From peace treaties to cigars, the economy to a saxophone and deficit to surplus, soon-to-be-former President Bill Clinton has taken the American people on an eight-year adventure.

Donald Menzel, director of public administration and a political science professor, said he had great expectations for the president but was disappointed.

“I think he will have a greater positive influence on the people and the world after he leaves the presidency,” Menzel said. “He’s a young man, and I don’t think he’s going to fade into the background. In the next few years, I think he’ll still be seen as the leader of the Democratic Party. He seems to have politics in his blood.”

Mikel Wyckoff, associate professor of political science, said Clinton didn’t get to pass large programs because of Republican representation in the House of Representatives and Senate.

“He went for smaller victories and preserved old programs,” he said.

The president has brought thousands of acres of land under federal protection, established the North American Free Trade Agreement and turned back the conservative surge, Wyckoff said.

“NAFTA, which is more favorable to businesses, unlike regular democratic ideals, brought Democrats back to the middle,” Wyckoff said. “He established NAFTA because he believed it was good for the American economy and in turn good for each individual American.”

Clinton probably will be esteemed for his international accomplishments, such as “trying to bring the Middle East conflict to an end,” Menzel said.

Wyckoff said Clinton modernized the standards of the Democratic party and, in doing so, turned back the conservative surge that began in the late ’80s.

“The president stopped conservatives from achieving ultimate victory and defended traditional democratic programs like social security and medicare,” he said.

Menzel said no one will forget when the federal government closed down because Newt Gingrich and the president couldn’t agree on the budget package.

“Every time someone had him cornered he came out on top,” Menzel said.

Even though Clinton can’t be given all the credit for turning our deficit into a surplus, he did help push it along, Wyckoff said.

“When Reagan made large tax cuts and doubled defense spending, the deficit increased to about $200 billion per year,” he said. “Clinton cut back spending and raised taxes on upper incomes. As [Alan] Greenspan saw Clinton’s serious efforts, he sought to bring down interest rates, which stimulated the economy.”

Freshman psychology major Shenita Lyles said she thinks Clinton is the best president of all time.

“Our economy did really well under him,” she said. “Even though he had his little infidelity, I still think he was a great president.”

Freshman communication major Jasmeet Mago said most people who say Clinton didn’t do well only focus on scandals.

“Clinton tried hard to get peace treaties, he knew what he was talking about and was overall very well-rounded,” Mago said.

Menzel said the impeachment will go down in history, but the scandal will be remembered more than the lying.