Family Values and Presidential Elections: The Use and Abuse of the Family and Medical Leave Act in the 1992 and 1996 Campaigns

Authors

Steven K. Wisensale, University of Connecticut - Storrs

Abstract

This article explores how and why the debate on family leave policy became intertwined with the discussion of family values during the 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns. It covers the emergence of family values in political debates in general and in election-year strategies in particular, the developmental history of family leave policy, including important benchmarks that occurred at both the state and federal levels. It also considers the role played by family values and family leave during the 1992 election and how the family leave bill and at least two other legislative proposals became important components of the discussions about family values during the 1996 presidential campaign, particularly the Democrats' use of "family leave day" on September 24.

Recommended Citation

Wisensale, Steven K. (1999) "Family Values and Presidential Elections: The Use and Abuse of the Family and Medical Leave Act in the 1992 and 1996 Campaigns," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 15: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol15/iss1/4