Political Science - President Clinton and President Obama Term Paper

Political Science - President Clinton and President Obama - Term Paper Example Obama, on the other hand, inherited one of the worst recessions in American history and has struggled to ensure adequate economic progress. Through an examination of key issues in the first two years of President Clinton and President Obama’s terms in office -- including economic, health care, foreign policy, and their appeal to youth culture – this essay considers the extent that the two presidencies can be equated. When considering economics in the first two years of their presidencies, there are a number of similarities that President Obama and President Clinton experienced. When both Presidents took office the nation was considered to be in a recession period. For President Obama, the recession was recognized as perhaps the most severe since the Great Depression and became a central issue in the campaign process. As a result, the stimulus package that was passed early in the Obama Presidency has functioned as a core issue of his presidency, with a fierce debate among Republicans and Democrats continuing to unfold as to the actual efficacy of the program. Even as President Obama has admitted that the financial situation in the country has not fully recovered, his budget indicates that he will continue to pursue his ambitious domestic agenda. In explaining his domestic agenda Obama contests that, â€Å"Just as it would be a terrible mistake to borrow against our children’s future to pay our way today, it would be equally wrong to neglect their future by failing to invest in areas that will determine our economic success in this new century.† (Calmers 2010) Obama’s indicates that the country’s deficit will increase this year to its highest post-World War II level, and then gradually decrease over the decade. Obama argues that his budget will save over $1 trillion by ending the previous administration’s tax cuts and by enacting a three-year spending freeze.  Ã‚