United States President Barack Obama
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| United States President Barack Obama | |
|---|---|
| Name | Barack Obama |
| Office | 44th President of the United States |
| Term start | January 20, 2009 |
| Term end | January 20, 2017 |
| Predecessor | George W. Bush |
| Successor | Donald Trump |
| Birth date | August 4, 1961 |
| Birth place | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Michelle Obama |
| Children | Malia Obama; Sasha Obama |
| Alma mater | Occidental College; Columbia University; Harvard Law School |
United States President Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States and the first African American to hold the office. A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, he served as a state legislator in Illinois and as a U.S. Senator from Illinois before winning presidential elections in 2008 and 2012. His administration pursued major initiatives in health care, financial regulation, climate policy, and foreign affairs while navigating the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Early life and education
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii to a Kenyan father, Barack Obama Sr., and an American mother, Ann Dunham, he spent parts of his childhood in Indonesia and Hawaii. He attended Punahou School in Honolulu before matriculating at Occidental College in Los Angeles and transferring to Columbia University, where he majored in political science. After working for Business International Corporation and community organizing with Developing Communities Project and Community Action Program in Chicago, he enrolled at Harvard Law School, where he became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.
Illinois political career
Returning to Chicago, he practiced civil rights law with the firm Sidley Austin and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. He served in the Illinois Senate representing the 13th District from 1997 to 2004, focusing on legislation related to ethics, Neonatal intensive care, and campaign finance reform alongside legislators such as Donne Trotter and Alice Palmer. He gained public prominence for delivering the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, drawing attention from members of the Democratic National Committee and national media such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.
2004 U.S. Senate campaign and tenure
In 2004 he won the United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004 and took a seat in the United States Senate alongside colleagues including Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. As a senator he served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, working on issues related to Iraq War oversight, tax policy with lawmakers like Charles Schumer, and ethics reform alongside Arlen Specter. His Senate staff and associates included figures who later became prominent in national politics, and his 2004–2008 Senate tenure set the stage for a national campaign with endorsements from leaders such as Ted Kennedy and organizations like the Service Employees International Union.
2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns
He announced his candidacy for president in February 2007 and competed in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against rivals including Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. His campaign emphasized grassroots fundraising via ActBlue-style small donations, digital mobilization using platforms pioneered in part by Organizing for America, and messaging centered on hope and change, contrasting with the policies of George W. Bush and the ongoing Iraq War. He selected Joe Biden as his running mate and defeated the Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 United States presidential election. In 2012 he ran for reelection, facing Mitt Romney and securing a second term with victories in battlegrounds such as Ohio, Florida, and Virginia.
Presidency (2009–2017)
Early in his first term he signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to respond to the 2008 financial crisis and supported passage of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to reform financial industry oversight, working with officials like Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke. His signature domestic achievement was the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called Affordable Care Act), enacted after negotiations involving leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and litigation culminating in Supreme Court decisions including National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius. On climate and energy policy, his administration negotiated agreements like the Paris Agreement and promoted regulations via the Environmental Protection Agency under administrators such as Lisa Jackson and Gina McCarthy.
In foreign policy he ordered the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, directed by Joint Special Operations Command and executed with personnel from United States Navy SEALs under the authorization of his national security team including Leon Panetta and Hillary Clinton. He pursued a strategy of pivoting toward the Asia-Pacific with initiatives related to Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and normalized relations with Cuba via diplomatic engagement with leaders in Havana. He also oversaw troop withdrawals from Iraq and an increase in forces in Afghanistan before drawing down U.S. presence. His administration used targeted drone strikes against Al-Qaeda affiliates and faced debates over surveillance programs revealed by Edward Snowden.
He appointed two justices to the Supreme Court—Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan—and numerous federal judges, reshaping the federal judiciary. Domestic politics were marked by partisan polarization with opposition from Tea Party movement activists and Republican congressional leaders such as Mitch McConnell. His administration received honors including the Nobel Peace Prize—awarded in 2009—and criticism from figures across the political spectrum over policies on economic recovery, foreign interventions, and regulatory actions.
Post-presidential activities and legacy
After leaving office he and Michelle Obama established the Obama Foundation and engaged in initiatives including the My Brother's Keeper Alliance and the establishment of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. He has published memoirs including Dreams from My Father and A Promised Land and delivered speeches at venues ranging from Nobel events to university commencements, collaborating with organizations such as Netflix on documentary projects and series featuring figures like David Axelrod. His post-presidential role includes advocacy on civic engagement, voting rights in collaboration with groups like Common Cause and Brady Campaign, and commentary on international matters involving actors such as Vladimir Putin and institutions like NATO. Scholars and commentators from The New Yorker to The Atlantic debate his legacy in areas including health care reform, economic recovery, and international diplomacy, while historians place his presidency in continuity with predecessors such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson for its policy ambitions and limitations.