sinking his political ambitions

• Romney is further hurt after Super Storm Sandy hits the Northeast weeks before the election, and Americans support President Obama’s reactions to storm recovery.

• President Obama wins re-election with 332 electoral votes.

Governor Mitt Romney

an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. He was the Republican Party's nominee in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.

“47% of the country will never vote for me, so I don’t care about them.”

• Romney was caught on hidden camera saying,

• The video goes viral on Mother Jones and on the news, sinking his political ambitions

Super Storm Sandy

hits the Northeast weeks before the election,

Foreign Policy

• President Obama did not shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

• Eventually ended the war in Iraq, but increased soldiers and funding for Afghanistan

• President Obama did not react to the emergence of a new revolutionary group in the Middle East called ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) which began attacking American troops, and Middle Eastern allies.

• Russia was allowed to move into Ukraine and also not stopped in supporting Syria

• President Obama was able to succeed in assassinating Osama bin-Laden in Pakistan

• President Obama did finally open U.S. relations to Cuba, and ended U.S. sanctions against Cuba.