William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd Term Paper

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Maslow also argues that after a person meets their basic survival needs, they will begin to self-actualize (Maslow, 1999). This means that they will now become concerned with an increase of tension related to their own achievements, goals, and behavior. If Clinton had felt that his physical and psychological needs had not been met, then his main concern would have been tension reduction. Tension reduction would have likely resulted in a lack of sexual desire for other women that could result in tension in his marriage. But since Clinton's basic survival needs were satisfied, he was able to seek out relationships and behaviors that would implicitly likely create more tension, and serve to try and satisfy the need for achievement and self-actualization.

By definition, Maslow's need for self-actualization, sometimes referred to as growth-motivation, cannot be satisfied (Maslow, 1999). People try to enhance their lives instead of their survival, and often do not know when enough is enough. Since Bill Clinton had held positions of power for decades before becoming President, he was likely used to the power, achievement and fame that came with them. He would have likely sought out more power, achievement, and fame at any cost, and in ways that were both socially acceptable and otherwise (Maslow, 1998). No longer as concerned with what was morally or socially reprehensible, Clinton sought to expand his achievements in every realm. Clinton functioned on the second level of the Core Tendencies, since, as President of the United States, he likely was not worried about his own physical survival on a day-to-day basis. His political survival is another story.

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Clinton was impeached for lying under oath during hearings surrounding the Monica Lewinski Trial. Clinton's own political survival, as experienced by him and his family, and, arguably by the Democratic Party, was at stake. By any means necessary, Clinton felt that he was to fight against the attack on his credibility and his character. He resorted to lying and twisting the truth in order to survive politically and perhaps psychologically. This is evidence that, once a person comes under attack in these ways, they will revert back to satisfying their survival needs, doing everything they can to survive (Maslow, 1998, 1999). It is at this point that their concerns with self-actualization are no longer primary. Maslow argues that human beings will do just about anything to secure their survival, and Bill Clinton is no exception.

By the end of his Presidency, Bill Clinton was able to accomplish quite a bit. He was able to work for peace in the Balkans, after years of war and bloodshed. He also worked to expand international trade and worked hard to fight against narco-traffickers in South and Central America. These accomplishments were feeding Clinton's need for self-actualization as well, just as much as his relationship with Monica Lewinski. There were some very positive and very negative outcomes of his Presidency, and Mr. Clinton's behavior can be directly analyzed through the lens of Maslow's Core Tendencies. His ability to lie or cheat to get ahead when he was physically or psychologically threatened is explained by Maslow, as is Clinton's personal stretch toward self-actualization, and tension creation after the fulfillment of his basic.....

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