MY NON-FILIPINO CHANGE AGENT

HARREL M. PAYCANA                                                                     DR. HONESTO CAMINO

MPA Student                                                                                         Subject Professor

09-000014-3

MY NON-FILIPINO CHANGE AGENT

Former US President BILL CLINTON

42^nd President of the United States, January 20, 1993 - January 20, 2001

Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas, a month after his father William Jefferson Blythe III, a salesman, was killed in an auto accident. He was raised by his maternal grandparents until age 4, when his mother Virginia Kelly (1923-1994), a nurse, married Roger Clinton (1909-1967), a car dealer. Roger was an alcoholic and violent; the marriage was tempestuous, including a divorce and a remarriage in 1962. A life-long Southern Baptist, Clinton graduated from the Hot Springs public high school in 1964. He attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C., where he became active in Democratic politics and won prestigious Rhodes scholarship to Oxford University in England. He was a bit player in the anti-Vietnam war movement, and managed to stall the draft until he received a high lottery number, an evasion that became controversial in his first presidential campaign. He attended Yale Law School (JD 1973). A hail fellow well met, Clinton developed a vast network of friends. He met Hillary Clinton at Yale; they married in 1975 and had one daughter, Chelsea in 1980. 

1.    Describe the change program advocated by the change agent 

His administration was characterized by sustained prosperity:

1.    A budget surplus

2.    Free trade internationally

3.    Military interventions in southeastern Europe

4.    Reform of the New Deal welfare system

5.    An impeachment by the House of Representatives.

In the Senate, Clinton was acquitted and remained in office. Clinton, a policy wonk, was (with Ronald Reagan) one of the two best campaigners in recent decades. Although a mediocre speaker Clinton became known as "the Great Campaigner." Like Ronald Reagan. Clinton used his rhetorical skills to achieve political success; he survived despite legislative defeats, repeated scandal (he was notorious as a womanizer) and an actual impeachment. 

Taxing and Spending

 

Clinton's first priority while coming into office the the economy. In an attempt to lower interest rates Clinton sent Congress a deficit reduction plan in early 1993. However, Clinton's problem was that about half of government money goes to entitlement programs such as social security and Medicare. Refusing to cut domestic spending, he increased taxes on gasoline, heating oil, and natural gas, breaking his campaign pledge not to raise tax rates. The tax increases proved very unpopular with the American people.

Health Care Reform

In 1993, Clinton called for a national medical care system that would incorporate the 15% of the population that was entitled to emergency care but lacked broader insurance. Clinton decided on a plan using regional insurance purchasing agencies along with modest tax subsidies to combine universal coverage with cost efficiency. He and his advisors believed the plan would be acceptable to big business and the larger insurance companies, but the plan was opposed by a well-financed campaign. The plan however, put a burden Small business, which feared it could not afford it. The insurance industry and doctor organizations also opposed it. Republicans argued that it was too costly and relied too heavily on government. Congressional Democrats were divided on the issue. Faced with public opposition, the Clinton plan failed without even having a vote in Congress. 

2. Describe and explain the philosophy underlying the change they advocate.

Democratic Leadership Council- The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) formed in early 1985 to formulate a moderate Democratic agenda. DLC comprised mostly Southern Democratic congressmen. They wanted to assure voters that the moderate-conservative wing of the party was alive and well, and that its policy initiatives fit with mainstream American values. From asked Clinton in March 1990 to become the first DLC Chair from outside Washington. He and Clinton recruited state and local officials from around the country for the DLC, trying out some of the policy initiatives developed by the affiliated think tank the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI). Proposals that found their way into Clinton's 1992 platform included:

• Apprenticeship programs for non-college-bound skilled workers
• A program of national service for college students (with student loan forgiveness)
• A ROTC-style program to train new police officers in colleges
• An enhanced Earned Income Tax Credit for the working poor
• Government-subsidized individual savings accounts for Social Security.

The two DLC manifestos and Clinton's 1991 "New Covenant" speech accounted for more than 60% of the promises in the 1992 Democratic platform. Clinton campaigned as a "New Democrat," with an appeal to southerners and moderates that included demands for welfare reform and support for the death penalty.

3. Describe the impacts of the change on the lives of people.

By the time of his 1996 reelection campaign the economy had improved which Clinton took credit for. Unemployment and inflation was low, American wages increased, crime rates fell, and the number of people on welfare declined. The Republican Party nominated Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole. Ross Perot ran again, this time on the Reform Party, but his day was past. Clinton was reelected in a landslide with 49% of the popular vote, to 41% for Dole, and 8% for Perot. Despite his personal victory, Republicans maintained control of the House and Senate.

Public Opinion: Clinton's popularity

Needham (2005) argues the "permanent campaign" is said to have reached its apogee in the incumbent communications strategies of Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. However, their assiduous courting of public opinion while in office has been used to explain both the high approval ratings of these leaders and their unpopularity for long periods of their incumbency. This apparent paradox suggests that the permanent campaign model is too blunt an instrument to usefully describe or evaluate incumbent communications. Its assumption of continuity between election campaigning and office-holding fails to explain how the strategic terrain changes once a challenger takes office. The concepts of branding and relationship marketing can be used to highlight the difference between gaining support in the one-off transaction of an election and retaining voter loyalty in a post-"purchase" setting. The success of Blair and Clinton in establishing a relationship with voters from within office can be assessed using six attributes of successful brands: simplicity, uniqueness, reassurance, aspiration, values, and credibility. As incumbents, facing challenges in shifting strategic and institutional environments, Blair and Clinton developed messages that were simple and appealed to voter aspirations. Voters remained skeptical about the extent to which these leaders embodied values and delivered on their promises.

Second term

The economy proved highly prosperous, and Clinton not only balanced the budget but produced the first surplus in memory. The reasons include reduction in defense spending after the Cold War (from 5% of GDP to 3%), a revenue burst from the dot-com bubble (the short-lived overexpansion of high tech), and restraints on spending imposed by the GOP Congress.

Foreign Policy

Critics of Clinton argued that he lacked knowledge of world affairs. In his 1992 speech at the Democrat National Convention, he devoted one minute to foreign policy issues in an oration that lasted an hour. Clinton entered office after the U.S. won the Cold War, and the U.S. was the only superpower. There were no major foreign crises during his presidency. His foreign policy was based on five principles:

1) strong alliances with Europe and Asia,

2) positive relations with former adversaries,

3) a global perspective on local conflicts,

4) the adaptation of national security priorities to incorporate technological advances, and

5) effective economic integration.

Human Rights

Supporters of human rights faulted Clinton’s ideological transition from Wilsonian idealism to realism, especially regarding China and Bosnia. They gave high marks for his efforts at pushing peace negotiations in Haiti and the Middle East, the use of economic sanctions against North Korea, India, and Pakistan, and his efforts to get chemical weapons convention. However, they give low marks in terms of human rights for inaction on the genocide in Rwanda and the Russian repression of secessionist Chechnya.

Legacy

Of the $1.6 million Clinton earned in salary as President for 8 years, Clinton agreed to pay $850,000,^[15] or more than 53% in a legal settlement with Paula Jones to satisfy claims for damages to her reputation.

Every President since William Howard Taft in 1910 has served as Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America during his term in office. In 2000 it was reported the Boy Scouts national office revoked the title afforded to Bill Clinton after thousands of complaints. Numerous Eagle Scouts returned their certificates of achievement baring Clinton's signature and requested a replacement without it.

Post-Presidency

Clinton has spent much of time since leaving office working for charitable causes such as support and fund-raising for the victims of AIDS and the Asian tsunami. In the case of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he teamed with former president George H.W. Bush to raise money for relief efforts.