The US presidential election, 1996

This article examines the political and policy background to the US presidential election of November 1996. The author highlights the significance in this election campaign of the breakdown of a broad consensus in both domestic and foreign policy that had existed since the presidencies of Roosevelt and Johnson. He analyses the ideological divisions within the Republican party and the emergence of Bob Dole as presidential candidate, considers the likely role to be played by Ross Perot's Reform party, and assesses Bill Clinton's performance in the economic and foreign policy arenas.