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Clintonism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clintonism
FoundersBill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
Ideology
Political positionCenter[15] to center-left[16]
National affiliationDemocratic Party
ColorsBlue

Clintonism is a political ideology and governing philosophy associated with the presidency of Bill Clinton (1993–2001) and the broader evolution of Democratic Party politics in the United States during the late 20th century.[17][18][19] It is commonly characterized by a synthesis of traditionally liberal social policies with market-oriented economic strategies, emphasizing fiscal conservatism, moderate governance, and triangulation. Members of the Democratic Party who align with these policies and practices are often referred to as New Democrats.[20][21][22]

The ideology is often considered a component of the broader Third Way, a centrist political framework that gained prominence in the 1990s across several Western democracies, with comparable movements including New Labour in the United Kingdom under Tony Blair, the Liberal Party of Canada under Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany under Gerhard Schröder.[23][24]

Policies

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Overview

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At its core, Clintonism can be said in broad outline to favor certain policies:

History

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See also: New Democrats (United States) and Bill Clinton 1992 presidential campaign

Origins (1985–1992)

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Following landslide victories by the Republican Party in the 1980, 1984, and 1988 presidential elections, along with broad public support for "Reaganomics", several Democratic politicians came to believe that the party was in need of restructuring, away from the progressive New Deal coalition that had previously dominated it.[28] Among them was Arkansas governor Bill Clinton, who in 1985 helped found the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), an organization that sought to reposition the Democratic Party towards the center in order to gain broader national appeal.[29][30] Similarly, in 1989, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) was founded as the DLC's affiliated think tank, tasked with developing and promoting policy ideas consistent with this emerging centrist vision.[31][32]

Despite George H. W. Bush's popularity following the Gulf War, his approval ratings declined amid a weakening economy, creating an opportunity for Clinton to launch his 1992 presidential campaign.[33][34] Drawing on populist messaging, he presented himself as a "New Democrat" who sought to cut middle-class taxes and to promote fiscal responsibility by "end[ing] welfare as we know it".[35][36][37] Additionally, following the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, Clinton distanced himself from elements of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH, a Democratic coalition that advocated expanded social programs, civil rights activism, and economic redistribution.[38][39]

Legacy

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Notable political figures who have been associated with Clintonism include Leon Panetta,[40] Rahm Emanuel,[41] Larry Summers,[42] Madeleine Albright,[43] James Carville,[44] Terry McAuliffe,[45] Robert Rubin,[46] Al From,[47] Bruce Reed,[48] and John Podesta.[49] Barack Obama once referred to himself a "New Democrat", and his cabinet from 2009 to 2017 included several officials who had served in or were associated with the Clinton administration.[50][51] Similarly, during his time in the Senate in the 1990s, Joe Biden supported a range of centrist Democratic policy initiatives, although his policy positions later shifted left during his presidency beginning in 2021.[52][53][54][55]

The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) argued in 2002 that Clintonism "stands for economic growth and opportunity; for fiscal responsibility; for work, not welfare; for preventing crime and punishing criminals; and for non-bureaucratic, empowering government" and further states that "these policies are key to the successes in the beginning of the 21st century."[56] According to Vanity Fair, Clintonism is foundationally "based on the baby boomer credo that you truly can have it all".[57] Many progressives, however, have criticized Clintonism, with Common Dreams describing the ideology as "coddling big money (except guns and tobacco), financial scandals, winning at any cost, flip-flopping and prevaricating".[58]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Edsall, Thomas B. (28 June 1998). "Clinton and Blair Envision a 'Third Way' International Movement". The Washington Post. p. A24. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  2. ^ Layne Donovan (February 2, 2022). "A Different Kind of Democrat: Kyrsten Sinema and Bill Clinton's Triangulation Strategy". Columbia Political Review.
  3. ^ Leigh, Andrew (2003). "The Rise and Fall of the Third Way". Australian Quarterly. 75 (2): 10–40. doi:10.2307/20638162. ISSN 1443-3605.
  4. ^ Geismer, Lily (June 1, 2020). "Agents of Change: Microenterprise, Welfare Reform, the Clintons, and Liberal Forms of Neoliberalism". Journal of American History. 107 (1). Oxford University Press: 107–131. doi:10.1093/jahist/jaaa010. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  5. ^ "Agents of Change: Microenterprise, Welfare Reform, the Clintons, and Liberal Forms of Neoliberalism". Oxford Academic. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190075262.003.0006.
  6. ^ Abdelfatah, Rund (April 7, 2022). "Why Clinton, Reagan and Carter all embraced neoliberalism". NPR.
  7. ^ Veronique de Rugy (July 25, 2002). "Was Clinton More Conservative Than Bush?". Cato Institute. Perhaps most importantly, there was a substantial reduction in federal spending as a share of gross domestic product during the Clinton years. Using the growth of domestic spending as a benchmark, Clinton was the second most conservative president of the post-World War II era, trailing only Ronald Reagan.
  8. ^ Geismer, Lily (June 1, 2020). "Agents of Change: Microenterprise, Welfare Reform, the Clintons, and Liberal Forms of Neoliberalism". Journal of American History. 107 (1). Oxford University Press: 107–131. doi:10.1093/jahist/jaaa010. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  9. ^ "Bill Clinton: Life in Brief | Miller Center". millercenter.org. 4 October 2016.
  10. ^ "The Clinton Administration's Law Enforcement Strategy: Fighting Gun Violence and Keeping Guns Away from Criminals and Our Children" (PDF).
  11. ^ https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal97-0000181133 [bare URL](subscription required)
  12. ^ Brinkley, Douglas (1997). "Democratic Enlargement: The Clinton Doctrine". Foreign Policy (106): 111–127. doi:10.2307/1149177. ISSN 0015-7228.
  13. ^ Smith, Ben (July 15, 2009). "Clinton's internationalism". Politico. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  14. ^ Mearsheimer, John J. (April 1, 2019). "Bound to Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Liberal International Order". International Security. 43 (4). doi:10.1162/i. ISSN 0162-2889. Archived from the original on 2026-03-01. This liberal approach to NATO expansion is reflected in how the Clinton administration sold that policy to the U.S. and West European publics.
  15. ^ Layne Donovan (February 2, 2022). "A Different Kind of Democrat: Kyrsten Sinema and Bill Clinton's Triangulation Strategy". Columbia Political Review.
  16. ^ Waddan, Alex (2002). "Introduction: The Problem of Defining Clintonism". Clinton’s Legacy? A New Democrat in Governance. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 1–21. doi:10.1057/9781403920157_1.
  17. ^ Ball, Molly (October 28, 2013). "The Redemption of Clintonism". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  18. ^ Purdum, Todd S. (December 30, 2016). "The Death of Clintonism". Politico. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  19. ^ Lemann, Nicholas (June 8, 2017). "What Happened to Clintonism?". The New York Review of Books. Vol. 64, no. 10. ISSN 0028-7504.
  20. ^ Hale, Jon F. (June 15, 1995). "The Making of the New Democrats". Political Science Quarterly. 110 (2): 207–232. doi:10.2307/2152360. ISSN 0032-3195.
  21. ^ Kane, Paul (January 4, 2018). "What Democrats can learn from the centrists who got Bill Clinton to the White House". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  22. ^ Geismer, Lily (February 13, 2025). "The Dead Hand of Clintonism". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  23. ^ Mellbye, Anne (2003-02-10). "A brief history of the third way". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
  24. ^ Leigh, Andrew (2003). "The Rise and Fall of the Third Way". Australian Quarterly. 75 (2): 10–40. doi:10.2307/20638162. ISSN 1443-3605.
  25. ^ Clinton, William J. (August 5, 1997). "Statement on Signing the Balanced Budget Act of 1997". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  26. ^ "How Clinton's "reinventing government" compares to DOGE's approach: "We cut fat and they cut muscle"". CBS News. February 20, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  27. ^ "New Woodward book says Clinton objected to 1999 rate rise". CNN. November 13, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  28. ^ Cebul, Brent (July 16, 2019). "Supply-Side Liberalism: Fiscal Crisis, Post-Industrial Policy, and the Rise of the New Democrats". Modern American History. 2 (2): 139–164. doi:10.1017/mah.2019.9. ISSN 2515-0456.
  29. ^ Smith, Ben (February 7, 2011). "The end of the DLC era". Politico. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  30. ^ From, Al (December 3, 2013). "Recruiting Bill Clinton". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  31. ^ Toner, Robin (March 1990). "Eyes to Left, Democrats Edge Toward the Center". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  32. ^ Von Drehle, David (December 7, 1992). "WITH FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES, DEMOCRATIC THINK TANK BIDS FOR GLORY". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  33. ^ "George H.W. Bush Retrospective". Gallup. December 1, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  34. ^ "George H.W. Bush: The public's view of him during his presidency". CBS News. December 4, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  35. ^ Schneider, William (1994). "The New Populism". Political Psychology. 15 (4): 779–784. doi:10.2307/3791636. ISSN 0162-895X.
  36. ^ Edelman, Peter (March 1, 1997). "The Worst Thing Bill Clinton Has Done". The Atlantic. ISSN 2151-9463. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  37. ^ Alterman, Eric (2012). The Cause: The Fight for American Liberalism from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama. Penguin. p. 557. ISBN 978-1-101-57713-4. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  38. ^ Edsall, Thomas B. (June 14, 1992). "Clinton Stuns Rainbow Coalition". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  39. ^ Kornacki, Steve (July 29, 2019). "1992: Bill Clinton builds a winning coalition, Jackson is diminished". Euronews. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  40. ^ Richter, Paul (January 8, 1995). "Leon Panetta's Burden: Ernest and Obsessive, Bill Clinton's Chief of Staff Is Plotting the Counterattack. But Can Anyone Save a Weakened President?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  41. ^ Perlstein, Rick (December 31, 2015). "The Sudden But Well-Deserved Fall of Rahm Emanuel". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  42. ^ Wright, Sarah H. (October 22, 2003). "Summers recalls good old days as Clinton's Treasury secretary". MIT News. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  43. ^ Clinton, Hillary (March 25, 2022). "Madeleine Albright Warned Us, and She Was Right". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  44. ^ "Ask James Carville". CBS News. February 18, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  45. ^ Rucker, Philip (October 27, 2013). "McAuliffe and the Clintons: A friendship as close as family, with benefits, risks for both". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  46. ^ "Robert Rubin, the man Wall Street trusts". BBC News. May 12, 1999. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  47. ^ Duffy, Michael (December 14, 1992). "Al From: A Public Policy Entrepreneur". Time.
  48. ^ Scola, Nancy (November 2, 2023). "Biden's Elusive AI Whisperer Finally Goes On the Record. Here's His Warning". POLITICO. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  49. ^ "The John Podesta emails released by WikiLeaks - CBS News". CBS News. June 25, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  50. ^ "Obama: 'I am a New Democrat'". POLITICO. March 10, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  51. ^ Cassidy, John (September 5, 2012). "Is Barack Obama a Secret Clintonite?". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  52. ^ Reed Jr, Adolph L.; West, Cornel (May 1, 2019). "Joe Biden wants us to forget his past. We won't". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  53. ^ "Biden aims to move left without abandoning centrist roots". PBS News. May 25, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  54. ^ Boak, Josh (March 29, 2021). "From Clinton to Biden, Democrat approach to economy makes U-turn". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  55. ^ "Joe Biden is practising some Clintonian politics". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
  56. ^ From, Al (January 18, 2002). "Clintonism Lives". New Democrats Online. Archived from the original on 2002-09-06. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
  57. ^ Sherman, Gabriel. "Confessions of a Clintonworld Exile". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  58. ^ Cohen, Jeff (April 9, 2000). "Democrats Suffer From a Bad Case of Clintonism". Common Dreams. Archived from the original on 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2026-04-10.
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