Under President Clinton, the goal was to reduce the federal deficit which had quadrupled under previous administrations. Clinton pursued a deficit reduction plan that focused on raising taxes instead of cutting popular entitlement programs. This led to budget surpluses instead of deficits by the end of Clinton's terms. However, Clinton faced opposition from Republicans who advocated for more conservative policies, leading to a government shutdown. Clinton was able to compromise on some issues like welfare reform but held firm on not making deep cuts to social programs. During this period, the US also pursued free trade agreements and normal trade relations with China while some industries faced deregulation that later contributed to the Enron scandal and bankruptcy.