--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: President Clinton was able to achieve…" description: "\"President Clinton was able to achieve budget surpluses despite a divided government.\" — Jim Cooper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/jim-cooper-16128_able_president-clinton-was-able-to-achieve-bu_2845440.png" --- # President Clinton was able to achieve budget surpluses… ![“President Clinton was able to achieve budget surpluses despite a divided government.” quote by Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/jim-cooper-16128_able_president-clinton-was-able-to-achieve-bu_2845440.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/jim-cooper-16128_able_president-clinton-was-able-to-achieve-bu_2845440.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/212/jim-cooper-16128_able_president-clinton-was-able-to-achieve-bu_2845440.png) > “President Clinton was able to achieve budget surpluses despite a divided government.” [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clinton managed fiscal surpluses despite partisan gridlock through disciplined spending and tax reforms. **In simple terms:** He achieved budget surplus despite divided government. Key Takeaway Use disciplined fiscal policies to overcome political division. Themes budget politics fiscal discipline leadership Mood optimistic strategic Type political economic When to use this quote - government budgeting - policy making - economic planning Key Concepts public finance bipartisan negotiation Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders build consensus on fiscal matters? - What compromises are necessary for budget surplus? A Different Perspective Success depends on economic cooperation across party lines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Budget Surpluses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budget-surpluses-3217849/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite/) [Despite Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despite-divided-3753918/) [Divided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divided/) [Divided government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divided-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-clinton/) [Surplus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surplus/) [Surpluses Despite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surpluses-despite-3753919/) ## Related quotes > [For one thing, one of the wonderful things that we now have is instead of the huge budget surpluses that President Clinton left us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/for-one-thing-one-of-the-wonderful-things-that-we-now-have-is-instead/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [In addition to myself and a number of others, President Clinton talked about the deficit and the debt issue. And he pointed out, really,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-van-hollen/in-addition-to-myself-and-a-number-of-others-president-clinton-talked/) [Chris Van Hollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-van-hollen/) > [What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/what-country-can-preserve-its-liberties-if-its-rulers-are-not-warned/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I don't think that split government is a good idea. Conventional wisdom in Washington for years has been that divided government is good because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-walker/i-don-t-think-that-split-government-is-a-good-idea-conventional/) [Scott Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-walker/) > [A divided government doesn't have to be a death blow to foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-ortagus/a-divided-government-doesn-t-have-to-be-a-death-blow-to-foreign-policy/) [Morgan Ortagus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-ortagus/) > [Having served as the majority spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee after Republicans took the House in 1994, I've seen the promise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/having-served-as-the-majority-spokesman-for-the-house-ways-and-means/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [“This country was founded by people who were worried about government power—who knew that you cannot trust people in power. So they divided government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/historica-press/this-country-was-founded-by-people-who-were-worried-about-government/) [Historica Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/historica-press/) > [Health care reform, the marquee legislative accomplishment of the Obama administration's first term, was passed before we entered the world of divided government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-spitzer/health-care-reform-the-marquee-legislative-accomplishment-of-the/) [Eliot Spitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliot-spitzer/) > [ The trouble with the theory \[of limited and divided government\] is that government is not a machine, but a living thing. This is where… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-trouble-with-the-theory-of-limited-and-divided-government-is-that/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [What I have said is, when the American people elect divided government, what are they saying? I think they're saying we know you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/what-i-have-said-is-when-the-american-people-elect-divided-government/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/before-a-standing-army-can-rule-the-people-must-be-disarmed-as-they-2/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [An elective despotism was not the government we fought for, but one which should not only be founded on true free principles, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/an-elective-despotism-was-not-the-government-we-fought-for-but-one/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Every time a Republican wins the White House, whenever Republicans win control of Congress, the Drive-Bys always claim that the message is voters want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/every-time-a-republican-wins-the-white-house-whenever-republicans-win/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The excuse of divided government is over: they have the House and the Senate as well; they have the state legislatures; they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/the-excuse-of-divided-government-is-over-they-have-the-house-and-the/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [In a divided government, you can't just say, 'It's my way or the highway.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/in-a-divided-government-you-can-t-just-say-it-s-my-way-or-the-highway/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) ## More by Jim Cooper > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Congress as a whole is less popular than it's been since polling was invented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/congress-as-a-whole-is-less-popular-than-it-s-been-since-polling-was/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [The real problem with big issues like Medicare is that both parties have to be brave at the same time. Every pollster will tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/the-real-problem-with-big-issues-like-medicare-is-that-both-parties/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [It took the first 204 years of our Nation's history to accumulate $1 trillion in debt. And now we are doing that every 2 or 3 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-took-the-first-204-years-of-our-nation-s-history-to-accumulate-1/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [If we don't change, millions of American families are just one medical emergency, or one layoff, away from financial disaster and bankruptcy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/if-we-don-t-change-millions-of-american-families-are-just-one-medical/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Aging nations have arteries clogged with obsolete laws, slowing blood flow and preventing oxygen from reaching all parts of the body politic. 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Two senators stopped by my office just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/members-walk-into-the-chamber-full-of-hatred-they-believe-the-worst/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute have criticized Bush for his big increases in spending, which far exceed those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/conservative-think-tanks-like-the-heritage-foundation-and-cato/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Most of my folks back home think Social Security and Medicare are sacred commitments stronger than the strongest contract. 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It is an important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/this-is-a-simple-change-that-will-provide-a-huge-financial-boost-for/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Ultimately, Congressional medicine is like veterinary medicine: It must be strong enough to work, and tasty enough to swallow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/ultimately-congressional-medicine-is-like-veterinary-medicine-it-must/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) [Explore all 41 Jim Cooper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. 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