When Barack Obama entered office in January of 2009, he inherited a country on the brink of economic collapse. There was little he or anyone else could do at that point to stop the U.S. economy from sliding into the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression.
Three and a half years later, and the economy is recovering. There have been 32 straight months of private job sector growth. The unemployment rate continues to hover just below 8 percent, as more people are looking for work again after giving up during the worst months of the recession.
Obama asked for four more years to complete the economic recovery. On Tuesday, America gave him just that.
Obama defeated opponent Mitt Romney in an election that most thought would be a lot closer. The president hauled in 332 electoral votes, compared to Romney’s 206. It was the youth vote that propelled Obama to the White House, as 19 percent of the electorate was 18 to 29-year-olds in this election, even more than in 2008.
Throughout the campaign season, Romney attempted to paint Obama’s four years in office as a failure, as he contended that the president’s policies had restricted economic growth. In reality, the economy has grown under Obama and the jobs numbers over the past few months have been particularly encouraging.
But Obama’s four years in office have been marked by disappointment, as well. The president must improve in many areas in his second term.
Where Obama has failed most is in trimming the deficit, as he has only added to America’s debt since entering office. The United States is now $16 trillion in the red. Obama has said that he will cut the debt by $4 trillion over the next 10 years through a series of spending cuts and tax increases for the wealthy. He cannot afford to come up short on that pledge.
Obama’s foreign policy has been solid, for the most part. He has used diplomacy rather than force in many Middle Eastern countries, and that has succeeded in building goodwill toward America in some Arab regions. Islamic extremists still present a threat toward American sovereignty, however, as evidenced by the attack on Benghazi on Sept. 11. And Obama’s use of unmanned drones to kill suspected terrorists – and, in some cases, innocent bystanders – presents ethical questions that the president has not yet addressed. The most important question is how far does the president’s power go in deciding whether someone lives or dies? While his use of diplomacy and support of Arab Spring revolutions have gained America’s allies in some regions, Obama’s widespread use of drones has only fostered hate for America in other parts of the Middle East. He has to amend his policy on unmanned drones and be more transparent about it in the process.
Where Obama has excelled is connecting with the American people on important social issues. Whether it is his support of gay marriage, his repealing of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” or his stance as pro-choice, Obama has proven time and time again that he understands that all Americans deserve equal rights.
Obama has also done an excellent job of supporting higher education throughout his presidency. As states across the country slashed their funding to public universities, Obama helped keep college affordable by increasing funding for Pell Grants and keeping student loan interest rates low. Countless students have been able to afford a college education thanks to these reforms.
It was not anywhere close to a disastrous first term, as many opponents of Obama have said. But there are improvements that need to be made. He must work across party lines in building a budget, trimming the deficit and maintaining America’s private sector growth. If he can do that while continuing to advocate for important social issues and support higher education, Obama’s second term will be an exceptional one.