Barack Obama – 44

Barack Hussein Obama served as the 44th President of the United States. He served for two consecutive terms and remained in office from 2009 to 2017.

During his presidency, he faced some of the most vital issues related to American leadership in the 21st century. He has the distinction of being the first African-American individual to be elected to the highest political office in the United States.

Early Life

Barack Obama was born in 1961 in Hawaii. After his early education, he graduated from Columbia University and later gained law education at the Harvard Law School. He championed civil rights while teaching law from 1992 to 2004.

Political Career before Presidency

In 1997, Obama launched his political career when he ran for a seat at the Illinois Senate. He won the elections and was re-elected two more times. He served in the position until 2004. Then in 2004, he decided to run for the U.S. Senate. With a rising popularity, impressive speaking skills and an attention in the national media, Obama won a landslide victory in the U.S. Senate elections. He maintained his popularity as a Senator which ultimately led to his nomination in the 2008 presidential elections.

Presidency and Important Events

Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential elections, defeating his opponent John McCain. He inherited the U.S. War on Terror and increased the presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. At the same time, he took measures to reduce and ultimately end American involvement in Iraq. As a president, Barack Obama signed many landmark bills. He also exercised his executive powers often to pass bills that were otherwise blocked by the Congress.

President Barack Obama is photographed during a presidential portrait in the Oval Office of the White House

President Obama and Domestic Policies

Domestically, President Obama pursued a very liberal and progressive policy. He took measures to help America recover from the after-effects of the Great Recession. He also took heed of the environmental concerns, significantly expanding the size of protected lands in the United States while blocking exploratory ventures that could harm the environment.

President Obama and Foreign Policy

During his term as the President, Barack Obama sought to improve the ties of United States with different nations. These included Arab nations, European countries as well as Russia. Obama also took a public stance against the expansion of Israel into Palestinian territories. As part of the foreign policy, President Obama also improved relations with Cuba while concluding a nuclear deal with Iran. A key foreign intervention of United States during President Obama’s term was the identification and killing of Osama bin Laden, the main leader of Al-Qaeda.

Re-election for second term

In 2012, President Obama decided to run for a second term at the office. His main opponent was the Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Obama was able to secure more than 50% of the votes and won the presidential elections. His second term continued from 2013 to 2017.

Use of Executive Powers

President Obama used his executive powers as the President to secure the passage of many bills. This was criticized by many people, although it helped Obama speed up the passage and implementation of different policies during his terms at the office.

Learn More about American President Barack Obama at Wikipedia

Obama: An Intimate Portrait Hardcover – November 7, 2017