3l-3
withAmerica(1994)
Contract
ing by his secondterm in his impeachment over a sex scandalinvolving a young White
House intern, Monica Lewinsky-However, Clinton was tried and acquitted by the U.S.
Senateand throughout the ordeal, to the dismay of his Republican detractors,the President'sjob approvalratings remainedhigh, eventhough manyAmericanswere embarrassed
and-embitteredby the sordid episode.Clinton's job approval rating on leaving office, according to Gallup, was 66 percent,higher eventhan Ronald Reagan'shigh of 63 percent.
Certainlywhat helped Clinton weatherthis storm and later leaveoffice on such a high
note was the credit he received for his economic stewardship.From 1997 to 2000, the
growth rate was over 4 percent; the inflation rate remained below 3 percent; and unemployment remained below 5 percent, dipping down to 4 percent in 2000. The performanceof the stockmarket during the 1990swas so strongthat in 1996the chairmanof the
Federal Reserve,Alan Greenspan,warned investors of an "irrational exuberance."With
the retirement plans of so many Americans tied to the performance of the market, these
numbers produced a strong overall senseof confidencein the U.S.economy.Moreover, in
1998the Clinton administration announced that it had produced the first budget surplus
since 1969,and that it would begin to pay down the national debt. It said this goal would
be achievedby 2012. For the baby boom generation, this meant that as they entered retirement, the government's financial house would be well in order. For all of these reasons,the twentieth century ended with Americans optimistic about the future.
Since the passageof the civil rights acts in the 1960s,the U.S. had made significant
progressin the area of race relations, notably with the steadyincreasein the size of the
black middle class,in both absolute and historic terms. In comparative terms, however,
the black middle classcontinued to lag behind its white social counterpart. It was also significant that by 1980the historic outmigration of blacks from the South to the North, to
escaperacism and find better economic opportunities, reverseditself, as blacks in the
North beganmoving back to the rural and urban South. However,the raceriot that broke
out in Los Angeles,California, in 1992,which claimed 52 lives and $446 million in property damageand which resulted in 6,559 arrests,seemedto call this progressinto question. In I 993, in his first year in office as president, Clinton addressedthe issueof race in
at the Mason Temple,a
America (Document 31-3). He spoke in Memphis, Tennessee,
blpck church where Martin Luther King Ir. gavehis last sermon.
The end of the Cold War had a disproportionate effect on the western United States.
The economy of this region had been buoyed by defensespending and the existenceof
numerous military basessince World War II. Thus, the reductions in defensespending
and the closure of basesthat followed the collapseof the Soviet Union hit the West especially hard, in particular California's economy, which alone is larger than all but eight
other nations.The recessionof 1990-1991was deeperin California and the recoveryafterward took longer there. The bad economy formed the backdrop for the passageof
Proposition187(Document3l-4).
3l-3
Contrqctwith America(1994)
In 1994,the Republicanscaptured the House of Representatives(for the first time since
1952) and the Senate(control of which they had lost in 1986).The Contractwith America
had provided the Republicanswith a single campaign tract for midterm House races
acrossthe nation. That representativesNewt Gingrich (Georgia) and Dick Armey (Texas)
were prominent among the drafters of the contract reflected the southernization of the
delegation.As late as 1960,Republicansheld no Senateseats
Republicans'congressional
and only 7 of the 106Houseseatsfrom the elevenformer Confederatestates.In 1998,Republicansoccupied15 of the 22 seatsin the SenateandTl of the 125in the House from
thesestates.
Gingrich and Armey, already prominent in the House, rose to power following the
GOP victory-Gingrich as Speaker,Armey as majority leader.However,Gingricht fierce
448
CHAPTER31 NationalDilemmasin a GlobalSociety,1989-ZOII
partisanship ultimately hurt the Republicans.The attempt to remove Clinton from office
over a sex scandalbackfired. in the 1998 midterm elections,the GOP lost seats,calling
Gingrich's leadership into question. He subsequently announced his resignation as
Speakerand left Congress.
Source:Republican
NationalComrnittee,
Contract
withAmerica:
TheBoIdPlanbyRepresentatiye
Newt
Gingrich,
Representati've
DickArmey,andtheHouseRepublicans
to Change
theNation,EdGillespie
and
BobSchellhas,
eds.(NewYork:TimesBooks,1994),l-1 l. Reprinted
by permission
of theRepublican
NationalCommittee.
The Contract's Core Principles
The Contractwith America is rooted in 3 coreorincioles:
On the first day of the 104thCongress,the new Republican majority will immediatelypassthe following major reforms, aimedat restoringthe faith and trust of the American
peoplein their government:
ACCOUNTABILITY
The governmentis too big and spendstoo much, and Congressand unelectedbureaucratshavebecomeso entrenched
to be unresponsiveto the public they are supposedto serve.
The GOP contractrestoresaccountabilityto government.
RESPONSIBILITY
Bigger governmentand more federalprogramsusurp personalresponsibilityfrom familiesand individuals.The GOP
contractrestoresa proper balancebetweengovernmentand
personalresponsibility.
OPPORTI.INITY
The AmericanDreamis out of the reachof too many families
becauseof burdensomegovernmentregulationsand harsh
tax laws.The GOP contractrestoresthe Americandream.
The Contract
As RepublicanMembers of the House of Representatives
and ascitizensseekingto join that body we proposenot just
to changeits policies,but evenmore important, to restore
the bonds of trust betweenthe peopleand their electedrepresentatives.
That is why,in this era ofofficial evasionand posturing,
we offer insteada detailed agendafor national renewal,a
written commitment with no fine print.
This year'selectionoffers the chance,after four decadesof
one-partycontrol,to bring to the Housea new majority that
will transform the way Congressworks.That historic change
would be the end of governmentthat is too big, too intrusive,and too easywith the public'smoney.It can be the beginning of a Congressthat respectsthe valuesand sharesthe
faith of the Americanfamily.
Like Lincoln, our first Republicanpresident,we intend
to act "with firmnessin the right, as God givesus to seethe
right." To restoreaccountabilityto Congress.To end its rycle
of scandaland disgrace.To make us all proud again of the
way freepeoplegovernthemselves.
. FIRST,requireall lawsthat apply to the restof the
country alsoapply equallyto the Congress;
' SECOND,selecta major, independentauditing
firm to conduct a comprehensiveaudit of Congressfor waste,fraud or abuse;
. THIRD, cut the number of House committees,
and cut committeestaffby one-third;
. FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee
chairs:
. FIFTH, ban the castingof prory votesin committee;
' SIXTH, require committee meetingsto be open
to the public;
. SEVENTH,requirea three-fifthsmajorityvote to
passa tax increase;
. EIGHTH, guaranteean honestaccountingof our
FederalBudget by implementing zero base-line
budgeting.
Thereafte6within the first 100 daysof the 104th Congiess,
we shallbring to the HouseFloor the following bills, eachto
be given full and open debate,eachto be given a clear and
fair vote and eachto be immediatelyavailablethis day for
public inspectionand scrutiny.
I. THE FISCALRESPONSIBILITYACT
A balancedbudget/taxlimitation amendmentand a legislative line-item veto to restorefiscal responsibilityto an outof-control Congress,requiring them to live under the same
budgetconstraintsasfamiliesand businesses.
2.THETAKINGBACKOURSTREETS
ACT
An anti-crime*,package including stronger truth-insentencing,"good faittt'' exclusionaryrule exemptions,effective death penalty provisions,and cuts in social spending
from this summer's"crime" bill to fund prison construction
and additional law enforcementto keep people securein
their neighborhoodsand kids safein their schools.
at MasonTemple(1993)
31-4 Speech
RESPONSIBILITYACT
3.THEPERSONAL
Discourageillegitimacy and teen pregnancyby prohibiting
welfareto rninor mothers and denyingincreasedAFDC for
additionalchildrenwhile on welfare,cut Sending for welfare
programs,and enact a tough tlvo-years-and-outprovision
with work requirementsto promoteindividual responsibility4.THEFAMILYREINFORCEMENTACT
Child support enforcement,tax incentives for adoption,
strengtheningrights of parentsin their children'seducation,
strongerchild pornographylaws,and an elderly dependent
care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in
Americansociety.
ACT
5.THEAMERICANDREAMRESTORATION
A $500per child tax credit,begin repealof the marriagetax
penalty,and creationof American Dream SavingsAccounts
to providemiddle classtax relief.
ACT
RESTORATION
6.THENATIONALSECURITY
No U.S.troopsunderU.N. commandand restorationof the
essentialparts of our nationalsecurityfunding to strengthen
our national defenseand maintain out credibility around
the world.
ACT
7.THESENIORCITIZENSFAIRNESS
Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently
forcesseniorsout of the work force,repealthe 1993tax hikes
on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentivesfor
private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans
keepmore ofwhat they haveearnedoverthe years.
ACT
AND WAGEENHANCEMENT
8,THEIOB CREATION
Small businessincentives,capital gainscut and indexation,
analysis,
neutral cost recovery,risk assessment/cost-benefit
and
unfunded
Act
Flexibility
strengtheningthe Regulatory
mandatereform to createjobs and raiseworker wages.
ACT
LEGALRBFORM
9.THECOMMONSENSE
"Loser pays" laws, reasonablelimits on punitive damages
and reform of product liability lawsto stemthe endlesstide
of litigation.
rO.THECITIZENLEGISLATUREACT
A first-evervote on term limits to replacecareerpoliticians
with citizenlegislators.
Further,we will instruct the HouseBudget Committee
to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional
budgetsavings,beyondthe budgetcuts specificallyincluded
in the legislationdescribedabove,to ensurethat the Federal
budget deficit will be lessthan it would havebeen without
the enactmentof thesebills.
Respectingthe judgment of our fellow citizens as we
seektheir mandatefor reform, we herebypledgeour names
to this Contractwith America.
Questions
1. How does the Contractwith America demonize government?
Z. What public sentimentsdoesthe contract capitalizeon? How did those sentiments
arise?
3. What are the advantagesand dangersof using this kind of election strategy?
3t-4
Speechat Mason TemPle(1993)
William Jefferson Clinton
president Clinton was a centrist and his philosophy, which he sometimes expressedin
terms of the "new covenant,"consistedof more empowerment and less entitlement. He
askedindividuals, in effect,to meet the govelnment halfway.He tried to apply this idea to
many things, including minority rights. On November 13, 1993,Clinton gavea speechto
a black church in Memphis, Tenneisee,in which he laid out his ideasin referenceto the
historic civil rights struggle.
13'
Memphis'TN, November
at MasonTemple,
Clinton,Speech
WilliamJefferson
Source:President
1993.