The Obama Presidency

Description

Barack Obama's presidency is a pivotal one in American history, coming at a time of dramatic political change in the United States and amidst an astonishing array of domestic and foreign policy challenges. Not surprisingly, then, the Obama administration has been the focus of intense scrutiny by scholars, the press, and the public, and rarely has the tone of political discourse been more polarized and emotionally charged. In this book a distinguished group of scholars offers an objective and timely examination of the Obama administration; Obama's character, leadership style, and rhetoric; and his domestic, foreign, and national security policies. Engaging, lively, and highly readable, each essay offers important insight into this historic president and presidency.
List of Illustrations

Preface

PART I. Introduction

1. Rating Presidents and Assessing Obama
Robert P. Watson

PART II. Character and Identity

2. Rhetoric and Image
Casey Malone Maugh

3. Obama’s Lincoln: Image to Ideology
William D. Pederson

4. The Optimist and the Realist
R. Ward Holder

5. Obamania in Europe
Marie des Neiges Léonard

PART III. Politics and Leadership

6. The First Hundred Days
Sean Savage

7. Legislative Leadership
Max J. Skidmore

8. The Firing of General Stanley McChrystal
Douglas M. Brattebo

9. 2010 Midterm Election
Matthew N. Green

PART IV. Domestic Policy

10. U.S. Auto Industry Rescue
Steven A. Stuglin

11. Environmental Policy and Global Climate Change
Byron W. Daynes & Glen Sussman

12. Food and Agricultural Policy
Julie A. Lester

13. Health Care Reform
Michael K. Gusmano

14. Response to the Gulf Oil Spill
Matthew A. Williams & Brian Richard

PART V. Foreign Policy and National Security

15. Inherited Wars: Afghanistan and Iraq
Tom Lansford & Jack Covarrubias

16. Iran Policy
Robert J. Pauly

17. China Policy
De-Yuan Kao

18. Counterterrorism Policy
Leonard Cutler

19. Obama, Libya, and War Powers
Louis Fisher

PART VI. The Obama Administration

20. The Policy Czar Debate
Justin S. Vaughn & José D. Villalobos

21. Unilateral Directives
Graham G. Dodds

22. Vice President Joe Biden
Richard M. Yon
23. First Lady Michelle Obama
Robert P. Watson

PART VII. Conclusion

24. Making History
Douglas M. Brattebo & Robert P. Watson

Appendix A: Barack Obama Biography
Appendix B: The Obama Administration
List of Contributors
Index

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• English articles
• Central government
• Central
• The
• États-Unis
• National

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 11 avril 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 4
• EAN13: 9781438443300
• Langue: English

Extrait

SUNY series on the Presidency: Contemporary Issues

John Kenneth White, editor

The Obama Presidency
A Preliminary Assessment
Edited by
Robert P. Watson
Jack Covarrubias
Tom Lansford
Douglas M. Brattebo

Cover photo of President Obama courtesy of iStockphoto.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2012 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu
Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Anne M. Valentine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The Obama presidency : a preliminary assessment / edited by Robert P. Watson … [et al.].
p. cm. — (SUNY series on the presidency: contemporary issues)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-4329-4 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-4328-7 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. United States—Politics and government—2009– 2. Obama, Barack. I. Watson, Robert P., 1962–
E907.O225 2012
973.932092—dc23
2011037744
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Illustrations

Figures Figure 9.1 Number of Presidential Speeches Mentioning the Economy or Health Care Figure 9.2 Percent of the U.S Electorate By Age Figure 11.1 Obama's national radio addresses, first term a Figure 11.2 Obama's national television addresses, first term a Figure 11.3 Bush's national radio addresses, first term a Figure 11.4 Bush's national television addresses, first term a

Tables Table 1.1 Early Ranking Polls of the Presidents Table 1.2 Well-Known Recent Polls Table 1.3 2010 Siena Research Institute Poll (with a ranking of Obama) Table 11.1 Environmental Legislation Proposed, passed in U.S. House and Senate, 2009–2010 Table 11.2 Key Appointments to Bureaucratic Positions (Bush 43 Administration) Table 11.3 Key Appointments to Bureaucratic Positions (Obama Administration) Table 11.4 A Midterm Evaluation of President Barack Obama and Global Climate Change Table 20.1 Barack Obama's Presidential Policy “Czars” Table 20.2 Barack Obama's Senate-confirmed “Czars” Table 21.1 Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations Table 24.1 Obama's Approval Ratings Table 24.2 Presidential Approval Ratings Table 24.3 Total Public Laws Passed Table 24.4 Total Executive Orders Signed Table 24.5 Total Treaties Submitted to Senate
Preface
Barack Obama's presidency is a pivotal one by any historical standard. It came at a time of dramatic political change in the United States and amidst a bewildering array of domestic and foreign policy crises, not the least of which were two wars he inherited from his predecessor and the worst economic conditions—record deficits, massive debt, and a deep recession—since the Great Depression that greeted him as he was sworn into office. At the same time, the tone of political discourse has been defined by hyper-partisanship and incivility. Although the United States has experienced its share of political paranoia, fear mongering, and partisan bickering, rarely has it been more emotionally charged than during the Obama years. Indeed, from the moment of Obama's inauguration, Republicans in Congress stood united in opposition to the lion's share of the president's proposals while the social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.), as well as countless bloggers, radio talkers, and cable television shows, were filled with relentless attacks against everything, including substantive opposition to his policies to wildly irresponsible assaults on his wife, place of birth, patriotism, and religious beliefs.
Concurrent with these challenges is the fact that Barack Obama was the first African American elected to the U.S. presidency, which adds another layer of intrigue and its own symbolic and very real challenges. But this occurrence is an event to be celebrated and considered in any analysis. Not only is the nation at a crossroads on account of this racial milestone but Obama is the highest profile American politician to come of age politically amidst revolutionary innovations in communication and information systems that are changing the nature of political campaigns and governance. While reaching and mobilizing young voters and generating new online sources of funding, the Obama presidential campaign wrote the textbook on how to employ these new technologies. Armed with his personal Blackberry and posting tweets on Twitter and video on YouTube, the president has both embraced and benefited from the Internet.
Not surprisingly, then, both Obama and his decisions have generated a lot of interest by the press, the public, and scholars. Indeed, presidents are typically the focus of a number of scholarly books and popular biographies. These usually take a few years from the end of an administration to complete, as a full rendering of a president's legacy is contingent on the ultimate outcome of his policies and decisions, and, more practically, must wait until his papers are released to the public. Although a full assessment of any presidency takes many years and a president's legacy must stand the test of time, it is beneficial to begin the conversation and assessment during his presidency. To that end, this book offers one of the first, comprehensive examinations of Barack Obama, his decisions and policies, and his presidency and administration.
In late November 2010, a scholarly conference was co-convened by the editors of this text and organized by Tom Lansford and Jack Covarrubias. Held at the University of Southern Mississippi's campus in Long Beach, it was attended by a few dozen scholars of the American presidency from throughout the United States and a few other countries. Over the course of two days, a few dozen papers were presented, roundtable discussions held, and keynotes delivered on a variety of topics pertaining to the Obama presidency. Rigorous but civil debate and an open exchange of ideas and points of analysis marked these academic sessions and continued over adult beverages and a bonfire cookout on the beautiful Gulf Coast! Over the next few months the editors and participants continued their work on the Obama presidency, finetuning the presentations, papers, and major points of discussion. The result was this book.
One of the objectives of this project was to produce a scholarly but highly readable book, one suitable for the professional historian and political scientist, but one that is accessible to a general audience and useful for undergraduate and graduate students. As such, the chapters are relatively short and written in a lively narrative. Another objective was to cover an array of topics that we felt defined the first two years of the Obama presidency and would continue to shape his legacy. As such, with shorter chapters we were able to cover more ground.
One of the benefits of this book is the quality of contributors. They constitute an array of dedicated scholars from such disciplines as political science, history, communication, international relations, sociology, American studies, and theology, and reflect an equally wide array of perspectives concerning Barack Obama. We wish to thank the contributors for their work on both the conference and this book and believe they were instrumental in helping us produce an objective, readable, and concise yet thorough assessment of the Obama presidency at midpoint.
We would also like to acknowledge our families and thank them for their patience during the time it took to produce this book. So, to our families—Claudia, Alessandro, and Isabella; Tracy and Savannah; Gina, Ella, and Kate; and Shannon and Freida—thank you for your continued support. Thank you also to Michael Rinella, Diane Ganeles, Anne Valentine, and the staff of SUNY Press, it was a pleasure to work with you on this book.
It will be many years before Barack Obama's legacy is fully written and we may never come to a point of agreement on his standing among presidents. However, this book is dedicated to those efforts. We hope that readers find it helpful as they both digest and weigh in on the debate surrounding Barack Obama, and that scholars find the book to be a valuable resource in determining an initial assessment of the Obama presidency.
I
Introduction
Chapter 1
Rating Presidents and Assessing Obama
Robert P. Watson

The Rating Game
Evaluating presidents is a challenging and controversial endeavor. Yet, everyone with an opinion seems to get in on the action—whether it is a group of scholars working on a book, a public opinion approval poll taken by the media, a panel of commentators on a television talk show, or a group of co-workers huddled around the office water cooler. Indeed, in America there is a natural inclination to rate and rank all things, whether it is a poll of college football's “top 25,” a list of the top-grossing movies of the week, or David Letterman's comedic “top 10” list on television. With the American president being the most visible world leader and a daily focus of countless media outlets and online sources, it is perhaps unavoidable to ask the question, “How is the president doing” and to compare him to his predecessors.
Today, there are numerous opinion polls conducted