Vice presidency of Al Gore
Vice presidency of Al Gore January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 | |
Cabinet | See list |
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Party | Democratic |
Election | 1992, 1996 |
Seat | Number One Observatory Circle |
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Vice President of the United States
Presidential campaigns
Vice presidential campaigns
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The vice presidency of Al Gore lasted from 1993 to 2001, during the Bill Clinton administration. Al Gore was the 45th vice president of the United States, being twice elected alongside Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. Gore is considered to have been one of the most powerful and influential vice presidents in American history.[1]
Campaign
Although Gore had opted out of running for president (due to the healing process his son was undergoing after a car accident),
The ticket increased in popularity after the candidates traveled with their wives, Hillary and Tipper, on a "six-day, 1,000-mile bus ride, from New York to St. Louis."[7] Gore also successfully debated against the other vice presidential candidates, Dan Quayle (a longtime colleague from the House and the Senate) and James Stockdale. The result of the campaign was a win by the Clinton-Gore ticket (43%) over the Bush-Quayle ticket (38%).[8] Clinton and Gore were inaugurated on January 20, 1993 and were re-elected to a second term in the 1996 election.
Economy and information technology
Under the
The economic success of this administration was due in part to Gore's continued role as an Atari Democrat, promoting the development of information technology, which led to the dot-com boom (c. 1995-2001).[12] Clinton and Gore entered office planning to finance research that would "flood the economy with innovative goods and services, lifting the general level of prosperity and strengthening American industry."[13] Their overall aim was to fund the development of, "robotics, smart roads, biotechnology, machine tools, magnetic-levitation trains, fiber-optic communications and national computer networks. Also earmarked [were] a raft of basic technologies like digital imaging and data storage."[13] These initiatives met with skepticism from critics who claimed that their initiatives would "backfire, bloating Congressional pork and creating whole new categories of Federal waste."[13]
During the election and while vice president, Gore popularized the term
The economic initiatives introduced by the Clinton-Gore administration linked to information technology were a primary focus for Gore during his time as vice president. Gary Stix commented on these initiatives a few months prior in his May 1993 article for Scientific American, "Gigabit Gestalt: Clinton and Gore embrace an activist technology policy." Stix described them as a "distinct statement about where the new administration stands on the matter of technology ... gone is the ambivalence or outright hostility toward government involvement in little beyond basic science."[14] Campbell-Kelly and Aspray further note in Computer: A History of the Information Machine:
In the early 1990s the Internet was big news. ... In the fall of 1990 there were just 313,000 computers on the Internet; by 1996, there were close to 10 million. The networking idea became politicized during the 1992 Clinton-Gore election campaign, where the rhetoric of the Information Superhighway|information highway captured the public imagination. On taking office in 1993, the new administration set in place a range of government initiatives for a National Information Infrastructure aimed at ensuring that all American citizens ultimately gain access to the new networks.[15]
These initiatives were discussed in a number of venues.
On January 13, 1994 Gore "became the first U.S. vice president to hold a live interactive news conference on an international computer network".[20] Gore was also asked to write the foreword to the 1994 internet guide, The Internet Companion: A Beginner's Guide to Global Networking (2nd edition) by Tracy LaQuey. In the foreword he stated the following:
Since I first became interested in high-speed networking almost seventeen years ago, there have been many major advances both in the technology and in public awareness. Articles on high-speed networks are commonplace in major newspapers and in news magazines. In contrast, when as a House member in the early 1980s, I called for creation of a national network of "information superhighways," the only people interested were the manufacturers of optical fiber. Back then, of course, high-speed meant 56,000 bits per second. Today we are building a national information infrastructure that will carry billions of bits of data per second, serve thousands of users simultaneously, and transmit not only electronic mail and data files but voice and video as well.[21]
The Clinton-Gore administration launched the first official White House website on October 21, 1994.[22][23] It would be followed by three more versions, resulting in the final edition launched in 2000.[23][24] The White House website was part of a general movement by this administration towards web based communication: "Clinton and Gore were responsible for pressing almost all federal agencies, the U.S. court system and the U.S. military onto the Internet, thus opening up America's government to more of America's citizens than ever before. On July 17, 1996. President Clinton issued Executive Order 13011 - Federal Information Technology, ordering the heads of all federal agencies to fully utilize information technology to make the information of the agency easily accessible to the public."[25]
Clipper Chip
The
Another initiative proposed a software-based key escrow system, in which keys to all encrypted data and communications would reside with a trusted third party. Since the government was seen as possibly having a need to access encrypted data originating in other countries, the pressure to establish such a system was worldwide.[28]
These policies met with strong opposition from civil liberty groups
By 1996, the Clipper Chip was abandoned.[34]
Additional projects
Gore had discussed his concerns with computer technology and levels of access in his 1994 article, "No More Information Have and Have Nots." He was particularly interested in implementing measures which would grant all children access to the Internet, stating:
We've got to get it right. We must make sure that all children have access. We have to make sure that the children of Anacostia have that access, not just Bethesda; Watts, not just Brentwood; Chicago's West Side, not just Evanston. That's not the case now. Twenty-two percent of white primary-school students have computers in their homes; less than 7% of African-American children do. We can't create a nation of information haves and have-nots. The on-ramps to the information superhighway must be accessible to all, and that will only happen if the telecommunications industry is accessible to all.[35]
Gore had a chance to fulfill this promise when he and President Clinton participated in
He also reinforced the impact of the
The Internet and other new information technologies cannot turn back the ecological clock, of course. But they can help environmental scientists push back the frontiers of knowledge and help ordinary citizens grasp the urgency of preserving our natural world ... But more than delivering information to scientists, equipping citizens with new tools to improve their world and making offices cheaper and more efficient, Cyberspace is achieving something even more enduring and profound: It's changing the very way we think. It is extending our reach, and that is transforming our grasp.[42]
Gore was involved in a number of other projects related to digital technology. He expressed his concerns for online privacy through his 1998 "Electronic Bill of Rights" speech in which he stated: "We need an electronic bill of rights for this electronic age ... You should have the right to choose whether your personal information is disclosed."
Environment
Gore was also involved in a number of initiatives related to the environment. He launched the
Fund-raising
In 1996, Gore was criticized for attending an event at the
The temple was later implicated in a campaign donation
Later in 1997, Gore also had to explain certain fund-raising calls he made to solicit funds for the Democratic Party for the 1996 election.[54] In a news conference, Gore responded that, "all calls that I made were charged to the Democratic National Committee. I was advised there was nothing wrong with that. My counsel tells me there is no controlling legal authority that says that is any violation of any law."[55] The phrase "no controlling legal authority" was severely criticized by some commentators, such as Charles Krauthammer, who wrote that "Whatever other legacies Al Gore leaves behind between now and retirement, he forever bequeaths this newest weasel word to the lexicon of American political corruption."[56] On the other hand, Robert L. Weinberg argued in The Nation in 2000 that Gore actually had the U.S. Constitution in his favor on this, although he did concede that Gore's "use of the phrase was judged by many commentators to have been a political mistake of the first order" and noted that it was used often in stump speeches by George W. Bush when Bush was campaigning against Gore in that year's presidential race.[57]
Impeachment and impact
Soon afterwards, Gore contended with the
Notes
- ^ "Top 10 Best Vice Presidents of the US". October 9, 2020.
- ^ Ifill, Gwen (August 22, 1991). "Gore Won't Run for President in 1992". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Ifill, Gwen (July 10, 1992). "The 1992 Campaign: Democrats – Clinton Selects Senator Gore of Tennessee As Running Mate". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ Ifill, Gwen (July 10, 1992). "The 1992 Campaign – Their Own Words; Excerpts From Clinton's and Gore's Remarks on the Ticket". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ a b Dowd, Maureen (July 13, 1992). "The Campaign – 2 Baby Boomers on 1 Ticket: A First, but Will It Work?". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ Suro, Roberto (October 30, 1992). "The 1992 Campaign – The Youth Vote – Democrats Court Youngest Voters". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ Ifill, Gwen (July 19, 1992). "The 1992 Campaign: The Democrats – Clinton-Gore Caravan Refuels With Spirit From Adoring Crowds". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Albert A. Gore, Jr., 45th Vice President (1993–2001)". senate.gov. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
- ^ "Memo to Obama Fans: Clinton's presidency was not a failure". Slate. Retrieved February 13, 2005.
- ^ Announcement of National Performance Review
- ^ Speech by Vice President Gore: International Reinventing Government Conference. January 14, 1999"
- ISBN 978-0-415-34861-4. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ a b c d Broad, William (November 10, 1992). "Clinton to Promote High Technology, With Gore in Charge". The New York Times.
- .
- ^ Campbell-Kelly and Aspray (1996). Computer: A History of the Information Machine. New York: BasicBooks, 283
- ^ a b Rheingold, Howard (2000). "Afterword to the 1994 Edition". The Virtual Community: 395.
- ^ Clinton, William; Gore, Al; et al. (August 1994). "Science in The National Interest" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2008.
- ^ Gore, Al (January 11, 1994). "Remarks as Delivered by Vice President Al Gore to The Superhighway Summit, Royce Hall, UCLA". clintonfoundation.org. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
- ^ Gore, Al (March 21, 1994). "Remarks As Delivered by Vice President Al Gore at the International Telecommunications Union". clinton1.nara.gov. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
- ^ Gore, Al (January 13, 1994). "The CompuServe Information Service: Transcript of Vice President Al Gore in Convention Center". clintonfoundation.org. Archived from the original on May 23, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2007.
- ^ Gore, Al (1994). "Foreword by Vice President Al Gore to The Internet Companion". Retrieved June 7, 2007.
- ^ "Welcome to the White House". Archived from the original on June 6, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ a b "The Clinton White House Web Site:Part 2: Preserving the Clinton White House Web site". Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ "Welcome to the White House". Archived from the original on June 23, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ "The Clinton White House Web Site:Part 1: Perhaps the most important Web site in American history". Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ Rheingold, Howard (2000). "Afterword to the 1994 Edition". The Virtual Community: 398–399.
- ^ Statement of the Vice President
- ^ Commercial Policy
- ^ Press release
- ^ The Risks of Key Recovery, Key Escrow, & Trusted Third Party Encryption Archived June 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Europeans Reject U.S. Plan On Electronic Cryptography"
- ^ The Clipper Chip
- ^ Crypto Experts Letter
- ^ Rendering Unto CESA
- ^ Gore, Al (October 22, 1994). "No More Information Have and Have-Nots". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ Rubenstein, Steve (March 9, 1996). "Clinton, Gore in Concord Today for NetDay: 20,000 volunteers wire computers at California schools". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ Clinton, Bill. "Remarks by the President to the Concord Community on NetDay: Ygnacio Valley High School, Concord, California". Clinton Foundation. Archived from the original on May 12, 2007. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ Gore, Al (1997). "Statement by the Vice President about Netday". Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ Press Release (April 28, 1998). "Gore, Riley and Kennard Honor Netday Volunteers Announce Guide to Online Mentoring, Computer Donations". US Education Department Press Releases. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
- ^ Picture This:Tipper Gore, Photojournalist Archived February 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Earthwatch: 24 Hours in Cyberspace Archived February 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vice President Al Gore's introduction to Earthwatch: 24 Hours In Cyberspace Archived February 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vice President Gore Announces New Steps Toward an Electronic Bill of Rights
- ^ "Earth-Viewing Satellite Would Focus On Educational, Scientific Benefits". Science Daily. Retrieved February 25, 2007.
- ^ a b "Digital Earth History". The 5th International Symposium on Digital Earth. Archived from the original on February 9, 2008.
- ^ Noon, Chris (September 21, 2006). "Gore Really Does Get The We". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ Gore, Al (December 8, 1997). "Remarks By Al Gore, Climate Change Conference, Kyoto, Japan". Archived from the original on December 7, 2000. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ Gore, Al (1997). "Vice President Gore: Strong Environmental Leadership for the New Millenium". Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 105th Congress — 1st Session:S.Res. 98". July 25, 1997. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
- ^ "Text of the Byrd–Hagel Resolution". July 25, 1997. Archived from the original on November 2, 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ^ "Earth-Viewing Satellite Would Focus On Educational, Scientific Benefits". Science Daily. March 17, 1998. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ "Gore Admits Temple Fund-Raiser Was A 'Mistake'", CNN.com, January 24, 1997
- ^ Fund-raising Investigation Discussion, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, transcript, PBS, June 23, 2000, Retrieved: April 14, 2006
- ^ "Fund-Raising Questions Focus On Gore", CNN "AllPolitics," March 2, 1997, Retrieved: October 15, 2007
- ^ As quoted in "The Money Trail", NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, transcript, PBS, March 6, 1997, Retrieved: October 15, 2007
- ^ Charles Krauthammer, "Gore's Meltdown", Washington Post, March 7, 1997, Retrieved: October 15, 2007
- ^ Robert L. Weinberg, "Controlling Authority", The Nation, October 16, 2000, Retrieved: October 15, 2007