ABSTRACT
Public policy that supports and moves US society toward equality should focus on conditions like fair wages, affordable health care, and available child care that would enable full participation in our society and economy. The Bill Clinton administration has tackled the comparatively easy gender questions but avoided the truly challenging ones. Clinton has moved boldly in the appointments arena, but slowly and cautiously in formulating public policy that deals with issues of fundamental equality. Despite attractive rhetoric on gender questions, the administration has demonstrated little willingness to expend political capital on principle. As the Department of Labor designs job-creation programs, those who care about fair pay and gender equity will need to be especially vigilant. The political climate, fostered by a set of administrations openly hostile to feminism, encouraged a backlash against women's gains in society at large. The Clinton candidacy generated enormous optimism among progressive women.
