What kind of country would you like to live in?
That's the question politicians are always trying to answer for you. In the 1996 State of the Union address, Bill Clinton wasn't just talking about what happened the previous year; he was trying to put his own vision of America into the heads of the audience.
Why don't we all have the same vision of America? Values have a lot to do with it. Some Americans value social harmony, and imagine living in an ideal country in which the government uses taxes to pay for healthcare services, education, and welfare entitlements. Others citizens value independence from the government, envisioning an ideal country of low taxes, few government programs, and less restrictions on the economy.
Others—or maybe it's just us at Shmoop—imagine a big library filled with popular history books and all the Swedish Fish we could eat. Different strokes for different folks, we guess.
Questions About Visions of America
- After reading the 1996 State of the Union, how would you describe Bill Clinton's vision for America?
- Does Bill Clinton's vision for America put more of an emphasis on families, communities, and citizens, or on government policies?
- Do you agree with Bill Clinton's vision for America? What parts of his vision are different from yours?
- Imagine the perfect presidential candidate for you, if you were voting in the year 1996. Where would he or she stand on the various issues that Bill Clinton brings up in the 1996 State of the Union?
Chew on This
A textbook moderate Democrat, Bill Clinton argued that the American government should provide broad support to its citizens, but only if they were willing to make contributions to the economy through hard work.
By incorporating "family values" when laying out his vision for America, Bill Clinton's 1996 State of the Union achieved a balance of conservative and liberal rhetoric—with broad appeal to the electorate.