ABSTRACT
This chapter examines two of the three major domestic initiatives of the first year of the Bill Clinton presidency and shows how neither of them was responsive to the major concerns of the public. It has been said that election campaigns amplify and clarify issues for the public. It would be a mistake to assume that the public failed to respond to appeals of the campaign. It is little wonder that Clinton's campaign strategists kept a sign at headquarters that reminded the staff: "It's the economy, stupid." By late September 1993, just after Clinton presented the outlines of his health care plan, health care was second only to tire economy as "the most important problem facing the country". Political scientists Ben Page and Robert Shapiro have developed the notion of "parallel publics"–, subgroups of the public that may respond differently to public issues. If appropriate caution is exercised, some comparisons between congressional priorities and public priorities can be made.
