ABSTRACT
In the 1992 campaign for the American presidency Governor Bill Clinton enlisted the foreign policy advice of Anthony Lake, who had served in the State Department during the Carter presidency, and an old friend and fellow Rhodes scholar, Michael Mandelbaum. This chapter analyses the key determinants of the initial policy. It explores the presidential framework as the basis for a detailed examination of democracy promotion throughout Bill Clinton's two terms in office. In analysing Bill Clinton's initial Russia policy it should be recognised that the policy would change over time. The success of reform would depend on stability within Russia itself and the continued westernising direction of the government. From the outset the Bill Clinton administration made support for Boris Yeltsin a key aspect of their Russia policy. The general proposition is that the resource distribution reflected the real priorities in US foreign policy towards Russia.
