President Clinton attempted to improve the economy by which of the following? A) having states bear the burden of lowering the deficit. B) making us citizens responsible for lowering the deficit. C) sharing the responsibility for government debt reduction. D) taking all responsibility for government debt reduction.

D) taking all responsibility for government debt reduction.

C. sharing the responsibility for government debt reduction.

When Clinton took office as president in 1993, the government needed to balance its budget, just as a business would do. Under the Clinton administration, tax rates were raised to increase revenue. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (also known as the Deficit Reduction Act) raised the top income tax rate from 28 percent to 36 percent persons with income above $115,000, and to 39.6 percent for persons with income above $250,000. It increased the corporate income tax rates and ended some corporate subsidies.

Government spending was cut also by reforming welfare. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 pushed for welfare recipients to seek employment, and limited the total time they could receive benefits to five years.

Ultimately, Clinton's economic policies paid off. The government's budget deficit dropped from $290 billion to a budget surplus of $128 billion.