US Presidents Achieving Their Aims Flashcards
Barack Obama promises
Barack Obama was elected in 2008 with the campaign slogan ‘change we can believe in’ and ‘yes we can’. President Obama promised to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
President Obama promised to increase equality of pay between men and women.
Obama promised to close the Guantanamo Bay facility. President Obama aimed to introduce universal healthcare across the US.
President Obama proposed reforms to immigration and gun control.
Barack Obama achievements
President Obama brought an end to the Iraq war in 2011, however, was unable to end the Afghanistan war. Equality of pay was improved through the 2009 Lily Ledbetter Act.
Obama was able to pass ‘Obamacare’, (the Affordable Care Act).
Things Obama was unable to achieve
Obama failed to close Guantanamo Bay.
Obama was unable to pass immigration reform DREAM Act through Congress, a policy that had been introduced in Congress years before. So, Obama signed an executive order for a different immigration reform policy, DACA, instead. Obama could not pass gun reforms for increased background checks through Congress but did use executive orders to close some loopholes around gun background checks.
George W. Bush’s promises
President Bush promised to reform social security and the US health system. President Bush promised to cut taxes for citizens.
President Bush outlined plans to combat terrorism through his ‘War on terror’ after 9/11.
President Bush promised to increase spending on education.
George W. Bush’s achievements
President Bush reformed Medicare, with the aim to make prescription drugs more affordable for senior citizens. Bush delivered tax cuts of $1.35 trillion. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 which reformed education and introduced standardised tests for schools.
The ‘War on Terror’
Bush’s ‘War on Terror’ included passing the PATRIOT Act, sending troops to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and opening Guantanamo Bay. These policies were controversial and are still debated.
Bill Clinton’s promises
> President Clinton promised to reform the healthcare system.
President Clinton outlined plans to improve education.
Clinton aimed to reduce the size of the budget deficit.
Clinton promised to take responsibility for improving the environment.
Clinton aimed to introduce laws to increase gun control.
Clinton promised to ensure citizens had equal civil rights.
Bill Clinton’s achievements
Clinton had success in reducing the budget, passing laws on the environment and equal civil rights. Clinton was able to reduce the budget deficit by 50%. Clinton protected over 40 million acres of Federal forests and land under his Lands Legacy Initiative. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (1994) stopped the military from discriminating against bisexual or homosexual army members.
Clinton had success in education and gun control. Clinton’s Goals 2000 Program set out goals to reform national education including to increase graduation rates of school students to over 90% and to improve students’ maths and science achievement. Clinton passed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act which introduced criminal background checks for gun buyers and a 5 day waiting period on purchases.
Bill Clinton ineffective
President Clinton was ineffective in achieving some of his aims around healthcare and civil rights equality. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act was passed which allowed states to refuse same-sex marriage. Bill Clinton’s healthcare reform plan failed to pass through Congress in 1994.
