42nd President · 1993–2001 · Democratic
Bill Clinton
Presided over a boom, then signed NAFTA and opened permanent trade with China, hollowing out the industrial heartland.
OverallC+GPA 2.19
The grades
- SovereigntyDid they put American interests first and keep decisions in American hands?C
- HemisphereDid they guard the Americas against rival powers and threats?B-
- RestraintDid they keep the country out of wars of choice that weakened it?B-
- StatecraftDid they use diplomacy, force and alliances skillfully, on American terms?B-
- Industry and tradeDid they protect and build American industry?D
- Working AmericansDid ordinary working families do better because of them?C+
- BuildingDid they build things that lasted and push the frontier forward?C+
- NationDid they strengthen a shared American identity and the Union?C
- CompetenceWere they capable, honest and effective in office?C
On the axes
MarketEconomyPopulist
Free tradeTradeProtectionist
RestraintForeign policyInterventionist
CosmopolitanNationNational
Dark dot: Bill Clinton. Red mark: the Monroe Society. Ideological closeness to the Society: 44%.