Introduction

Abstract

The inauguration of William Clinton as the 42nd President of the United States in January 1993 seemed to foreshadow a real transition in American politics. Although all inaugurations tend to use the symbolism of new opportunities, the advent of the Clinton presidency on the surface suggested a particularly radical break with the past and raised the expectation of a fundamental shift in public policy. Clinton’s inaugural address was redolent with references to an American “renewal” and to a “spring reborn” that “brings forth the vision and courage to reinvent America”.