In these days America remains one of the most democratic countries in the world. But still there are many problems our society cannot cope with. So there are some problems that I think should be primarily addressed by the 44th President of the United States. One of the most topical of them is flaws of American criminal justice system. Nowadays most prisons are overcrowded. According to the latest research, one out of 37 Americans was imprisoned at least once. 7 out of 1000 American citizens are imprisoned now. In Western Europe for example only one out of a thousand is in jail. As opposed to other western democracies about three thousand people are waiting for execution of capital sentence (Schwartz).
In America there exist favorable conditions for mass media. But still there is some evidence that American journalists face numerous difficulties too. One of the most important problems in this sphere is the growing tendency of authorities to influence the work of mass media (Katz).
But the problem of racial inequality still remains Achilles’ heel of American democracy. Inequality of property is one more issue to address. The number of poor black-skinned American citizens is approximately twice bigger than that of whites. For children from poor Afro-American families it is very difficult to get a proper education. It means that their chances to become rich one day are rather low, and their children in their turn will also be unable to get higher education.
In big cities still there are areas where only Afro-Americans live, and these areas are avoided by white Americans. The strong evidence is presented by mass media to support the idea of unequal treatment of Afro-Americans and Hispanics. “A black man has a 1 in 3 chance of being in prison in his lifetime compared with a 1 in 17 chance for a white man.” The gap between white and black Americans gradually becomes less, but still there is much work to do. “The justified celebration of pluralism can obscure the substantial and enduring gap between whites and blacks in the United States” (Schwartz).
I think that the problem of racial inequality has to be addressed first of all; and this problem is the most difficult one to solve. Some new approaches to the problem must be invented. I think the problem should be addressed in school firstly. Some developing programs for children should be worked out. In higher educational establishments Afro-American students should have more benefits. It is important to improve nondiscriminatory laws. I think there is not enough information about oppression which Afro-Americans still face in mass media.
I think Barak Obama can solve these problems, and he will be the victorious candidate. African Americans have never had a worldly renowned transformational leader (American Election News). He is an extremely charismatic and intelligent person with pure reputation. Obama is a brilliant speaker and a strong leader. I think Barak Obama can solve this problem also because his father was born in Kenya, and he must know from his own experience what racial inequality is. What is more, Barak means “one who is blessed” (Neita). He is considered to be the most progressive candidate in the sphere of social politics. In these days most of the voters understand the importance of changing American foreign policy, because they are interested in prestige of their country.
Works Cited
American Election News. 2008. Web.
Katz, Michael & Stern, Mark.Beyond Discrimination: Understanding African American Inequality in the Twenty-First Century. 2007.
Neita, Dave. London via Jamaica via Africa. 2008. Web.
Schwartz, Emma. The Biggest Threat to American Freedom. 2007. Web.
Fidel Castro once said that it is harder to win a war, and almost impossible to make use of the victory once it is achieved. It is nearly a year since Obama became the first black president of America. He came on at a time when the world was experiencing the worst global crisis in almost a century. His dealing with the congress has been impressive but his administration has had several challenges to deal with. First, there is the financial crisis, then the healthcare plan for all. He has had to deal with the Middle East crisis as well as the overall foreign policy. In this case, Obama has and will rely on the congress to help approve the financial needs for the whole administrative plan. This essay looks at how Obama has been dealing with Congress in this one year he has been in office.
The Stimulus plan
When he came in office early 2009, Obama had his work cut out on reviving the economy. At the time, Senator Tom Codburn admits that there was an extreme crisis which needed bold actions. Previously, banks had advertised their mortgages, people being clueless fell on their hooks and swallowed the bait. Hence they borrowed more than they could repay. Banks were on the brink of collapsing. This situation passed on the baton to the entire globe (1).
Obama’s first step was to initiate a stimulus plan that would help save the banks. Early in this year, Congress impressively approved his $787 billion stimulus bill to speed up the emergency government spending as well as cut taxes to a nation facing recession. Although this drew a slight opposition from Republicans who thought that tax cuts alone could not induce mortgage repayment, it would be a great leap forward (Codburn 4). Thomas Sowell adds that such a move would enable people to borrow again, something which would likely induce a deeper crisis (Para.3). He rubbished this move as slow and a way of courting the Congress in making irrational decisions. As it stands now, there are observable successes with the plan. Callah Young while writing for the Charleston Gazette recently observed that the stimulus plan has shielded many Americans from plunging into poverty. Among its successes, he noted were in the way low income earners received credits on Child tax, and Earned Income Tax. The jobless have got more days of emergency unemployment compensation and they get $25 more every week in supplements. Moreover, the elderly and people with disabilities get assistance from the government as well as food rations (Para. 4-6). Thus it has reduced the harshness of poverty. In this case, Obama relied on Congress to help revive the economy. It can be argued that Congress must have seen the need to restore the financial system because it is the driver of the nation. Besides, it was important to save the country from the emergent problems associated with the lending crisis.
Obama’s speech to Congress just before the bill was passed can be seen as that which intended to foster a better relationship for collaboration in the revival of the economy but, adds Codburn, once failure begins to be observed, Congress may begin to lambaste his policies as some of its members have already begun to do, and this is a way to keep Obama’s administration accountable (2).
The Healthcare Plan
Obama also found a nation whose healthcare system was largely unequalled. Many people with low income do not have insurance covers and whenever fatalities strike, they are usually left with large medical bills to cover (Shugarman, Karl and Lynn 255-256). This, Obama had said during his presidential campaigns that he would tackle them. In his healthcare plan, Obama would strive to review all government employers that self-insure to make sure to discourage smaller employers from self-insuring. Among other things tabled before the congress included; the empowerment of a government committee that would decide the kind of treatment every US citizen would receive, each person’s healthcare would be portioned and health benefits for each person would be selected by the government. In addition, retirees would get pay-off subsidies to help them ready themselves for medical support. However, there would be no freedom of choice; all qualified citizens would be involuntarily be enrolled in Medicaid (Fleckenstein 2-4).
Although there would be adequate information and education to people through groups such as ACORN and Americorps, there has been opposition in trying to put all private healthcare providers under government control. Blumenthal, Cutler and Liebman argue that this plan would be costly. Being a complex system that is uncertain, about $70 billion dollars would be spent annually if this plan is fully implemented. Thus, if the sources identified in the bill fail to be sufficient, the ordinary taxpayer would be compelled to finance the plan (3-4).But Obama has not relented on the plan; in his speech to the Congress about the plan, he challenged them to face the plan as a way of tackling health issues. Suzanne Malveaux and Dana Bash state that his speech detailed many of the subjects to be debated and urged for a uniform standpoint. This plan would not need change from existing coverage thus Americans would not feel the pinch of shifting to new covers (Para. 3-4).
Congress’s reaction was divided. Apparently, Democrats supported his proposal but Republicans, consisting of most conservatives chose to fight it. Malveaux and Bash add that Republican leaders opposed it from the start. Louisiana representative Charles Boustany accused Obama of continuing policies already opposed by many. Other republicans accused the plan of being bipartisan and thus bent on helping one side of the economy (para.6-7). In the end, Obama accused those in opposition to the plan as merely politicians. He wouldn’t allow his course for a uniform healthcare to be derailed. We can argue here that in case the plan sails through, Obama would have related with the congress with aggression. Republicans, to him oppose the bill because they want to further their political ambitions. Those who support him value the need to change the healthcare. Hence he dealt with the congress through a divided support. His democrat congressmen have no problem with the plan and that is where his support comes from.
Foreign policy
Obama’s foreign policy has been mainly based on the Middle East crisis. On coming to power, Obama promised to withdraw troupes from Iraq by the end of 2010 as a way of letting Iraqis self-govern. Although Katzman asserts that such a move may dwindle the harmony of people in Iraq, it appears both the congress and his administration concur with the move (7). In fact the recent speeches to Islamic communities around the world were meant to reflect on this decision.
Over time, America’s relationship with Islamic nations have been volatile, right from the Gulf War, many Islamic nations have seen America as anti-Islam. It is Obama’s recent change of trait that calls for the question of whether it is important to relate well with this community. Harvard professor, Joseph Nye argues that Obama knows that the Middle East has potential impact on world security. Hence it is important to court them into the US policy of fighting insecurity. By rejuvenating his relations with the Arab world, Obama wants to, further, impart the element of democracy in them (13). The investments in fighting wars in Afghanistan and maintaining security in volatile Iraq are seen as ways to induce such changes.
Then there is the issue of nuclear weapons. Recently, Obama announced the discovery of a covert Uranium Upgrading facility located in a military base in Iran. This identification has been analysed as a way to further his policy against nuclear proliferation. Nye adds that, having been supported at a recent G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, Obama has chosen to give the information to seek favour from partners (13).
Various other efforts were made; the US and Russia have been discussing ways on how to reduce strategic nuclear weapons. These countries have about 90% of the world’s nuclear stock. However, Obama needs the congress in all his moves. For example, the senate must approve the new agreement by next year. The congress will have to agree on when the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty should be submitted again. It should be noted that this treaty was rejects a decade ago by the same congress (Nye 13)
It will depend on how Obama courts the politicians this time. Sowell adds that international treaties regulating defences have been marred by controversies. The agreement rejected 10 years ago has already aroused suspicion. Previous presidents like John F Kennedy believed that many countries would have massive weapons by now but that has not happened. If Obama’s proposal is rejected, it will mean Obama’s agenda would be deeply weakened (Nye13).Obama needs to convince North Korea to resume talks on ending her nuclear ambitions and so should Iran. Nye writes again that Obama’s success on the international scene will depend on how he manoeuvres his home politics. He needs to maintain a good relationship with the congress.
Obama’s security concerns do not stop their. So far, he has indicated the intention to clear the Guantanamo prison. Through a special task force about 223 prisoners locked on the island would be cleared. Prisoners found guilty would be sent to other countries while the innocent would be sent home. Obama has set January as the deadline to close the camp.
And finally, Obama needs to convince his congressmen that his effort to support poor countries would not affect his economy. Already, he has pledged to give grants to African countries to help alleviate disease and poverty.
In conclusion, Obama’s relationship with the congress is diverse. He has been compelled to use criticism on his healthcare plan but he has to negotiate on the foreign policy. His administration agreed with the Congress to save the economy although some sceptics had to object. This kind of dealing is unpredictable and thus may become Obama’s advantage in future. It may be too early to judge his administration’s failure or success because he has only been in office for a year.
Works cited
Blumenthal, David, David Cutler, and Jeffrey Liebman. “Obama Healthcare Plan.” The New York Times. 2009. Web.
Codburn, Tom. “100 stimulus Projects: a Second Opinion.” The Wall street Journal. 2009. Web.
Barack Obama is the forty fourth president of the United States of America and he is also the first African American president in the history of the United States. He is officially known as Barack Hussein Obama II and he was the junior senator of the United States representing Illinois from the year 2005 to the year 2008 when he resigned to assume the presidency of the United States. He started his presidential campaign in February of the year 2007 and he defeated Hilary Clinton in the Democratic Party nomination and he defeated John McCain of the Republican Party to be elected as the forty fourth president of the United States of America (Bleeker).
His presidency started after his inauguration into office with Joe Biden as his Vice President in January 20, 2009. His presidency started at noon of January 20, 2009 according to the constitution of the United States which states that a new president whether sworn in or not starts at noon of the inauguration day. After assuming presidency, his administration was faced with the uphill task of addressing the global financial crisis and so he leaned towards implementing financial policies which included tax policies. He did not also ignore the strained foreign policy that was brought about by the George Bush Doctrine and hence he started some initiatives that were deemed to phase out prisoner detention in Guantanamo Bay which is located in Cuba (Chernus).
Barack Obama’s First One Hundred Days
Obama’s first one hundred days presidency started as soon as he was inaugurated on January 20, 2009 into office as the forty fourth president of the United States of America. To this effect his hundredth day at the office will be marked on April 29, 2009. It is important to note that the first one hundred days presidency is a very important historical aspect of the United States as it was first mentioned by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration when he assumed the presidency of the United States of America and the country was facing many problems chief among them being the Great Depression which was affect the world economy and which started in the United States after the collapsing of the stock markets. To this effect, in the United States, the first one hundred days are considered to be a benchmark under which the success of any president can be gauged as early as possible (Reeves).
When Obama became the presumptive nominee, his first one hundred days in the office have been highly anticipated throughout the United States as well as throughout the world. In his first interview of 60 Minutes, the president asserted that he the knowledge of the importance of the first one hundred days and this is because he was well acquainted with Roosevelt’s First 100 days and that he appreciated the symbolism and the significance of the first 100 days. These sentiments were greatly aired by his Democratic Party nomination rival Hilary Clinton who would later support the presidency when Obama won the nomination of the Democratic Party (Montanaro).
Obama started preparing for his first one hundred days in office during the presidential transition immediately after winning the election. It is to this effect that the stated that America will always have and have always had one president at a time and this was in respect to the fact that the foreign policy of a president was very different from the foreign policy of another president regardless of whether the period was in a presidential transition. During the first one hundred days of a president, the administration is closely scrutinized and is required to make major administrative policies on both local and foreign politics. The president is the one who is greatly scrutinized and their various adjustments are watched closely by the public through the media and other channels of information (Naughton).
Obama began his creation of presidential footprints for his first one hundred in office and this can be witnessed by the fact that he has already called for support for his economic reforms which are deemed to be a stimulant package through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This bill passed on January 28, 2009 in the house and also in the Senate on February 10, 2009 by a good margin of 61 – 37. It is important however to note that Obama has stated that his presidency should not be judged by his first one hundred days and he argued that although the first one hundred days are important but probably the first thousand days are the days that are going to make a difference of the administration (Bleeker).
Media Coverage
Although President Obama has attempted to downplay the importance of his first one hundred days, these days have been highly anticipated and the media has not been left behind. This anticipation started immediately when he became the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. Several media corporations around the world such as CNN, CBS News and FOX News have come up with important slots for the coverage of the president’s first one hundred days in office. The media has played a very important role in analyzing the challenges and the priorities that the Obama administration has on various issues concerning domestic and foreign policies, the economic situation of the country and also the environmental issues. Of importance is the analysis that was done by CNN which highlighted the important issues that the president and his team had to tackle and chief among them was the economic recovery and reinvestment policies which were deemed to be very important for the economy of the United States as well as the world economy. This was especially in relation to the current global financial crisis (Montanaro).
Other major media networks in the country as well as in the world although not having dedicated a slot have noted the importance of the president’s first one hundred days and it is in this respect that the media networks have dedicated some of their headlines as concerning President Obama’s first one hundred days in the office. A good example of these media networks include Microsoft News and Al Jazeera which is based in Malaysia (Chernus).
British Broadcasting Service (BBC) world service has also released an opinion poll which was responded to by more than seventeen thousand people in seventeen countries concerning Obama’s first one hundred days in office. It is important to note that the poll results indicated that 67 percent of the people who responded were confident with President Obama’s foreign policy and they were of the view that his foreign policy would improve the relationship of the United States with other countries. The most positive countries about the foreign relation of the Obama administration were the Italians and Germans and eighty percent of the respondents from these countries felt that the Obama administration would improve the foreign relations of the country with the other countries around the world (Naughton).
One of the outstanding issues that have to be tackled by President Obama and his team is the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and human rights lawyer based in Britain felt that there were good chances that the Obama administration would close the detention camp within the first one hundred days in the office. This lawyer goes by the name of Clive Stafford Smith. There were speculations that Obama would return to his former home city of Jakarta after aides made the announcement that the president would make a speech in one of the Islam capitals concerning his foreign policy (Smith).
A five day series that was spread over a fortnight that was hosted by the New York Times aired public anticipation of the first one hundred days of Obama’s presidency. During the five days, there was the analysis of a political analyst and the public was around a basis under which they would freely post blogs. In this series, the writers compared the prospects of President Obama and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson and President Richard Nixon (Bleeker).
Other international organizations have not been left out either from the anticipation of the achievements of President Obama in his first one hundred days as president and one of the most notable organizations is the Amnesty International. This organization has already planned a special strategy to indicate the achievements of the president in his first one hundred days presidency politically. This has been done through the organization organizing a hundred days campaign for the promotion of human rights around the world. It is important to note that America is very influential in the world forums and hence the importance of the president of the United States one hundred days of presidency incorporation in world affairs to gauge how the administration will work towards various issues that are affecting the world (Montanaro).
Comparisons
Before the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the presidents of the United States were rarely subjected to microscopic comparison at the beginning of his term. The only presidents to have been urged to make notable impact in the history of the United States were Presidents Lincoln and Roosevelt because the country needed urgent reforms to address various issues that were plaguing the country. However, after the amendment, the country has embarked on a policy of comparing the achievements of a newly elected president through his first one hundred days in office in relation to other presidents who have faced similar challenges (Smith).
President Barack Obama also faced an urgency under which the citizens of the United States and the world at large were suffering due to some policies that the country had been subjected to by the Bush Administration. One of the urgent tasks that the administration of Obama faced was the Bush Doctrine that was concerned with the foreign policy of the country. The most important aspect was the wars that the United States was involved in and they include the war with Afghanistan and Iraq. The occupation of these two countries by NATO under the directives of the United States and the country providing the majority of the forces has been meted with great criticism around the world. This is because the way has been deemed not to have been warranted but fueled by the interest of a few people. In the same respect the deployed armies in Iraq have been subjected to too much suffering which has brought a lot of suffering to their families back at home (Naughton).
Many people had the view that the new president would ensure that all the military personnel deployed would be recalled before one hundred days in his presidency. This has played a very important role with his foreign policy which has been deemed to be very effective by various quarters although he has failed in recalling the military personnel from Iraq (Reeves).
President Barack Obama also had the uphill task of ensuring that the country resumed its economical stability that had been greatly undermined by the global economic recession as well as the global financial crisis. His economic polices had to address major economic reforms within the first one hundred days and this would have to be compared with his predecessor’s policies. The fact that President George W. Bush’s administration failed in various policies like the economic policies and the foreign policy, the Obama administration has to ensure that it works in eradicating all the negative policies and coming up with policies which will address the problems the country is currently facing. It is important to note the public needs to see the workability of this reforms within the first one hundred days of his presidency and this means that his administration will be greatly compared against that of George W. Bush (Chernus).
By the virtue that Obama has greatly compared himself with President Abraham Lincoln who is considered to be one of the greatest presidents of all times, his administration will also be compared to Lincoln’s administration. The service delivery will be very instrumental and the most important thing to note here is that he will be deemed to have been successful within the first one hundred days in his office. But since Obama inherited a contingent of administrative problems, he has argued that the first one hundred days are not very important and that the change the country is looking for can be achieved in a thousand days (Thomas).
By the fact that he is to be compared by Lincoln’s achievement, then it means that his administration will also be compared to such administrations which have been deemed to be very important in the history of the United States. One of the key administrations is that of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt which also came into power when the country was facing the Great Depression very similar phenomena to that of the current financial crisis. This means that the way the administration will handle the current global financial crisis will play a very important in the ratings of his presidency and the most important time to address this issue is during his first one hundred years in office. It will also be compared to such administrations as those of Bill Clinton who is considered to be one of the most influential presidents of United States of America (Montanaro).
Legislation and executive orders
After taking the oath of office, his administration especially Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel directed that all last minute federal regulations that had been pushed by former President Bush to be suspended and directed that they be reviewed. As a measure to reduce the effects of the economic crisis, he also enacted a salary freeze of all senior White House staff and thereby saving approximately a hundred thousand United States Dollars. He also came up with stricter guidelines for lobbyists hence ensuring that the White House portrayed a higher ethical standard (Bleeker).
Another important landmark executive order is his signing of an executive order which put to a stop all Guantanamo Bay proceedings. He also banned torture and various coercive techniques of interrogating suspected terrorists and in place he signed the executive order that required Army Field Manual to be used instead. In a reaction that has been deemed to have been precipitated by the energy crisis, he signed a presidential memorandum that required various sectors of the economy to practice fuel efficiency programs. He also in an effort to increase the communication between the public and the White House established and implemented a policy which the White House produced online videos of the president’s speech through and through. The productions have been viewed by many people around the country and also around the world (Naughton).
Nine days after his inauguration he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which reduced the limitations under which a person can file of discrimination on the grounds of payments. He also signed into law the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIP) which had the objective of increasing the number of children under the plan from seven million to eleven million. Another important legislation that he has signed into law is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) although this Act had faced a lot of debate. This signing has been deemed to be very influential in reducing the effects of the global financial crisis although the Republicans were grossly against the signing of the bill into law (Chernus).
President Obama also lifted stem cell research restrictions and this was against one of the signings of the George W. Bush. He however stated that the lift was due for other signing statements if the research was deemed to contain some unconstitutional elements after a review of the bill concerning the research. He also signed into law a bill that increased the tobacco tax by 62 cents per every packet of cigarettes. It is important to note that the tax is currently being used to fund the health insurance of children and at the same time playing an important role in encouraging young smokers to quit smoking (Thomas).
Conclusion
The first one hundred days of Obama have been very positive although he still argues that the country needs changes that cannot be delegated upon within his first one hundred days. The numerous executive orders and legislations have given the people hope that he will make a good president and his policies will have a grossly positive impact on the lives of the people. To this effect, he is considered to be the president the people of the United States as well as the people of the world have been waiting for to assume the seat of the most powerful person in the world. It has been deemed by some experts that he will have higher ratings than other presidents and that he may be one of the few people to come out of office with a higher rating which currently has been only afforded to former President Bill Clinton and Franklin Delano Roosevelt among a few others.
Works Cited
Bleeker, Andrew (2008). “Your Weekly Address from the President-elect”. Change.gov. The Office of the President-elect. Web.
Chernus, Ira (2008). “The First Hundred Days or the Last Hundred Days?” The LA Progressive. Web.
When fighting for a leading role in a country’s political arena, candidates for president tend to stand a firm position about domestic issues which are pressing for their electorate. Depending on the situation in the country, the candidates assume an attitude towards the necessity of domestic reform and its character: that may be either a radical domestic reform, or a mild one, or a policy that follows and pursues the policy of the predecessor on the presidential post. As a rule, each new candidate, especially if being a bright political figure, introduces a new view on how domestic issues should be run; and the government period of each outstanding president is marked by substantial changes he introduced (or at least intended to introduce) into domestic life. The present paper aims to focus on the legislative programs of such historical political figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who shared a commitment to domestic reform, and to single out the similarities and differences in their policies, as well as to trace the ways the modern United States President, Barack Obama and the current Vice President Joe Biden refer to domestic reform and tackle its issues depending on the current situation.
The 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt is mostly renowned for his policy of progressivism, which initially arose at the end of the nineteenth century as a response to the vast changes brought about by the achievements of the industrial revolution. Many of the principles, laid out by progressivists at the early stages of the movement development, became the hallmarks of progressive politics onwards. Those principles include:
democracy, meaning that the government becomes more responsible to the direct voice of American people;
changes to the municipal administration which led to a more structured system of power than the centralized within the legislature one and which was now more locally focused;
a higher efficiency of the government achieved by appointing trained professional administrators to governing positions, reorganizing the governments with the aim of centralizing the decision-making process, taking measures to eliminate governmental corruption, and introducing changes into education which led to a higher integration of the student into the studying process and a higher level of interaction between students;
control over large monopolies by means of trust-busting (supported by Woodrow Wilson) and regulative measures (backed up by Theodore Roosevelt) in order to prevent the restrictions imposed by industrial capitalism;
reforms in the sphere of social justice, including development of professional social workers, building of Settlement Houses, enactment of child labor laws, support for the goals of organized labor, alcohol prohibition laws;
government-funded conservation movement initiated by Theodore Roosevelt, creating national forests, national wildlife refuges, and areas of “special interest”, including the Grand Canyon.
Theodore Roosevelt’s policy was based on the aforementioned principles, although he confessed not having a definite plan in his mind:
“I was bent upon making the government the most efficient possible instrument in helping the people of the United States to better themselves in every way, politically, socially, and industrially. I believed with all my heart in real and thorough-going democracy and I wished to make the democracy industrial as well as political, although I had only partially formulated the method I believed we should follow.” (qtd. in Beard and Beard 285).
Being both united in their view of the government as that executing strong power in economic issues, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson possessed different views as to the strategies that should be undertaken to achieve success. Roosevelt supported government action to supervise big business but did not oppose all business monopolies, and his perception of what is required of a president called for an end to capitalism. Wilson supported small businesses and free-market competition and characterized all business monopolies as evil. In a speech, Wilson explained why he felt that all business monopolies were a threat:
“If the government is to tell big businessmen how to run their business, then don’t you see that big business men have to get closer to the government even than they are now? Don’t you see that they must capture the government, in order not to be restrained too much by it?… I don’t care how benevolent the master is going to be, I will not live under a master. That is not what America was created for. America was created in order that every man should have the same chance as every other man to exercise mastery over his own fortunes.” (qtd. in Danzer 331)
Like Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson claimed progressive ideals, but he had a different idea for the federal government. He believed in attacking large concentrations of power to give greater freedom to average citizens. That led him to a decision of antitrust measures and a new tax system under which larger incomes were taxed at higher rates than smaller incomes, as well as the creation of the Federal Reserve — a decentralized private banking system under federal control. Despite Wilson’s success in the spheres of economy and politics, he disappointed progressivists with his position as to social issues by placing segregationists in charge of federal agencies, thereby expanding racial segregation in the federal government, the military, and Washington, D.C.
Progressivism established much of the tone of American politics throughout the first half of the twentieth century and has been defining the ways America developed up till nowadays. The modern American President, Barack Obama, claims to be the follower of the progressive movement, as he constructs his legislation policy upon the main concepts of progressivism: those of environmentalism and social justice. America’s position in the world political arena demands the reinforcing of its economic and social spheres to restore a positive country image affected by events in Iraq and the world economic crisis. The main issues Obama and Biden tackle in their domestic policy are: a) economic (tax cuts, Detroit restructuring, infrastructure package for transportation, public works, and general construction); b) healthcare (expanding public insurance); c) energy and environment (moving towards renewables and energy independence in 10 years, creating 5 million new green-collar jobs); d) re-budgeting military expenses (army, marines expansion); e) education: funding for No Child Left Behind, an expansion of pre-school care and ensuring college tuition affordability for the middle class). However, budget shortages discovered in course of implementing the new policy have raised a wave of opposition towards Obama’s plans and resulted in the necessity for developing “a new strategy for striking a deal” (Mason and Holland). An alternative plan of “public option” — a proposed government-run health insurance plan as an alternative to private insurance was proposed by the President, and as a result of debates in Congress, a necessity for compromise solution was suggested by him, stressing the wish “to increase choice and competition through the most acceptable means possible” (Mason and Holland).
As it appears from all the aforementioned, even in cases when political leaders find themselves in the same ideological mainstream, their domestic policy is marked by differences determined by their view of the domestic situation as well as by the requirements of a certain country image on the world political arena.
Works Cited
Beard, Charles A., and Mary A. Beard. History of the United States. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1921.
Danzer, Gerald A., et al. The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century. CA: McDougal Littell, 2009.
When a new president is elected, he will surely need to face many tribulations from the opponents. It is a usual occurrence which can be seen in every country. In America too, one can see this issue. When one goes through this state of affairs, he can really see that it is not because of racism that the Americans truly hate their new president. The author Steve Chapman asks: “Does that suggest, as Jimmy Carter insists, that their true motivation lies in racism?” (Race and the Opposition to Obama, para.1). The author Steve Chapman opines that it is not because of racism the people in America really hate their president. The author says that it is not about a particular president Barack Obama he is speaking about and if so, the readers can think likewise, but instead, here the author speaks about Bill Clinton and George W. Bush too. Even they did not escape from the public’s opposition and it was because of the illegitimate acts they were ill-treated. The best example which the author demonstrates to prove this state of affairs is 2001’s America’s inauguration day. It was on this occasion “Bush was greeted by thousands of protesters who threw eggs and bottles, made obscene gestures and carried signs jeering, “Hail to the thief” — a reference to the legal fight needed to settle the outcome of the election” (Race and the Opposition to Obama, para.3). The protesters were of the view that Bush was the authentic opponent of the democratic system. The case of Clinton was not far better than Bush’s as he had been even impeached by the American constitution. The very reality which Obama failed to be conscious of until he reached his position was about the general issue that “hating president” is still sustained around the American public. They even lay blame on the great leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and so on. So, the author is of the view that when Barack Obama is being opposed by the public, one cannot turn his attention towards his race. One can say that the real reason for the opposition is their ruling strategy. Even being a democratic ruler, the president in America cannot be free from the opponents and it is best seen when one goes through Clinton’s view about his own experience in America. Likewise, Obama too faces such criticism but it is not because of his color; if so, Bush would not have been ill-treated by the American public. According to Steve Chapman, it is his guiding principle that makes him an opponent.
The opinion of the author is correct because if the people hate Barack Obama due to his race and opposition, they should adore Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, but the people hated Bill Clinton and George W. Bush also. Not only in America, in any country, even though the president is elected by the people, but they also may not have the same opinion on all the judgments or decisions of the president. There will be many people to agree as well as to oppose the president’s decisions – whether his decision is right or wrong. The people will accept only a president with a democratic mind who always gives priority to the problems of the public. There are many leaders of political parties in the name of serving people and the country, who acquire assets unethically. People dislike such leaders. The people will never bother about the race and caste of a leader; they will accept the leader if he is efficient and strong. “A new president pursues policies well within the political mainstream, evokes weirdly angry and intense denunciation from opponents — a reaction hard to explain in terms of anything he has actually done” (Chapman, 2009). When George W.Bush and Bill Clinton ruled America, they did not direct or manage the whole of America, but the problems of only a few people. Therefore, the public did not accept them and also considered them as illegal and hazardous leaders, except the people who got benefits from them. However, Obama is better than Bush and Clinton which can be understood when one goes through an example in which Obama has been included. Before being elected as president of America, Obama gave a promise that Guantanamo jail will be closed when he becomes president but he was not able to keep his word because there were many opponents against this. Even if the president does many good things, there will be opponents to resist. If a president is a democratic ruler he can rule smoothly, provided there is a cooperation of all the people, and if there is even one opponent, he can’t take appropriate decisions in any matter. Though Bill Clinton and Bush were not managing well, they were ready to do some good things but the opponents were not allowed because they did not believe their presidents. From all these, we can understand that the author’s suggestion is correct that the people hate presidents not due to their race and opposition, but due to some other reasons. If the president is efficient and sturdy, the people will never hate him.
The Rule of law is also well known as Supremacy of law and it establishes the fact that nobody should be considered above the law of a particular nation. Although its definition varies among different countries and their legal customs, rule of law is a universally accepted legal maxim and defines a state of order where the events must conform to the respective laws. Decisions need to be taken by enforcing generally acknowledged laws and principles, free from any interference of discretion. The purpose of this legal maxim is to act as a protection against arbitrary government powers. Rule of law safeguards us from mob rule and also from totalitarian leaders and is thus, hostile to both anarchy and dictatorship.
Theory of the rule of law
Theoretically, the rule of law, as such, does not say anything about the fairness of laws but only mentions how legal systems should function. As a result, rule of law can even exist in undemocratic nations and in those countries where human rights are not respected, which has been the case with a number of modern dictatorships. Thus, although rule of law is among the essential conditions for a democracy to exist, it alone is not an adequate condition. Its major role is to preserve, protect and defend the basic rights and assets of individuals and businesses all over the world from the abusive and arbitrary use of political power. (Hutchinson, 116)
Logistics of the rule of law
Logically, the rule of law is based on the concept that truth and thus, law itself has been established on basic principles which we can discover but cannot create of our own will. We can describe it as an official political system through which the government is restrained. This is done by the promotion of several liberties and creation of certainty and order on how to run a country. One of the principles, which is among the crucial applications of this maxim, is that legally political authority can be exercised in line with the publicly written and disclosed laws that have been adopted and imposed keeping in mind several traditional procedural steps. Rule of law acts as a basis for not only order but also for our liberty since it regards the citizens of a nation as equals. It allows individuals and nations to organize themselves, prepare for the future and dissolve disputes in an intellectual manner. (Neumann, 124)
The Founding Fathers were responsible for including the rule of law into the US Constitution in order to confine the powers of arbitrary governance. Its clear principles applied to both the weak and the powerful, equally and have been so until now in the Chrysler bankruptcy where current President Barack Obama ignored the rule of law, since his government ignored their contracts with the investors. The US Constitution was framed by people who understood that a close relation existed between the enforcing of contracts, mainly credit contracts, and rule of law.
Chrysler bankruptcy
This was also done to stop state laws that were debtor friendly from spawning an economic chaos. There are two clauses in the US Constitution favoring the rule of law. The Contract Clause prohibits the states from intervening on the responsibilities to pay the respective debts. The Bankruptcy Clause authorizes the US federal government with the sole responsibility for ordaining uniform laws regarding the issues of bankruptcy. (Hutchinson, 54-55)
During the Chrysler bankruptcy, the behavior of Barack Obama’s government was found to deeply challenge the existence of the rule of law. The secured creditors who are actually qualified to first receive the priority payments by the Absolute Priority Rule have been oppressed by the President and made to accept a mere 30 cents on the dollar for their respective claims, while, the union of the United Auto Workers got around 50 cents on the dollar, although they only held junior creditor claims. This Absolute Priority rule acts as the backbone of the Bankruptcy Clause since it preserves the contract rights and essential properties of the creditors. (Harshaw, 1, 4)
It also guarantees that bankruptcy is mainly used like a procedural mechanism and nothing else while resolving any financial distress. President Barack Obama violated this priority rule thus, undermining its commitment as a number of questions regarding redistribution will be introduced in the process, as a result of this. He indirectly plundered the rights of many of the senior creditors so that the rights enjoyed by the junior creditors could be benefited.
Obama’s Action
Also, the US government wants to speedily sham sale most of the assets of Chrysler which only takes place when the assets are perishable or the value of the company is at risk. But this is not so with Chrysler. When the question of reorganization comes up, it is up to the creditors to vote either in favor of the plan or to reject it. Although, President Barack Obama’s government has an asset sale plan implementing a real organization, but still, in reality, he is denying the creditors the chance to vote for it.
Through his actions regarding the Chrysler bankruptcy, President Barack Obama has stepped over the line separating impulsive conduct of human beings and the order of the rule of law. In doing so he might have caused thousands of new businesses to fail since these businesses which received financing earlier may not be as lucky in the future. Lenders may be afraid of having to face a confiscation by the US government someday. Thus, even though President Barack Obama helped to save the jobs of several union workers he may have also caused numerous job cuts among the people in the near future since he trampled the purity of the contracts in the present. (Barone, 1, 3)
Conclusion
The rule of Law is not simple significant for the citizens as a means for economic effectiveness but it also endows us with a safeguard against any arbitrary governance or political action. (Hutchinson, 225) But the way President Barack Obama’s government allegedly threatened the bondholders is completely unprecedented. And although the union workers, who are also supporters of President Barack Obama, may have been helped for a short term, the question of how eager money lenders would be in the future to lend credit to other companies, like General Motor, arises, knowing that their value and savings may be completely discredited or diminished by the administration in order to enhance the condition of government friendly unions. Also, President Barack Obama’s outlook regarding the rule of law becomes apparent from his words when he said that justice cannot be merely taken as some legal theory which is abstract rather it should take in consideration of the people in order to rule in favor of the right ones and not preside according to some rule of law.
Works Cited
Barone, Michael. “White House puts UAW ahead of property rights.” Washington Examiner . 2009: A2.
Harshaw, Tobin. “Chrysler Surgery, Post-Op.” The New York Times. 2009: A3.
Hutchinson, Allan. The Rule of Law: Ideal Or Ideology. New York: Carswell, 2008.
Neumann, Michael. The rule of law: politicizing ethics. London: Ashgate, 2002.
As our country continues to be gripped by a financial crisis that began sweeping the world all the way back in 1997, fingers are being pointed in order to lay blame. Even though the situation we find ourselves in now was both politically and economically motivated, nobody seems to want to take actual responsibility for their contribution to the mess. Instead, people and politicians seem to want to crucify only one person as the cause of all the hardships our society is currently trying to overcome. All the finger-pointing and blame has come to roost on the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush.
The evidence used to explain why he is a bad president seems to be backed up with the fear quotient more than actual facts. He is the village idiot, Cheney was really in charge, the party enriched itself through him… all of these are supposed to be valid reasons by which one can say that he was a bad president. People have conveniently forgotten that George W. Bush, through no fault of his own, became a wartime president of the country. As such, he was prone to make missteps and making questionable yet valid decisions in the name of protecting his country and fellowman.
Let me take you back to that fateful day of September 11, 2000. When the most violent terrorist attack ever to happen took down the lives of countless Americans and international citizens when the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon happened. Nobody has a clue as to how to deal with the situation, everybody looked to the president for leadership and calm. Something that Bush tried to transmit to the people while he dealt with the most tragic attack on the US since Pearl Harbor.
Through his actions on that very day and the succeeding days, he managed to protect not only America but the rest of the world as well, from terrorist attacks. Admittedly, some of his methods were questionable, but then during a time of war, nobody has the luxury of time.
Andrew Roberts of The Telegraph, a British newspaper presents insurmountable evidence that supports the claim that George W. Bush was a good American president. His most compelling evidence being that:
The decisions taken by Mr. Bush in the immediate aftermath of that ghastly moment will be pored over by historians for the rest of our lifetimes. One thing they will doubtless conclude is that the measures he took to lock down America’s borders, scrutinize travelers to and from the United States, eavesdrops upon terrorist suspects, works closely with international intelligence agencies and takes the war to the enemy has foiled dozens, perhaps scores of would-be murderous attacks on America. There are Americans alive today who would not be if it had not been for the passing of the Patriot Act. There are 3,000 people who would have died in the August 2005 airline conspiracy if it had not been for the superb inter-agency cooperation demanded by Bush after 9/11.
I would like to further add that although fumbles were made in the war in Iraq, President Bush was right on the marker 3 out of 4 times. There were mass human graves found, there was evidence of torture chambers, and it was proven that the food for oil program was abused in Iraq.
Historians may argue that Bush lost sight of his main goal, that of getting Osama Bin Laden. On the contrary, I think his capture and subsequent trial and sentencing of Hussein through combined US and Iraqi forces deliver a strong message to Bin Laden. You can run, you can hide, but we will get you in the end.
Will President Obama Be An Improvement Over Bush?
President Bush left the USA with an almost negative approval rating from the American public due to the missteps he took while in office. President Barack Obama on the other hand came into office with a 67 % approval rating, the highest rating for any incoming president on record. Does this mean that he will be an improvement over George W. Bush? Since President Obama has been incumbent for less than 3 months, I really think that it is too soon to tell if he is an improvement over his predecessor. He has done a good job so far and managed to avoid any major mistakes. However, his choice of cabinet members and slow response time to address the feelings of the public, such as the anger over the AIG bonuses, makes me wonder why this glib and charismatic campaigner seems to have lost his touch when it comes to informing the people of his government’s sentiments and courses of action. The swagger in his walk means nothing when we continue to face hard times ahead and he advocates as much government spending and money printing as possible in order to deal with the situation.
Let us just say that people would have voted any Republican into office after 8 years of Republican rule. After all, Democrats are known as good visualizers and we had a budget that needed tweaking. Something that I do not currently see happening under President Obama. He has been given unprecedented support and a chance of a lifetime by making US election history, I can only hope that he does not squander it by making bad choices and decisions that would make Bush seem like a misjudged president. So far, all he has done to show that he would make a better president, was to overturn a number of decisions made during the Bush administration. Such as closing Gitmo. A decision that I fear is rash and uncalled for especially since he has no alternative scenarios to present except to return the suspected terrorists to their mother country. An act that could cost countless American and international lives again in the future as it has been proven that those released from Gitmo more often than not get recruited and assigned to top-ranking terrorist organization positions.
In A Hundred Years, Which Of These Presidents Will History Look More Favorably Upon?
In the end, history will be the judge as to who was the better American president. Like I mentioned earlier, history will view President Obama in a historic light since he is the first Black US President. But that does not mean that all his future decisions shall be viewed and judged with favor by history. It is too soon to tell within his presidency as to what kind of actual leader he will be. Is he an effective leader or merely a campaigner? Is he really making these political decisions on his own? Or is there a whole political party making presidential decisions for him? Was he voted into office only using charm and wit? Was it right to take a chance on him? It is all too soon to tell. The jury is still awaiting evidence as to how effective his presidency will be before passing judgment.
As for George W. Bush, history has already, in my opinion, cast him into the light of a misunderstood US president. In our country that is currently populated by instant gratification and commercialism, people have lost track of the fact that he was the first president since President Truman decided to bomb Japan in order to end the war in the Asia Pacific, who needed to put the security and welfare of his country above any other aspect of his political rule. George W. Bush will, in the course of historical study, be proven to have protected not only the nation but the world, through his course of actions. Something that will have historians debating his presidential era for many decades to come.
President Barack Obama recently passed a milestone in his presidency, he has just completed his first 100 days in office. The news programs have been busy putting together reports regarding his accomplishments and shortcomings, critiquing his government’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as trying to predict what his next courses of action may be.
As a president, he has already made history by becoming the first Black American president. He has broken the mold and should be celebrated because of it. However, simply making history is not enough. Our country is mired in an entanglement of red tape, legal pillaging of the system by special interest groups and business, and a recession that has a far reaching, international ripple effect.
But what opinion can be formed of the actions of a president whose full government was not set into place until a few days ago? Is 100 days truly enough to be able to say that he has done too little, enough, or too much in regards to various agendas?
President Obama’s first order of business was to insure that the government would be able to get back on track and stop the financial bleeding caused by the recession. Something that he has done remarkably well by issuing mandates which effectively overturned the midnight deals that the then outgoing Republican president George W. Bush initiated prior to his White House departure. For that, I am sure that we are all grateful to him.
He has proven to be a president who listens to the logic and needs of his constituents. Which is why his move to overturn the ban on stem cell research was met with much applause by those who support the study. Therefore, one can consider him to be a learned man of the 21st century, who understands the needs of the past and the possibilities of the answers to those needs existing in the future.
It is interesting to note however, that for all the accomplishments of Pres. Obama, no matter how small in impact due to the short time he has held the office, the Republicans who started all these problems to begin with, seem to be complaining the most that he is not working fast enough to resolve all the issues on hand.
President Obama is working towards fixing the problems that the previous administration saddled him with. But, just like with any problem in life, finding the proper solutions will take time. What is definite is that he will stumble, falter, and fall along the way but from what I have seen, this is one president who will not let anything get in the way of his carefully crafted plans for the country. He has his eye on the bigger prize all the time and I am highly confident that, given enough time and resources to work with, he shall pull the country out of the quagmire that it currently finds itself in.
Our current president has a rock star image. Something that has helped his popularity across the world and helps move his foreign policies forward. He has shown the world that as the new image of America, he is not to be feared nor ignored. Instead, they should always take the olive branch of listening and understanding that he offers them. He is a president who is always willing to meet others halfway. That is why I admire him a lot and believe that he will accomplish even more during his next 100 days in office.
This essay discusses President Obama’s administration policies on foreign and domestic issues, the challenges he faces, the strengths he can utilize, and what he needs to do in order to deliver the promises he made to the American people and the international community at large.
Thesis Statement
Despite many challenges, President Obama has the capacity to deliver on the changes he promised the American people, and the people of the world.
Introduction
President Barrack Obama faces the most daunting challenges a leader can hope for, both at the domestic and international front. Issues of an economic slump that have hit the world for the last two years, deterioration of security in Afghanistan and Iraq, and major tensions in the Middle East, not to mention the opposition his policies have begun to attract from the republicans, are among the major challenges. Despite all these, President Obama can deliver on the changes he promised the American people, and the people of the world. He can utilize the strengths he has in the support and well-meaning of the people in his country, as well as the international community. He has also received enormous support from governments around the world who are willing to work with him. He can also benefit a lot from the votes of the democrats’ majority in both the lower house and the senate to support his policies. It will be an uphill task for him but he has demonstrated his decisiveness and swift action in implementing policies, which will work to his advantage.
The President faces major challenges in Afghanistan and Iraq where the Taliban guerrillas have engaged the NATO and government forces. The Guerrillas have ties to the Al Qaeda terrorist group, which was a major concern for the USA in the last regime. It also has its headquarters in Pakistan which is nuclear-armed. The situation has been made worse by terrorist actions in India. The Obama administration also has its work cut in the Middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine. The Palestine National Movement is torn apart and nonfunctional, which is a major challenge to peace negotiations and the ruling party is intolerant to talks with Israel that might lead to recognition of the latter as a sovereign state. The Middle East conflict is tied in many ways with the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which makes them more complex in the adoption of a favorable foreign policy. The major and more complex of Obama’s problems is the economic meltdown being felt the world over. This has led to a loss of jobs in the country with an unemployment rate of 72% and 1.9 million jobs lost in the last four months of 2008. Home sales and foreclosures were at their highest in the last quarter of 2008 and predicted to fall even more by 2010 unless something is done to restore consumer confidence in the economy.
Foreign policy priorities
In light of the above challenges, Obama was very realistic in his policies, both during the campaign and in his inauguration speech. He acknowledged that it will be a matter of hard work and hard choices for the Americans and the world. He said he will require the support and goodwill of especially the people of the East, whom he urged to form mutual relations with the United States of America. His first foreign policy was on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. In order to effectively adopt a policy that will help restore order and peace in the region bearing in mind the fragile situation, he appointed as security advisors, well informed and intelligent people. In regard to this, he named special ambassadors to the Israeli-Palestine conflict and other sensitive parts in the Middle East like Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also ordered military advisers to draft a responsible withdrawal plan on his first day in office. To show his commitment to diplomacy to the world, he ordered Guantanamo prison shut down within a year. Further, he banned the use of enhanced interrogation methods by CIA agents and other USA personnel, bearing in mind this was the place where terrorist suspects were imprisoned or detained.
On Obama’s foreign policy in the Middle East started in his first day in office, he called on the Egyptian President, Israeli Prime Minister, Jordanian King, and Palestinian President to end fighting in the region and start peace negotiations. He offered US help in stopping the smuggling of arms into Hamas fighters from Egypt. He also promised reconstruction of the Gaza strip once the fighting stopped and negotiations were underway. He demonstrated his commitment by the appointment of a special envoy to the Middle East, and in personally attending the swearing-in ceremony of the state secretary and the special envoy. During the ceremony, he renewed his call for the two states of Israel and Palestine which was to coexist in harmony.
The President also faces the uphill task of reversing the current economic situation, and bring it back on the path to recovery. His economic policy began with a trillion-dollar stimulus package appeal to fix the economy. This, he was doing on the reality of a trillion-dollar deficit in a federal budget shortfall for years to come. The package targets to combine increased spending and tax cuts. The package includes business tax breaks such as a $16 billion kitty for the business to use 2008 and 2009 losses to credit profits for the past five years. There is a $1,000 tax cut for 95% of working-class households and programs such as alternative energy sources and other public facilities. This is meant to arrest massive unemployment and increase spending to revive the economy.
Obama lobbied for the plan by meeting various groups to drum support. He met with the senate and house republicans separately in capital hill and urged them to put politics aside and support the plan. The $825-billion plan received approval from congress. He introduced a daily briefing on the state of the economy, foreign policy, and national issues from his senior advisors, and gives very keen attention to the economy. Despite all the favorable ratings from both the media and the public, Obama does not relent and looks at the situation realistically. He has also received a fair amount of criticism for his policies from the republicans and the experts, especially with his recovery plan. He listens to them and even engages those criticizing him urging them to help his administration to horn these policies and to implement them for the good of all.
However, there are things the Obama administration could do to strengthen their policies and increase their chances of success. His foreign policy on the closure of Guantanamo Bay should be reinforced with the appointment of an independent and nonpartisan commission by congress to assess the county’s counterterrorism policies and threats in order to maintain America’s commitment to the rule of law and openness and justice and fairness. The recovery plan should also include programs to encourage spending on the tax cuts by the citizens.
Conclusion
President Obama has the capability to deliver on the changes he promised the American people and the people of the world. He has the advantage of the goodwill of Americans and people around the world. However, he faces many challenges such as insurgency in Afghanistan and Iraq, conflicts in the Middle East, and a bleak economy. His administration has adopted major and bold domestic and foreign policies which are guaranteed to succeed due to his commitment to them. These include the trillion-dollar economic stimulus package and his plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, while still ensuring security through the use of diplomacy. All he needs to do is seek support from many quarters for his policies and learn from loopholes to be successful.
Reference
CQ Researcher. (2009). The Obama Presidency: Can Barrack Obama Deliver the Changes He Promises? CQ Press.
Many Americans expect the president to fix all their existing problems. This usually happens immediately after elections when everyone is filled with hope that the new presidency would bring about the change they have always anticipated. In his acceptance speech immediately after winning the recent presidential elections, president Barrack Obama talked of the great challenges that Americans had to overcome. He acknowledged that the problems facing Americans would not be solved overnight. Indeed, the nation was very hopeful at that time and Obama may have seen the need to tell his supporters that he required patience and cooperation from all Americans to solve pressing issues prime among them an economic crisis that the nation was facing. While presidents may bring about immediate changes to a country or initiate the same, they do not have the capacity to solve all issues and problems facing a nation.
Discussion
The United States president is the most senior member of the federal government. He is also considered to be the most powerful man in the world. This great power is however formally checked by several institutions, procedures and principles. In his capacity as the most senior member of the cabinet, the president needs to work together with other members of the executive including the cabinet to formulate policies for the nation. Our constitution has separated power among the different branches of the government giving the legislature a role of drafting laws and keeping the executive in check. On the other hand, the Judiciary has the primary role of administering justice and upholding the constitution. These three arms of the government are expected to work together for the well-being of Americans. When formulating policies aimed at tackling the country’s challenges, I find the executive and the legislature to be more responsible for these roles since they fall in their immediate dockets.
In tackling certain issues in a country, the president needs to draft laws together with his cabinet. This draft should then be brought before the congress and senate for debate and approval. This draft automatically dies if it fails to receive the approval of either of the houses. This procedure was designed in good faith to put the executive in check. However, as we have seen in various scenarios, the clause can limit a president’s ability to implement policies that may be good for the nation. This is especially true considering that opposition parties have a tradition of always voting against the government with no valid reasons at times.
During his presidential campaigns, President Obama promised to implement a universal healthcare system for all Americans. This program has however faced stiff opposition from many quarters. According to my opinion, this opposition is funded and promoted by Insurance Companies that make billions of dollars from the current healthcare system. These companies have even funded researches aimed at misleading the public. The fact that there are over 50 million Americans with no healthcare plan and that the number is rising is a worrying trend. Faced with this kind of opposition, the president undertook initiatives to convince the public that the program is good and necessary for America. The other hurdle that this program has to overcome is the fact that it needs to be passed by both houses to proceed to the next phase. In the Congress, the bill is sailed by a slight majority. This clearly shows that the legislature can tie the president’s hands in addressing major issues. As expected, nearly all Republican members voted against the program in congress.
Many people in America and in other countries may have thought that closing down Guantanamo Bay prison was a noble idea. This is considering the fact that America which is a democratic State overboard by imprisoning terrorist suspects without giving them a chance to defend themselves. This is something that President Obama had promised to implement immediately after coming into office. However, his order to close down the prison was put on hold by Congress.
Faced with difficult economic times that deteriorated further during the gulf war, Bush senior appealed to congress to implement a program aimed at reducing the national debt and improve the economic condition. He passionately appealed to the congress members understanding that their failure to pass this program could lead to devastating economic conditions that would be borne by all Americans. It is impossible for the government to implement any major policies that are not supported by the legislature. Apart from checking the executive, this procedure limits the president’s capacity on a large scale to address issues affecting citizens.
The government together with all its institutions does not have the capacity to solve some issues affecting citizens immediately. These are the kind of issues that require time and persistence to fully address. The president’s power may also be limited by a lack of things like economic and human resources among others. Some things may be beyond its capacity to address. As the Head of the government, the president cannot do much either.
Let us consider the current economic crisis currently facing our country. Having had its origin in the mortgage industry, this crisis has affected our financial system and hence our economy as a whole. We have seen government measures to save some important companies fail after the companies collapsed. This in turn led to the mass unemployment of people. The approach taken by the government to deal with such kinds of issues may not even be the best to deal with the problem. This may not be due to its intentions but because so many factors govern our economy that even financial specialists may not understand well. Sometimes, the government may put up measures intended at leading people to develop some habits to solve these kinds of issues but it cannot impose the same on people. This includes things like spending and investment habits which may be necessary to ease the current financial crisis that we are facing.
What about the financial capacity of the government? With so many obligations, the government has never had enough financial recourse to meet all of its demands. This could explain why the government is sinking deeper into debts at a worrying rate. A good example of this is in the government’s commitment to providing a good education for all Americans. This in essence means building more schools and equipping them with all resources for learning that are needed. Besides, these schools need to be provided with education personnel like teachers. All this requires money that is not readily available. As the head of government, the President cannot do much either.1
Immediately or even before he is sworn into office, the United States president realizes that there are a number of traditions that he needs to maintain during his tenure. These are traditions that have defined our policies and outlook besides reflecting the wishes of Americans and the main movers of different issues. Take for example the fact that America has always been a traditional ally and supporter of Israel. It would be very hard if not impossible for any president of the United States to go against this tradition. Interwoven with this particular example is the role played by American Jews in American affairs. These Jews have a big stake in our economy besides facilitating important areas like education and research. Moreover, Israel and America share important relations that have enhanced our technology among other things. This is just one among many other traditions that America will maintain for many years to come.
The United States president has a responsibility of protecting American interests. Protecting American interests means preserving our economy among other things. This may mean protecting our markets and domestic producers. To achieve this requirement we are forced as a nation to fight for limited global resources which will inevitably mean being selfish towards other countries. It was for example interesting to see President Obama introduce a new tax on Chinese tires. Our foreign policy has always been underlain by a desire to protect and expand our interests at all costs. The president is therefore not expected to act from virtuousness but must be seen to guard our interests by any means.4
A new president will inherit problems and difficulties from previous administrations. Effects of decisions made by these previous administrations will be felt by the new administration which will still be required to act on those decisions. When dealing with these problems, a president may find himself in a difficult position. This is a position that may require him to make decisions that go against his beliefs and intentions.
A good example of this is the military conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan that President Obama inherited from the Bush administration. Although Obama had promised to pull all American troops out of Iraq in a specified time period, it is increasingly becoming hard to implement this promise. This is especially difficult considering the possibility of the security situation in Iraq deteriorating further something that could give terrorist groups a chance to establish themselves more strongly. This would pose a security threat to the U.S and its allies besides bringing a bad image to our nation. The same reasons described above have led Obama to actually increase rather than pull U.S troops out of Afghanistan.
Conclusion
Leading the most powerful country in the world is the greatest challenge that one can encounter in a lifetime. On one side, one has to deal with domestic issues including guarding the rights and interests of a very liberal society. On the other hand, there are global issues whose effects will also be felt at home. To govern in this kind of situation, one may stick to principles that contradict his virtues among other difficult decisions. In striking a balance, one cannot address all issues facing people at home and in the global community. One will also realize that there are so many factors that significantly reduce if not reduce the powers of the president to address key issues.
Works cited
Blaustein, Albert. Constitutions of the World, Fred B. Rothman & Company, 1993.
Janda, Kenneth, Berry, M.Jeffrey, & Goldman, Jerry. The challenge of democracy: government in America, (4th Ed). Houghton, 2001.Print.
Mac Donald, Heather. “Straight Talk on Homeland Security”. City Journal, 2003.
Williamson, T.R Problems in American Democracy, Kessinger Publishing, 2004.Print