ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the major policy proposals made by President Clinton in his first two years. It focuses on the gridlock region and the pivotal members of Congress, leading to firm predictions about the results of these proposals. The chapter examines the President's proposals under unified government, and how they needed to be changed to appeal to pivotal members of Congress. It shows the same process for proposals made in the Republican House after 1994, and then illustrates the resignation of both sides that gridlock would continue. For a Clinton proposal to be successful, it must appeal to conservative Democrats and moderate Republicans at the filibuster pivots. The chapter emphasizes the importance of budget politics, with a focus on the 1993 budget reconciliation and the 1995 budget battle. Ultimately, the chapter highlights the effectiveness of the revolving gridlock theory—and of the Clinton presidency—across dramatically changing political circumstances.
