Bill Clinton: Farewell Address

Explanation and Analysis of the Document

In his last address to the public as president, Clinton highlights his administration's achievements and recommends three specific areas for future action after he leaves office. As with virtually all of his documents, this speech is highly structured and builds on the major themes of change, leadership for the future, and global responsibility.

Clinton congratulates the American public on preparing for the twenty-first century, pointing to the nation's “dramatic transformation,” “renewal,” and focus on the future. These were themes from his first days in office; here he takes a celebratory tone to note the accomplishments of the past eight years. Clinton mentions several specific policy achievements, including economic expansion and the reduction of the federal deficit that occurred under his administration. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 was an early piece of legislation allowing employees to take unpaid leaves of absence for health reasons or to tend to an ailing relative or child. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act reformed the federal welfare system, capping benefits at five years and providing a number of incentives for aid recipients to find employment and support their children. Pell grants, loans to underprivileged college students, increased under the Clinton administration, and interest rates on federally subsidized student loans were cut substantially. With strong support from Vice President Al Gore, the administration emphasized environmental protection, including the addition of land to the National Parks System.

Clinton's three recommendations for the future emphasize fiscal responsibility, global security and social responsibility, and tolerance at home. Clinton inherited a budget deficit of $290 billion in 1992 and left office with a budget surplus. As he did in his remarks on signing NAFTA, Clinton notes the double-edged sword of the global economy; it provides opportunity but also the seeds for economic inequality, terrorism, and environmental destruction. Last, Clinton refers to America's “coat of many colors,” a reference to the garment worn by Joseph, son of Jacob in the Old Testament; the phrase is often used to symbolize diversity. Clinton believed that America had much to accomplish in the area of race relations; his last message to Congress, entitled “The Unfinished Work of Building One America,” centers on recommendations to end racial discrimination in education, the legal system, health care, and economic opportunities.

Clinton's Farewell Address outlines his concerns for America's future, essentially calling for a continuation of his own policies as detailed in the first part of his speech. Fiscal responsibility, global leadership, and social justice were linchpins of Clinton's policy decisions; he calls for these guiding principles to continue in the next administration, framing his own legacy within the confines of this very brief speech.