Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Political Science

Chapter

Contemporary World Politics: US Hegemony in World Politics

Question:

Which of the following statements is incorrect about the rule of Clinton as President of America?

A- William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton contested the elections from the Republican Party in 1992.
B- He had campaigned on foreign policy issues rather than domestic issues.
C- He won elections again in 1996 and then in 2000.
D- During the Clinton years, it often seemed that the US had withdrawn into its internal affairs and was not fully engaged in world politics.
E- Clinton government tended to focus on ‘soft issues’ like democracy promotion, climate change and world trade.

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

Options:

A, B and C

B, C and D

C, D and E

All of the above

Correct Answer:

A, B and C

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option 1 - A, B and C

Statements A, B and C are incorrect. Their correct versions are:

A- William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton contested the elections from the Democratic Party in 1992.

B- He had campaigned on domestic rather than foreign policy issues.

C- He won elections in 1992 and 1996 and thus remained the president of the US for eight years.

More information:

Despite winning the First Gulf War, George H.W. Bush lost the US presidential elections of 1992 to William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton of the Democratic Party, who had campaigned on domestic rather than foreign policy issues. Bill Clinton won again in 1996 and thus remained the president of the US for eight years. During the Clinton years, it often seemed that the US had withdrawn into its internal affairs and was not fully engaged in world politics (STATEMENT D). In foreign policy, the Clinton government tended to focus on ‘soft issues’ like democracy promotion, climate change and world trade rather than on the ‘hard politics’ of military power and security (STATEMENT E).

Nevertheless, the US on occasion did show its readiness to use military power even during the Clinton years. The most important episode occurred in 1999, in response to Yugoslavian actions against the predominantly Albanian population in the province of Kosovo. The air forces of the NATO countries, led by the US, bombarded targets around Yugoslavia for well over two months, forcing the downfall of the government of Slobodan Milosevic and the stationing of a NATO force in Kosovo.

Another significant US military action during the Clinton years was in response to the bombing of the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania in 1998. These bombings were attributed to Al-Qaeda, a terrorist organisation strongly influenced by extremist Islamist ideas. Within a few days of this bombing, President Clinton ordered Operation Infinite Reach, a series of cruise missile strikes on Al-Qaeda terrorist targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. The US did not bother about the UN sanction or provisions of international law in this regard. It was alleged that some of the targets were civilian facilities unconnected to terrorism.