View source for Barack Obama

{{Short description|President of the United States from 2009 to 2017}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect-multi|2|Barack|Obama}}
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{{Pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image               = President Barack Obama.jpg
| alt                 = Obama standing in the Oval Office with his arms folded and smiling
| caption             = Official portrait, 2012
| order               = 44th
| office              = President of the United States
| vicepresident       = [[Joe Biden]]
| term_start          = January 20, 2009
| term_end            = January 20, 2017
| predecessor         = [[George W. Bush]]
| successor           = [[Donald Trump]]
| jr/sr1              = United States Senator
| state1              = [[Illinois]]
| term_start1         = January 3, 2005
| term_end1           = November 16, 2008
| predecessor1        = [[Peter Fitzgerald (politician)|Peter Fitzgerald]]
| successor1          = [[Roland Burris]]
| state_senate2       = Illinois
| district2           = [[Illinois's 13th Senate district|13th]]
| predecessor2        = [[Alice Palmer (politician)|Alice Palmer]]
| term_start2         = January 8, 1997
| term_end2           = November 4, 2004
| successor2          = [[Kwame Raoul]]
| birth_name          = Barack Hussein Obama II
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1961|8|4}}
| birth_place         = [[Honolulu]], Hawaii, U.S.
| death_date          =
| death_place         =
| party               = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Michelle Robinson]]|October 3, 1992}}
| children            = {{hlist |[[Malia Obama|Malia]] |[[Sasha Obama|Sasha]]}}
| parents             = {{ubl |[[Barack Obama Sr.]] |[[Ann Dunham]]}}
| relatives           = [[Obama family]]
| education           = [[Columbia University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Harvard University]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
| awards              = [[List of awards and honors received by Barack Obama|Full list]]
| signature           = Barack Obama signature.svg
| signature_alt       = Cursive signature in ink
| website             = {{ubl |{{url|barackobama.com|Official website}} |{{url|www.obama.org|Obama Foundation}} |{{url|obamawhitehouse.archives.gov|White House Archives}}
}}
| module              = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=President Obama on the death of Osama bin Laden.ogg|title=Obama's voice |type=speech |description=Obama on the [[death of Osama bin Laden]]<br>Recorded May 2, 2011}}
}}
{{Barack Obama sidebar}}
'''Barack Hussein Obama II'''{{efn|Pronounced {{IPAc-en|audio=En-us-Barack-Hussein-Obama.ogg|b|ə|ˈ|r|ɑː|k|_|h|uː|ˈ|s|eɪ|n|_|oʊ|ˈ|b|ɑː|m|ə}}, {{respell|bə|RAHK}} {{respell|hoo|SAYN}} {{respell|oh|BAH|mə}}<ref>{{YouTube|clMEg4-N7ao|"Barack Hussein Obama Takes The Oath Of Office"}}. January 20, 2009.</ref>}} (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician <!--NOTE: The lead sentence should stick to what he is primarily known for. The infobox is there to include additional occupations.-->who served as the 44th [[president of the United States]] from 2009 to 2017. A member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], he was the first [[African American]] president. Obama previously served as a [[U.S. senator]] representing Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and as an [[Illinois state senator]] from 1997 to 2004.<!--PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE FROM "AFRICAN AMERICAN", per consensus. See discussions and FAQ (Q2) on the talk page.-->

Born in [[Honolulu]], Hawaii, Obama graduated from [[Columbia University]] in 1983 with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in political science and later worked as a [[community organizer]] in [[Chicago]]. In 1988, Obama enrolled in [[Harvard Law School]], where he was the first black president of the ''[[Harvard Law Review]]''. He became a civil rights attorney and an academic, teaching [[constitutional law]] at the [[University of Chicago Law School]] from 1992 to 2004. In 1996, Obama was elected to [[Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama|represent the 13th district in the Illinois Senate]], a position he held until 2004, when he [[2004 United States Senate election in Illinois|successfully ran for the U.S. Senate]]. In the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], after [[2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries|a close primary campaign]] against [[Hillary Clinton]], he was nominated by the Democratic Party for president. Obama selected [[Joe Biden]] as his running mate and defeated [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee [[John McCain]] and his running mate [[Sarah Palin]].

Obama was awarded the [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize]] for efforts in international diplomacy, a decision which drew both criticism and praise. During his first term, his administration responded to the [[2008 financial crisis]] with measures including the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]] to address the [[Great Recession]]; a partial extension of the [[Bush tax cuts]]; [[Health care reforms proposed during the Obama administration|legislation to reform health care]]; and the [[Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act]], a major financial regulation reform bill. Obama also appointed [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] justices [[Sonia Sotomayor]] and [[Elena Kagan]], the former being the first [[Hispanic American]] on the Supreme Court. Obama also oversaw the end of the [[Iraq War]] and ordered [[Operation Neptune Spear]], the raid that killed [[Osama bin Laden]], who was responsible for the [[September 11 attacks]]. He downplayed Bush's [[counterinsurgency]] model by expanding [[air strikes]] and making extensive use of special forces, while encouraging greater reliance on host-government militaries. Obama also ordered the [[2011 military intervention in Libya]] to implement [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973]], contributing to the overthrow of [[Muammar Gaddafi]].

Obama defeated Republican opponent [[Mitt Romney]] and his running mate [[Paul Ryan]] in the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential election]]. In his second term, Obama advocated for [[Gun politics in the United States|gun control]] in the wake of the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]]. He took steps to [[combat climate change]] by signing the [[Paris Agreement]] on [[climate change]] and an [[executive order]] to limit [[carbon emission]]s, and presided over the implementation of the [[Affordable Care Act]] and other legislation passed in his first term. Obama initiated [[International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis|sanctions against Russia]] following its [[Russian military intervention in Ukraine (2014–present)|invasion in Ukraine]] and again after [[Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections]]. He also ordered [[American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|military intervention in Iraq]] in response to gains made by [[ISIL]] following the 2011 withdrawal from Iraq, negotiated the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]] (a nuclear agreement with Iran), and [[Cuban thaw|normalized relations with Cuba]]. The number of [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|American soldiers in Afghanistan]] decreased during Obama's second term, though U.S. soldiers remained in the country throughout his presidency. Obama promoted inclusion for [[LGBT Americans]], becoming the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|same-sex marriage]].

Obama left office in 2017 with high approval ratings both within the United States and among foreign advisories. He continues to reside in Washington, D.C.,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chen |first1=Joyce |last2=Schultz |first2=Katie |title=Where Do the Obamas Live? Here Are the Places Barack and Michelle Have Called Home Over the Years |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/where-do-the-obamas-live |website=Architectural Digest |publisher=Condé Nast Publications |access-date=20 November 2025 |date=August 5, 2025 |quote=In 2017, the Obamas began renting a home in the tony DC neighborhood of Kalorama... made their stay a little more permanent by purchasing the property for $8.1 million.}}</ref> and remains politically active, campaigning for candidates in various American elections, including in Biden's [[Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|successful presidential bid]] in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]]. Outside of politics, [[Bibliography of Barack Obama|Obama has published three books]]: ''[[Dreams from My Father]]'' (1995)'', [[The Audacity of Hope]]'' (2006), and ''[[A Promised Land]]'' (2020). [[Barack Obama Presidential Center|His presidential library]] began construction in the [[South Side of Chicago]] in 2021. Historians and political scientists rank Obama highly in [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States#Scholar survey summary|historical rankings of U.S. presidents]].

==Early life and career==
{{Main|Early life and career of Barack Obama}}

[[File:Ann Dunham with father and children.jpg|thumb|left|Obama (right) with grandfather [[Stanley Armour Dunham]], mother [[Ann Dunham]], and half-sister [[Maya Soetoro]], mid-1970s in [[Honolulu]]|alt=Photo of a young Obama sitting on grass with his grandfather, mother, and half-sister.]]

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961,<ref name="biography">{{cite web |year = 2008 |title = President Barack Obama |publisher = The White House |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/barack-obama/ |access-date = December 12, 2008 |url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026043047/http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama |archive-date=October 26, 2009}}</ref> at [[Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children]] in [[Honolulu]], Hawaii.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 27, 2011 |title=President Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/04/27/president-obamas-long-form-birth-certificate |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=[[whitehouse.gov|White House]] |language=en |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731152530/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/04/27/president-obamas-long-form-birth-certificate |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="birth-certificate" /><ref name="maraniss">{{cite news |last = Maraniss | first = David |date = August 24, 2008 |title = Though Obama had to leave to find himself, it is Hawaii that made his rise possible |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = A22 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082301620.html |access-date = October 28, 2008 |archive-date = March 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190328164728/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/23/AR2008082301620.html |url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Nakaso | first= Dan |date = December 22, 2008 |title = Twin sisters, Obama on parallel paths for years |newspaper = [[The Honolulu Advertiser]] |page = B1 |url = http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Dec/22/ln/hawaii812220320.html |access-date = January 22, 2011 |archive-date = January 29, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110129023832/http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Dec/22/ln/hawaii812220320.html |url-status = live}}</ref> He is the only president born outside the [[contiguous 48 states]].<ref name="BarretoO'Bryant2013">{{cite book|last1=Barreto|first1=Amílcar Antonio|first2=Richard L.|last2=O'Bryant|title=American Identity in the Age of Obama|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5VQVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT18|access-date=May 8, 2017|date=November 12, 2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-93715-9|pages=18–19|chapter=Introduction}}</ref> He was born to an 18-year-old American mother and a 27-year-old Kenyan father. His mother, [[Ann Dunham]] (1942–1995), was born in [[Wichita, Kansas]], and was of English, Welsh, German, Swiss, and Irish descent. In 2007 it was discovered her great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney emigrated from the village of [[Moneygall|Moneygall, Ireland]] to the U.S. in 1850.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 23, 2022 |author-first1=Sheila|author-last1=Langan|title=When Barack Obama's Irish ancestor from County Offaly was discovered|url=http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/obama-irish-ancestor |access-date=August 2, 2022 |website=IrishCentral.com |language=en |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516195827/https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/genealogy/obama-irish-ancestor |url-status=live}}</ref> In July 2012, [[Ancestry.com]] found a strong likelihood that Dunham was descended from [[John Punch (slave)|John Punch]], an enslaved African man who lived in the [[Colony of Virginia]] during the seventeenth century.<ref name="ancestry">{{Cite web|url=http://corporate.ancestry.com/press/press-releases/2012/07/ancestry.com-discovers-president-obama-related-to-first-documented-slave-in-america/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402094350/http://corporate.ancestry.com/press/press-releases/2012/07/ancestry.com-discovers-president-obama-related-to-first-documented-slave-in-america/|url-status=dead|title="Ancestry.com Discovers Ph Suggests"|archivedate=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stolberg |first1=Sheryl Gay |title=Obama Has Ties to Slavery Not by His Father but His Mother, Research Suggests |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/us/obamas-mother-had-african-forebear-study-suggests.html |access-date=July 5, 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=July 30, 2012 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hennessey |first=Kathleen |date=July 30, 2012 |title=Obama related to legendary Virginia slave, genealogists say |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-jul-30-la-pn-obama-related-to-legendary-virginia-slave-genealogist-says-20120730-story.html |access-date=March 18, 2025 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Obama has described the ancestors of his grandparents as [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]] mostly.<ref name="g877">{{cite web |title=Remarks by the President at the Democratic National Convention |website=whitehouse.gov |date=July 28, 2016 |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/07/28/remarks-president-democratic-national-convention |access-date=August 15, 2025|quote=They were Scotch-Irish mostly -- farmers, teachers, ranch hands, pharmacists, oil rig workers}}</ref> Obama's father, [[Barack Obama Sr.]] (1934–1982),<ref>{{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|p=65}}: "He had been born inside the euphorbia hedges of the K'obama homestead on June 18, 1934."</ref> was a married<ref name="Jacobs2011">{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=Sally |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/07/11/137553552/president-obamas-father-a-bold-and-reckless-life |title=President Obama's Father: A 'Bold And Reckless Life' |publisher=NPR |year=2011b |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223124234/https://www.npr.org/2011/07/11/137553552/president-obamas-father-a-bold-and-reckless-life |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Swaine |first=Jon |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8481779/Barack-Obamas-father-forced-out-of-US-in-1960s.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/8481779/Barack-Obamas-father-forced-out-of-US-in-1960s.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Barack Obama's father 'forced out of US in 1960s' |newspaper=Telegraph |date=April 29, 2011 |access-date=January 16, 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Rachel L. |last=Swarns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/nyregion/letters-by-and-about-barack-obamas-father.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618145445/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/nyregion/letters-by-and-about-barack-obamas-father.html |archive-date=June 18, 2016 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Words of Obama's Father Still Waiting to Be Read by His Son |work=The New York Times |date=June 18, 2016 |access-date=January 16, 2020}}</ref> [[Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania|Luo Kenyan]] from [[Nyang'oma Kogelo]].<ref name="Jacobs2011" /><ref>{{cite news |first=David R |last=Arnott |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/photo/obamas-old-school-his-ancestral-village-world-reacts-us-presidential-flna1C6912948 |title=From Obama's old school to his ancestral village, world reacts to US presidential election |work=NBC News |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028204719/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/photo/obamas-old-school-his-ancestral-village-world-reacts-us-presidential-flna1C6912948 |url-status=live}}</ref> His last name, Obama, was derived from his Luo descent.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bearak |first=Max |date=June 19, 2016 |title=The fascinating tribal tradition that gave Obama his last name |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/19/the-fascinating-tribal-tradition-that-gave-obama-his-last-name/ |access-date=November 20, 2022 |archive-date=November 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107203003/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/19/the-fascinating-tribal-tradition-that-gave-obama-his-last-name/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Obama's parents met in 1960 in a Russian language class at the [[University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa]], where his father was a foreign student on a scholarship.<ref name="Jones 2007">{{cite news |author = Jones, Tim |date = March 27, 2007 |title = Barack Obama: Mother not just a girl from Kansas; Stanley Ann Dunham shaped a future senator |newspaper = [[Chicago Tribune]] |page = 1 (Tempo) |url=http://gbppr.dyndns.org/~gbpprorg/obama/barack.mother.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207112933/http://gbppr.dyndns.org/~gbpprorg/obama/barack.mother.txt |archive-date = February 7, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Obama 1995, 2004, pp. 9–10">{{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=9–10}}
* {{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=80–86}}
* {{harvnb|Jacobs|2011a|pp=115–118}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=154–160}}</ref> The couple married in [[Wailuku, Hawaii]], on February 2, 1961, six months before Obama was born.<ref name="Ripley 2008">{{cite news |author = Ripley, Amanda |date = April 9, 2008 |title = The story of Barack Obama's mother |magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url = http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1729685,00.html |access-date = April 9, 2007 |archive-date = August 28, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130828141021/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1729685,00.html |url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Scott|2011|p=86}}
* {{harvnb|Jacobs|2011a|pp=125–127}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=160–163}}</ref>

In late August 1961, a few weeks after he was born, Barack and his mother moved to the [[University of Washington]] in [[Seattle]], where they lived for a year. During that time, Barack's father completed his undergraduate degree in economics in Hawaii, graduating in June 1962. He left to attend graduate school on a scholarship at [[Harvard University]], where he earned a [[Master of Arts]] in economics. Obama's parents divorced in March 1964.<ref>{{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=87–93}}
* {{harvnb|Jacobs|2011a|pp=115–118, 125–127, 133–161}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=170–183, 188–189}}</ref> Obama Sr. returned to [[Kenya]] in 1964, where he married for a third time and worked for the Kenyan government as the senior economic analyst in the Ministry of Finance.{{sfn|Obama|2004}}{{Page needed|date=March 2025}} He visited his son in Hawaii only once, at Christmas 1971,<ref>{{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=142–144}}
* {{harvnb|Jacobs|2011a|pp=161–177, 227–230.}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=190–194, 201–209, 227–230}}</ref> before he was killed in an automobile accident in 1982, when Obama was 21 years old.<ref>{{cite news |last = Ochieng | first= Philip |date = November 1, 2004 |title = From home squared to the US Senate: how Barack Obama was lost and found |newspaper = [[The EastAfrican]] |location = Nairobi |url = http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-11.html |archive-date = September 27, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223905/http://www.nationmedia.com/EastAfrican/01112004/Features/PA2-11.html}}
* {{cite news |author = Merida, Kevin |date = December 14, 2007 |title = The ghost of a father |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = A12 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/13/ST2007121301893.html |access-date = June 25, 2008 |archive-date = August 29, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080829185447/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/12/13/ST2007121301893.html |url-status = live}}
* {{harvnb|Jacobs|2011a|pp=251–255}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=411–417}}</ref> Recalling his early childhood, Obama said: "That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind."<ref name="Obama 1995, 2004, pp. 9–10" /> He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage.<ref>{{cite news |author = Serrano, Richard A. |date = March 11, 2007 |title = Obama's peers didn't see his angst |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |page = A20 |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamahawaii11-2007mar11,0,199085,full.story |access-date = March 13, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081108080115/http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamahawaii11-2007mar11,0,199085,full.story |archive-date = November 8, 2008}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|loc=chapters 4 and 5}}.</ref>

In 1963, Dunham met [[Lolo Soetoro]] at the [[University of Hawaiʻi]]; he was an Indonesian [[East–West Center]] graduate student in geography. The couple married on [[Molokai]] on March 15, 1965.<ref>{{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=97–103}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=195–201, 225–230}}</ref> After two one-year extensions of his [[J-1 visa]], Lolo returned to Indonesia in 1966. His wife and stepson followed sixteen months later in 1967. The family initially lived in the Menteng Dalam neighborhood in the [[Tebet, South Jakarta|Tebet]] district of [[South Jakarta]]. From 1970, they lived in a wealthier neighborhood in the [[Menteng]] district of [[Central Jakarta]].{{sfn|Maraniss|2012|pp=195–201, 209–223, 230–244}}

===Education===
[[File:Barry Soetoro school record.jpg|thumb|Obama's Indonesian school record in St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School. Obama was enrolled as "Barry Soetoro" (no. 1), and was wrongly recorded as an Indonesian citizen (no. 3) and a Muslim (no. 4).<ref name="Suhartono_3/19/2010">{{Cite news|last=Suhartono|first=Anton|date=March 19, 2010|title=Sekolah di SD Asisi, Obama Berstatus Agama Islam|work=Okezone|url=https://nasional.okezone.com/read/2010/03/19/337/313977/sekolah-di-sd-asisi-obama-berstatus-agama-islam|language=Indonesian|access-date=January 21, 2021|archive-date=January 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128041130/https://nasional.okezone.com/read/2010/03/19/337/313977/sekolah-di-sd-asisi-obama-berstatus-agama-islam|url-status=live}}</ref>|alt=Scan of Obama's elementary school record, where he is wrongly recorded as Indonesian and Muslim.]]

When he was six years old, Obama and his mother had moved to Indonesia to join his stepfather. From age six to ten, he was registered in school as "Barry"<ref name="Suhartono_3/19/2010" /> and attended local [[Indonesian-language]] schools: ''Sekolah Dasar Katolik Santo Fransiskus Asisi'' (St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Elementary School) for two years and [[State Elementary School Menteng 01|''Sekolah Dasar Negeri Menteng 01'']] (State Elementary School Menteng 01) for one and a half years, supplemented by English-language [[Calvert School]] homeschooling by his mother.{{sfn|Maraniss|2012|pp=216, 221, 230, 234–244}}<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.calverteducation.com/calvert/barack-obama-calvert-homeschooler |title = Barack Obama: Calvert Homeschooler?—Calvert Education Blog |publisher = calverteducation.com |access-date = November 25, 2015 |date = January 25, 2014 |archive-date = March 13, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170313134441/http://www.calverteducation.com/calvert/barack-obama-calvert-homeschooler |url-status = live}}</ref> As a result of his four years in [[Jakarta]], he was able to speak [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] fluently as a child.<ref name="in Jakarta" /> During his time in Indonesia, Obama's stepfather taught him to be resilient and gave him "a pretty hardheaded assessment of how the world works".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-barack-obama-learned-his-father-88011 |title=What Barack Obama Learned from His Father |last=Meacham |first=Jon |date=August 22, 2008 |newspaper=Newsweek |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107100237/http://www.newsweek.com/what-barack-obama-learned-his-father-88011?rx=us |archive-date=January 7, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=January 9, 2017}}</ref>

In 1971, Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his maternal grandparents, [[Madelyn Dunham|Madelyn]] and [[Stanley Armour Dunham|Stanley Dunham]]. He attended [[Punahou School]]—a private [[college preparatory school]]—with the aid of a scholarship from fifth grade until he graduated from high school in 1979.<ref>{{cite news |author = Serafin, Peter |date = March 21, 2004 |title = Punahou grad stirs up Illinois politics |newspaper = [[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |url = http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/03/21/news/story4.html |access-date = March 20, 2008 |archive-date = March 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190328164918/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/03/21/news/story4.html |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |last = Scott | first= Janny |date = March 14, 2008 |title = A free-spirited wanderer who set Obama's path |work = The New York Times |page = A1 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14obama.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080314042735/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us/politics/14obama.html |archive-date = March 14, 2008 |url-access = limited |url-status = live |access-date = November 18, 2011}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|loc=chapters 3 and 4}}
* {{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=131–134}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=264–269}}</ref> In high school, Obama continued to use the nickname "Barry" which he kept until making a visit to Kenya in 1980.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.newsweek.com/when-barry-became-barack-84255 |title = When Barry Became Barack |last = Wolffe |first = Richard |date = March 22, 2008 |access-date = March 21, 2016 |work = [[Newsweek]] |archive-date = April 18, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100418174557/http://www.newsweek.com/id/128633 |url-status = live}}</ref> Obama lived with his mother and half-sister, [[Maya Soetoro]], in Hawaii for three years from 1972 to 1975 while his mother was a graduate student in [[anthropology]] at the University of Hawaii.<ref>{{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=139–157}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=279–281}}</ref> Obama chose to stay in Hawaii when his mother and half-sister returned to Indonesia in 1975, so his mother could begin anthropology field work.<ref>{{harvnb|Scott|2011|pp=157–194}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=279–281, 324–326}}</ref> His mother spent most of the next two decades in Indonesia, divorcing Lolo Soetoro in 1980 and earning a PhD degree in 1992, before dying in 1995 in Hawaii following unsuccessful treatment for [[ovarian cancer|ovarian]] and [[uterine cancer]].{{sfn|Scott|2011|pp=214, 294, 317–346}}

Of his years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: "The opportunity that Hawaii offered&nbsp;— to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect&nbsp;— became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear."<ref>{{cite news |author = Reyes, B.J. |date = February 8, 2007 |title = Punahou left lasting impression on Obama |newspaper = Honolulu Star-Bulletin |url = http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/02/08/news/story02.html |access-date = February 10, 2007 |quote = As a teenager, Obama went to parties and sometimes sought out gatherings on military bases or at the University of Hawaii that were attended mostly by blacks. |archive-date = March 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190328164806/http://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/02/08/news/story02.html |url-status = live}}</ref> Obama has also written and talked about using [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]], [[marijuana]], and [[cocaine]] during his teenage years to "push questions of who I was out of my mind".<ref>{{cite news|last=Elliott |first=Philip |agency=Associated Press |date=November 21, 2007 |title=Obama gets blunt with N.H. students |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |page=8A |url=http://articles.boston.com/2007-11-21/news/29233371_1_barack-obama-education-plan-campaign-trail |access-date=May 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407214401/http://articles.boston.com/2007-11-21/news/29233371_1_barack-obama-education-plan-campaign-trail |archive-date=April 7, 2012}}</ref> Obama was also a member of the "Choom Gang" (the slang term for smoking marijuana), a self-named group of friends who spent time together and smoked marijuana.<ref>{{cite news |last = Karl |first = Jonathan |work = ABC News |date = May 25, 2012 |title = Obama and His Pot-Smoking 'Choom Gang' |url = https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-and-his-pot-smoking-choom-gang/ |access-date = May 25, 2012 |archive-date = May 25, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120525194225/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-and-his-pot-smoking-choom-gang/ |url-status = live}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=93–94}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=293–97, 299, 302, 306, 315, 317, 319, 365, 452, 515}}
* for analysis of the political impact of the quote and Obama's more recent admission that he smoked marijuana as a teenager ("When I was a kid, I inhaled"), see:
* {{cite news |last = Seelye | first= Katharine Q. |date = October 24, 2006 |title = Obama offers more variations from the norm |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A21 |url = https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2DB173FF937A15753C1A9609C8B63 |access-date = October 29, 2006 |archive-date = May 11, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110511044339/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2DB173FF937A15753C1A9609C8B63 |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |last = Romano | first = Lois |date = January 3, 2007 |title = Effect of Obama's candor remains to be seen |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = A1 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html |access-date = January 14, 2007 |archive-date = May 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080511210621/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/02/AR2007010201359.html |url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-choice-2012-again/ |title = FRONTLINE The Choice 2012 |publisher = PBS |date = October 9, 2012 |access-date = October 29, 2012 |archive-date = October 10, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010074023/http://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-choice-2012-again/ |url-status = live}}</ref>

''' College and research jobs '''

After graduating from high school in 1979, Obama moved to Los Angeles to attend [[Occidental College]] on a full scholarship. In February 1981, Obama made his first public speech, calling for Occidental to participate in the [[disinvestment from South Africa]] in response to that nation's policy of [[apartheid]].<ref name="Occidental" /> In mid-1981, Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and half-sister Maya and visited the families of college friends in [[Pakistan]] for three weeks.<ref name="Occidental" /> Later in 1981, he [[College transfer|transferred]] to [[Columbia University]] in New York City as a [[Junior (education year)|junior]], where he majored in [[political science]] with a specialty in [[international relations]]<ref>{{cite news |author = Boss-Bicak, Shira |date = January 2005 |title = Barack Obama '83 |magazine = Columbia College Today |issn = 0572-7820 |url=http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jan05/cover.php |access-date = October 1, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905121815/http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct_archive/jan05/cover.php |archive-date = September 5, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and in [[English literature]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/26/remarks-president-town-hall|title=Remarks by the President in Town Hall|date=June 26, 2014|via=[[NARA|National Archives]]|work=[[whitehouse.gov]]|access-date=October 15, 2016|archive-date=February 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216133246/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/26/remarks-president-town-hall|url-status=live}}</ref> and lived off-campus on West 109th Street.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://nymag.com/arts/all/approvalmatrix/approval-matrix-2012-8-27/ |title = The Approval Matrix |date = August 27, 2012 |work = New York |access-date = February 18, 2020 |archive-date = May 19, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200519005536/https://nymag.com/arts/all/approvalmatrix/approval-matrix-2012-8-27/ |url-status = live}}</ref> He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 and a 3.7 [[Grading (education)#United States|GPA]]. After graduating, Obama worked for about a year at the [[Business International Corporation]], where he was a financial researcher and writer,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92337754 |title=Obama's Early Brush With Financial Markets |last=Horsley |first=Scott |date=July 9, 2008 |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=July 17, 2017 |archive-date=August 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803005930/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92337754 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author = Obama, Barack |year = 1998 |title = Curriculum vitae |publisher = The University of Chicago Law School |url=http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/obama/cv.html |archive-date = May 9, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010509024017/http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/obama/cv.html |access-date = October 1, 2006}}
* {{cite news |author = Issenberg, Sasha |date = August 6, 2008 |title = Obama shows hints of his year in global finance; Tied markets to social aid |newspaper = The Boston Globe |page = 1A |url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/08/06/obama_shows_hints_of_his_year_in_global_finance/ |access-date = August 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107145054/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/08/06/obama_shows_hints_of_his_year_in_global_finance?page=full |archive-date = November 7, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> then as a project coordinator for the [[New York Public Interest Research Group]] on the [[City College of New York]] campus for three months in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |author = Scott, Janny |date = July 30, 2007 |title = Obama's account of New York often differs from what others say |newspaper = The New York Times |page = B1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031000738/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/us/politics/30obama.html |archive-date=October 31, 2007 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date = July 31, 2007}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=133–140}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=62–63}}</ref><ref name="Who's Who 2008">{{cite book |editor = Chassie, Karen |year = 2007 |title = Who's Who in America, 2008 |page = 3468 |place = New Providence, New Jersey |publisher = Marquis Who's Who |isbn = 978-0-8379-7011-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/obama-stood-out-even-during-brief-1985-nypirg-job-1.885513 |title = Obama stood out, even during brief 1985 NYPIRG job |date = November 9, 2008 |newspaper = Newsday |first = Jason |last = Fink |access-date = March 13, 2014 |archive-date = May 6, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110506062005/http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/obama-stood-out-even-during-brief-1985-nypirg-job-1.885513 |url-status = live}}</ref>

''' Community organizer and Harvard Law School '''

Two years after graduating from Columbia, Obama moved from New York to Chicago when he was hired as director of the [[Developing Communities Project]], a faith-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in [[Roseland, Chicago|Roseland]], [[West Pullman]], and [[Riverdale, Chicago|Riverdale]] on Chicago's [[South Side, Chicago|South Side]]. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.<ref name="Who's Who 2008" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lizza |first=Ryan |date=March 19, 2007 |title=The agitator: Barack Obama's unlikely political education |magazine=The New Republic |volume=236 |issue=12 |pages=22–26, 28–29 |issn=0028-6583 |url=http://www.tnr.com/article/the-agitator-barack-obamas-unlikely-political-education |access-date=August 21, 2007 |archive-date=November 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112225829/http://www.tnr.com/article/the-agitator-barack-obamas-unlikely-political-education |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last1=Secter |first1=Bob |last2=McCormick |first2=John |date=March 30, 2007 |title=Portrait of a pragmatist |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=1 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703300121mar30-archive,0,2491692,full.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214172131/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703300121mar30-archive%2C0%2C2491692%2Cfull.story |access-date=May 18, 2012 |archive-date=December 14, 2009 |url-status=dead}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=140–295}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=63–83}}</ref> He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in [[Altgeld Gardens Homes (Chicago, Illinois)|Altgeld Gardens]].<ref name="Harvard Law 1990a">{{cite news |last = Matchan |first = Linda |date = February 15, 1990 |title = A Law Review breakthrough |newspaper = The Boston Globe |page = 29 |url = https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/1990/02/15/a_law_review_breakthrough |access-date = June 15, 2008 |archive-date = January 22, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090122000920/http://boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/1990/02/15/a_law_review_breakthrough/ |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |last = Corr |first = John |date = February 27, 1990 |title = From mean streets to hallowed halls |newspaper = The Philadelphia Inquirer |page = C01 |format = paid archive |url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=PI%7CDN%7C&p_product=PHNP&p_theme=phnp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=Author%28John%20Corr%29%20AND%20date%2802%2F27%2F1990%20to%2002%2F27%2F1990%29%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_field_advanced-0=Author&p_text_advanced-0=%28John%20Corr%29&p_bool_advanced-1=AND&p_params_advanced-1=date%3AB%2CE&p_field_advanced-1=YMD_date&p_text_advanced-1=%2802%2F27%2F1990%20to%2002%2F27%2F1990%29%C3%8Al_numdocs%3D20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD%C3%8Al_useweights%3Dno |access-date = June 6, 2008 |archive-date = August 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190828224400/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=PI%7CDN%7C&p_product=PHNP&p_theme=phnp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=Author%28John%20Corr%29%20AND%20date%2802/27/1990%20to%2002/27/1990%29%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_field_advanced-0=Author&p_text_advanced-0=%28John%20Corr%29&p_bool_advanced-1=AND&p_params_advanced-1=date:B,E&p_field_advanced-1=YMD_date&p_text_advanced-1=%2802/27/1990%20to%2002/27/1990%29%C3%8Al_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D%C3%8Al_useweights=no |url-status = live}}</ref> Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the [[Gamaliel Foundation]], a community organizing institute.<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Obama |first = Barack |date = August–September 1988 |title = Why organize? Problems and promise in the inner city |magazine = Illinois Issues |volume = 14 |issue = 8–9 |pages = 40–42 |issn = 0738-9663}} reprinted in:{{break}}{{cite book |editor = Knoepfle, Peg |year = 1990 |title = After Alinsky: community organizing in Illinois |place = Springfield, Illinois |publisher = Sangamon State University |pages = 35–40 |isbn = 978-0-9620873-3-2 |quote = He has also been a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, an organizing institute working throughout the Midwest.}}</ref> In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in [[Europe]] for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his [[Jael Obama|paternal relatives]] for the first time.<ref name="Obama 2012">{{cite book |last = Obama |first = Auma |year = 2012 |title = And then life happens: a memoir |location = New York |publisher = St. Martin's Press |isbn = 978-1-250-01005-6 |pages = 189–208, 212–216}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=299–437}}
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|pp=564–570}}</ref>
{{external media | float = right | video1 = [http://bostonlocaltv.org/catalog/V_UDAMVZGA4JEY06N Derrick Bell threatens to leave Harvard], April 24, 1990, 11:34, [[WGBH Educational Foundation|Boston TV Digital Archive]]<ref name="wgbh">{{cite news |url=http://bostonlocaltv.org/catalog/V_UDAMVZGA4JEY06N |title=Ten O'Clock News; Derrick Bell threatens to leave Harvard |date=April 24, 1990 |work=[[WGBH Educational Foundation|WGBH]], [[American Archive of Public Broadcasting]] |publisher=WGBH and the [[Library of Congress]] |location=Boston and Washington, D.C. |access-date=September 23, 2016 |archive-date=November 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108075226/http://bostonlocaltv.org/catalog/V_UDAMVZGA4JEY06N |url-status=live}}</ref> Student Barack Obama introduces Professor Derrick Bell starting at 6:25.}}

Despite being offered a full scholarship to [[Northwestern University School of Law]], Obama enrolled at [[Harvard Law School]] in the fall of 1988, living in nearby [[Somerville, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Somerville Scout |issue=January/February 2014 |page=26 |title=Something in the Water |url=https://scoutsomerville.com/feature-something-in-the-water/ |author1=Joey Del Ponte |author2=Somerville Scout Staff |quote=Barack Obama lived in the big, ivy-covered brick building at 365 Broadway{{spaces}}... From 1988 to 1991, the future president resided in a basement apartment while attending Harvard Law School. |access-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101163528/https://scoutsomerville.com/feature-something-in-the-water/ |url-status=usurped}}</ref> He was selected as an editor of the ''[[Harvard Law Review]]'' at the end of his first year,<ref name="Harvard Law 2007">{{cite news |first1 = Michael |last1 = Levenson |first2 = Jonathan |last2 = Saltzman |date = January 28, 2007 |title = At Harvard Law, a unifying voice |newspaper = Boston Globe |page = 1A |url = http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/28/at_harvard_law_a_unifying_voice/ |access-date = June 15, 2008 |archive-date = August 3, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160803042245/http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/01/28/at_harvard_law_a_unifying_voice/ |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |author = Kantor, Jodi |date = January 28, 2007 |title = In law school, Obama found political voice |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A1 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/us/politics/28obama.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070307091848/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/us/politics/28obama.html |archive-date = March 7, 2007 |url-access = limited |url-status = live |access-date = June 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news |author = Mundy, Liza |date = August 12, 2007 |title = A series of fortunate events |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = W10 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/08/AR2007080802038_pf.html |access-date = June 15, 2008 |archive-date = August 14, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070814185300/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/08/AR2007080802038_pf.html |url-status = live}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=80–92}}</ref> president of the journal in his second year,<ref name="Harvard Law 1990a" /><ref name="Harvard Law 1990b">{{cite news |author = Butterfield, Fox |date = February 6, 1990 |title = First black elected to head Harvard's Law Review |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A20 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/06/us/first-black-elected-to-head-harvard-s-law-review.html |access-date = June 15, 2008 |archive-date = April 10, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080410210514/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DC1631F935A35751C0A966958260 |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |author = Ybarra, Michael J |date = February 7, 1990 |title = Activist in Chicago now heads Harvard Law Review |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 3 |url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-02-07-9001110408-story.html |access-date = October 29, 2011 |archive-date = October 22, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181022232657/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-02-07-9001110408-story.html |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |author = Drummond, Tammerlin |date = March 12, 1990 |title = Barack Obama's law; Harvard Law Review's first black president plans a life of public service |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |page = E1 |format = paid archive |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60017156.html?dids=60017156:60017156&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |access-date = June 15, 2008 |archive-date = June 17, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080617150504/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/60017156.html?dids=60017156:60017156&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status = dead}}
* {{cite magazine |last = Evans |first = Gaynelle |date = March 15, 1990 |title = Opening another door: The saga of Harvard's Barack H. Obama |magazine = Black Issues in Higher Education |volume = 7 |issue = 1 |page = 5 |issn = 0742-0277 |url = https://diverseeducation.com/article/11791/ |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = May 20, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120520143753/http://diverseeducation.com/article/11791/ |url-status = live}}
* {{cite news |author = Pugh, Allison J. |agency = Associated Press |date = April 18, 1990 |title = Law Review's first black president aims to help poor |newspaper = The Miami Herald |page = C01 |url = https://allisonpugh.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/7/8/44787215/miami_herald__22law_review_president_22.pdf |access-date = January 1, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200101145727/https://allisonpugh.weebly.com/uploads/4/4/7/8/44787215/miami_herald__22law_review_president_22.pdf |archive-date = January 1, 2020 |url-status = live}}</ref> and research assistant to the constitutional scholar [[Laurence Tribe]] while at Harvard.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Obama Made A Strong First Impression At Harvard |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153214284/obamas-harvard-days-began-with-exclamation-point |access-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220014856/https://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153214284/obamas-harvard-days-began-with-exclamation-point |url-status=live}}</ref> During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a [[Associate attorney#Summer associates|summer associate]] at the law firms of [[Sidley Austin]] in 1989 and [[Hopkins & Sutter]] in 1990.<ref>{{cite news |author = Aguilar, Louis |date = July 11, 1990 |title = Survey: Law firms slow to add minority partners |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929145015/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/28774085.html?dids=28774085:28774085&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |archive-date=September 29, 2008 |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 1 (Business) |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/28774085.html?dids=28774085:28774085&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |access-date = June 15, 2008}}</ref> Obama's election as the [[List of African-American firsts|first black president of the ''Harvard Law Review'']] gained national media attention<ref name="Harvard Law 1990a" /><ref name="Harvard Law 1990b" /> and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,<ref name="Scott 2008a">{{cite news |author = Scott, Janny |date = May 18, 2008 |title = The story of Obama, written by Obama |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A1 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/politics/18memoirs.html |access-date = June 15, 2008 |archive-date = April 1, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090401222500/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/politics/18memoirs.html |url-status = live}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=xiii–xvii}}</ref> which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as ''[[Dreams from My Father]]''.<ref name="Scott 2008a" /> Obama graduated from Harvard Law in 1991 with a [[Juris Doctor]] ''[[Latin honors|magna cum laude]]''.<ref name="Juris Doctor" /><ref name="Harvard Law 2007" />

''' University of Chicago Law School '''

In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the [[University of Chicago Law School]] to work on his first book.<ref name="Scott 2008a" /><ref name="Fellow" /> He then taught [[constitutional law]] at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years, first as a lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and then as a senior lecturer from 1996 to 2004.<ref>{{cite web |date = March 27, 2008 |title = Statement regarding Barack Obama |publisher = University of Chicago Law School |url = http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media/index.html |access-date = June 5, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080608225931/http://www.law.uchicago.edu/media/index.html |archive-date = June 8, 2008 |url-status = dead}}
* {{cite web |last=Miller |first=Joe |date=March 28, 2008 |title=Was Barack Obama really a constitutional law professor? |work=FactCheck.org |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/obama-a-constitutional-law-professor/ |access-date=May 18, 2012 |archive-date=May 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516200322/http://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/obama-a-constitutional-law-professor/ |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |last=Holan |first=Angie Drobnic |date=March 7, 2008 |title=Obama's 20 years of experience |work=PolitiFact.com |url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/mar/07/obamas-20-years-experience/ |access-date=June 10, 2008 |archive-date=May 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515194211/http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/mar/07/obamas-20-years-experience/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's [[Project Vote]], a [[voter registration campaign]] with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading ''[[Crain's Chicago Business]]'' to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.<ref name="Forty" />

===Family and personal life===
{{Main|Family of Barack Obama}}

In a 2006 interview, Obama highlighted the diversity of [[family of Barack Obama|his extended family]]: "It's like a little mini-United Nations," he said. "I've got relatives who look like [[Bernie Mac]], and I've got relatives who look like [[Margaret Thatcher]]."<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20061018/10 |title = Keeping Hope Alive: Barack Obama Puts Family First |date = October 18, 2006 |website = The Oprah Winfrey Show |access-date = June 24, 2008 |archive-date = April 17, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090417020958/http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/oprahshow1_ss_20061018/10 |url-status = live}}</ref> Obama has a half-sister with whom he was raised (Maya Soetoro-Ng) and seven other half-siblings from his Kenyan father's family, six of them living.<ref>{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fornek |title=Half Siblings: 'A Complicated Family' |date=September 9, 2007 |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545462,BSX-News-wotrees09.stng |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5msGZ6sKn?url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545462,BSX-News-wotrees09.stng |archive-date=January 18, 2010 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=June 24, 2008 |url-status=dead}} See also: {{cite news |url=http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/special/family_tree.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703042659/http://www.suntimes.com/images/cds/special/family_tree.html |archive-date=July 3, 2008 |title=Interactive Family Tree |date=September 9, 2007 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=June 24, 2008}}</ref> Obama's mother was survived by her Kansas-born mother, Madelyn Dunham,<ref>{{cite news |first=Scott |last=Fornek |title=Madelyn Payne Dunham: 'A Trailblazer' |date=September 9, 2007 |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545449,BSX-News-wotreeee09.stng |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304232433/http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/familytree/545449,BSX-News-wotreeee09.article |archive-date=March 4, 2009 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=June 24, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> until her death on November 2, 2008,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/obama.grandma/index.html |title = Obama's grandmother dies after battle with cancer |publisher = CNN |access-date = November 4, 2008 |date = November 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103235343/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/obama.grandma/index.html |archive-date = November 3, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> two days before his election to the presidency. Obama also has roots in Ireland; he met with his Irish cousins in [[Moneygall]] in May 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/tracing-barack-obamas-roo_b_859151.html |title = Tracing Barack Obama's Roots to Moneygall |date = May 9, 2011 |work = The Huffington Post |first = Megan |last = Smolenyak |access-date = February 18, 2020 |archive-date = September 15, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180915183446/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/tracing-barack-obamas-roo_b_859151.html |url-status = live}}</ref> In ''[[Dreams from My Father]]'', Obama ties his mother's family history to possible Native American ancestors and distant relatives of [[Jefferson Davis]], [[President of the Confederate States of America]] during the [[American Civil War]]. He also shares distant ancestors in common with [[George W. Bush]] and [[Dick Cheney]], among others.<ref>{{harvnb|Obama|2004|p=13}}. For reports on Obama's maternal genealogy, including slave owners, Irish connections, and common ancestors with George W. Bush, [[Dick Cheney]], and [[Harry S. Truman]], see: {{cite news|first1=David |last1=Nitkin |first2=Harry |last2=Merritt |title=A New Twist to an Intriguing Family History |date=March 2, 2007 |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/politics/bal-te.obama02mar02,0,3453027.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930033339/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/politics/bal-te.obama02mar02%2C0%2C3453027.story |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |work=The Baltimore Sun |access-date=June 24, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Mary |last=Jordan |title=Tiny Irish Village Is Latest Place to Claim Obama as Its Own |date=May 13, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201551.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 24, 2008 |archive-date=April 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405183959/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/12/AR2007051201551.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Obama's Family Tree Has a Few Surprises |date=September 8, 2007 |publisher=CBS 2 (Chicago) |url=http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Barack.Obama.family.2.339709.html |agency=Associated Press |access-date=June 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602215833/http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/Barack.Obama.family.2.339709.html |archive-date=June 2, 2008}}</ref>

Obama lived with anthropologist [[Sheila Miyoshi Jager]] while he was a community organizer in Chicago in the 1980s.<ref name="theindependentbeforemichelle">{{cite news|last1=Hosie|first1=Rachel|title=Before Michelle: The story of Barack Obama's proposal to Sheila Miyoshi Jager|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/before-michelle-barack-obama-sheila-miyoshi-jager-engagement-chicago-us-president-david-j-garrow-a7714771.html|access-date=May 11, 2017|work=The Independent|date=May 3, 2017|archive-date=May 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509133231/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/before-michelle-barack-obama-sheila-miyoshi-jager-engagement-chicago-us-president-david-j-garrow-a7714771.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He proposed to her twice, but both Jager and her parents turned him down.<ref name="theindependentbeforemichelle" /><ref name="tobiasoberlincollegeprofessor">{{cite news|last1=Tobias|first1=Andrew J.|title=Oberlin College professor received unsuccessful marriage proposal from Barack Obama in 1980s, new biography reveals|url=http://www.cleveland.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/oberlin_college_professor_rece.html|access-date=May 11, 2017|work=The Plain Dealer|date=May 3, 2017|archive-date=May 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503220931/http://www.cleveland.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/oberlin_college_professor_rece.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The relationship was not made public until May 2017, several months after his presidency had ended.<ref name="tobiasoberlincollegeprofessor" />

[[File:Obama family portrait in the Green Room.jpg|thumb|Obama poses in the [[Green Room (White House)|Green Room]] of the White House with wife [[Michelle Obama|Michelle]] and daughters Sasha and Malia, September 2009|alt=Picture of Obama, his wife, and their two daughters smiling at the camera. Obama wears a dress shirt and tie.]]
In June 1989, Obama met [[Michelle Robinson]] when he was employed at [[Sidley Austin]].<ref>{{harvnb|Obama|2006a|pp=327–332}}. See also: {{cite news |first = Sarah |last = Brown |title = Obama '85 masters balancing act |work = The Daily Princetonian |url=http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2005/12/07/14049 |date = December 7, 2005 |access-date = February 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220165725/http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2005/12/07/14049/ |archive-date = February 20, 2009}}</ref> Robinson was assigned for three months as Obama's adviser at the firm, and she joined him at several group social functions but declined his initial requests to date.{{sfn|Obama|2006a|p=329}} They began dating later that summer, became engaged in 1991, and were married on October 3, 1992.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fornek |first=Scott |title=Michelle Obama: 'He Swept Me Off My Feet' |date=October 3, 2007 |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/585261,CST-NWS-wedding03.stng |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208051056/http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/585261,CST-NWS-wedding03.stng |archive-date=December 8, 2009 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=April 28, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> After suffering a miscarriage, Michelle underwent [[in vitro fertilization]] to conceive their children.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/09/michelle-obama-had-miscarriage-used-ivf-conceive-girls/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/09/michelle-obama-had-miscarriage-used-ivf-conceive-girls/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Michelle Obama had miscarriage, used IVF to conceive girls|first=Ben|last=Riley-Smith|date=November 9, 2018|access-date=November 15, 2018|newspaper=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The couple's first daughter, Malia Ann, was born in 1998,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Born_on_the_4th_of_July.html |title = Born on the 4th of July |date = July 4, 2008 |access-date = July 10, 2008 |work = Politico |last = Martin |first = Jonathan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080710073536/http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Born_on_the_4th_of_July.html |archive-date = July 10, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), in 2001.<ref>{{harvnb|Obama|2004|p=440}} and {{harvnb|Obama|2006a|pp=339–340}}. See also: {{cite web |title = Election 2008 Information Center: Barack Obama |url = http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?cat=153 |publisher = Gannett News Service |access-date = April 28, 2008 |archive-date = February 21, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090221030722/http://www.gannettnewsservice.com/?cat=153 |url-status = live}}</ref> The Obama daughters attended the [[University of Chicago Laboratory Schools]]. When they moved to Washington, D.C., in January 2009, the girls started at the [[Sidwell Friends School]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/22/america/Obama-School.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129194323/http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/22/america/Obama-School.php |title = Obamas choose private Sidwell Friends School |website = International Herald Tribune |date = November 22, 2008 |access-date = July 2, 2015 |archive-date = January 29, 2009}}</ref> The Obamas had two [[Portuguese Water Dog]]s; the first, a male named [[Bo (dog)|Bo]], was a gift from Senator [[Ted Kennedy]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416023426/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/us/politics/13obama.html |archive-date=April 16, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title = One Obama Search Ends With a Puppy Named Bo |work = The New York Times |date = April 13, 2009 |access-date = December 22, 2010 |first = Helene |last = Cooper}}</ref> In 2013, Bo was joined by [[Sunny (dog)|Sunny]], a female.<ref name=Feldmann>{{Cite journal |last = Feldmann |first = Linda |title = New little girl arrives at White House. Meet Sunny Obama. (+video) |url = https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2013/0820/New-little-girl-arrives-at-White-House.-Meet-Sunny-Obama.-video |journal = Christian Science Monitor |access-date = August 20, 2013 |date = August 20, 2013 |archive-date = December 19, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131219041430/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2013/0820/New-little-girl-arrives-at-White-House.-Meet-Sunny-Obama.-video |url-status = live}}</ref> Bo died of cancer on May 8, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wang|first=Amy|date=May 8, 2021|title=Obamas announce death of dog Bo, 'a true friend and loyal companion'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2021/05/08/obama-dog-bo-dies/|access-date=May 8, 2021|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=May 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509011516/https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2021/05/08/obama-dog-bo-dies/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Obama is a supporter of the [[Chicago White Sox]], and he threw out the first pitch at the [[2005 ALCS]] when he was still a senator.<ref>{{cite news |title = Barack Obama: White Sox 'serious' ball |date = August 25, 2008 |first = Mark |last = Silva |work = Chicago Tribune |url=http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/barack_obama_white_sox_serious.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829134235/http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/barack_obama_white_sox_serious.html |archive-date = August 29, 2008}}</ref> In 2009, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the [[2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] while wearing a White Sox jacket.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Obama throws ceremonial first pitch at All-Star game |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/14/obama.pitch/index.html |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=CNN Politics |archive-date=December 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222030149/https://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/14/obama.pitch/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He is also primarily a [[Chicago Bears]] football fan in the [[NFL]], but in his childhood and adolescence was a [[Steeler Nation|fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers]] and rooted for them ahead of their victory in [[Super Bowl XLIII]] 12 days after he took office as president.<ref name="Steelers">{{cite news |last = Branigin |first = William |title = Steelers Win Obama's Approval |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = January 30, 2009 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012903196.html |quote = But other than the Bears, the Steelers are probably the team that's closest to my heart. |access-date = August 21, 2017 |archive-date = August 5, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170805181455/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012903196.html |url-status = live}}</ref> In 2011, Obama invited the [[1985 Chicago Bears]] to the White House; the team had not visited the White House after their [[Super Bowl XX|Super Bowl win]] in 1986 due to the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster]].<ref>{{cite web |last = Mayer |first = Larry |url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/85-Bears-honored-by-President-Obama-at-White-House/A3C494F7-6681-44BB-850A-61EEE18315E4 |title = 1985 Bears honored by President Obama |publisher = [[Chicago Bears]] |date = October 7, 2011 |access-date = November 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507094538/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/85-Bears-honored-by-President-Obama-at-White-House/A3C494F7-6681-44BB-850A-61EEE18315E4 |archive-date = May 7, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He plays [[basketball]], a sport he participated in as a member of his high school's varsity team,<ref>{{cite news |first = Jodi |last = Kantor |title = One Place Where Obama Goes Elbow to Elbow |date = June 1, 2007 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/politics/01hoops.html |work = The New York Times |access-date = April 28, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090401222632/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/01/us/politics/01hoops.html |archive-date = April 1, 2009 |url-status = live}} See also: {{cite news |title = The Love of the Game |format = video |date = April 15, 2008 |work = Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel |publisher = HBO |url = http://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes#/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes/0/133-april-15-2008/index.html |access-date = October 12, 2011 |archive-date = October 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111016014443/http://www.hbo.com/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes#/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel/episodes/0/133-april-15-2008/index.html |url-status = live}}</ref> and he is left-handed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22obama.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123145020/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22obama.html |archive-date=January 23, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title = On First Day, Obama Quickly Sets a New Tone |last = Stolberg |first = Sheryl Gay |author2 = Kirkpatrick, David D. |author3 = Shane, Scott |date = January 22, 2009 |work = The New York Times |page = 1 |access-date = September 7, 2012}}</ref>

In 2005, the Obama family applied the proceeds of a book deal and moved from a [[Hyde Park, Chicago]] condominium to a $1.6{{spaces}}million house (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1.6|2005|r=1}}{{spaces}}million in {{Inflation-year|US}}) in neighboring [[Kenwood, Chicago]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Jeff |last=Zeleny |title=The first time around: Sen. Obama's freshman year |date=December 24, 2005 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-051224obama,0,1779783,full.story |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513214525/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-051224obama%2C0%2C1779783%2Cfull.story |archive-date=May 13, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The purchase of an adjacent lot—and sale of part of it to Obama by the wife of developer, campaign donor and friend [[Tony Rezko]]—attracted media attention because of Rezko's subsequent indictment and conviction on political corruption charges that were unrelated to Obama.<ref name="corruption charges" />

In December 2007, ''[[Money Magazine]]'' estimated Obama's net worth at $1.3{{spaces}}million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1.3|2007|r=1}}{{spaces}}million in {{Inflation-year|US}}).<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama's Money |date = December 7, 2007 |url = https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html |publisher = [[CNNMoney]] |access-date = April 28, 2008 |first = Marlys |last = Harris |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080424113420/https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html |archive-date = April 24, 2008 |url-status = live}}{{break}}See also:{{cite news |first = Zachary A |last = Goldfarb |title = Measuring Wealth of the '08 Candidates |date = March 24, 2007 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/24/AR2007032400305.html |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = April 28, 2008 |archive-date = December 12, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181212171951/https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0712/gallery.candidates.moneymag/5.html |url-status = live}}</ref> Their 2009 tax return showed a household income of $5.5{{spaces}}million—up from about $4.2{{spaces}}million in 2007 and $1.6{{spaces}}million in 2005—mostly from sales of his books.<ref>{{cite news |first = Jeff |last = Zeleny |title = Book Sales Lifted Obamas' Income in 2007 to a Total of $4.2 Million |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17obama.html |date = April 17, 2008 |work = The New York Times |access-date = April 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416015848/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/us/politics/17obama.html|archive-date=April 16, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041504485.html |title = Obamas report $5.5 million in income on 2009 tax return |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = April 16, 2010 |access-date = December 22, 2010 |first1 = Michael D. |last1 = Shear |first2 = David S. |last2 = Hilzenrath |archive-date = January 26, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110126061654/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/15/AR2010041504485.html |url-status = live}}</ref> On his 2010 income of $1.7{{spaces}}million, he gave 14 percent to non-profit organizations, including $131,000 to [[Fisher House Foundation]], a charity assisting wounded veterans' families, allowing them to reside near where the veteran is receiving medical treatments.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2011/04/how-much-did-president-obama-m.html |date = April 18, 2011 |title = How Much Did President Obama Make in 2010? |work = [[PBS NewsHour]] |first = Paul |last = Solman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502113725/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/businessdesk/2011/04/how-much-did-president-obama-m.html |archive-date = May 2, 2011 |access-date = January 27, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/04/the-obamas-gave-131000-to-the-fisher-house-foundation-last-year-what-is-it.html |date = April 27, 2011 |title = The Obamas Gave $131,000 to Fisher House Foundation in 2010; What Is It? |work = [[PBS NewsHour]] |first = Paul |last = Solman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129072652/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/04/the-obamas-gave-131000-to-the-fisher-house-foundation-last-year-what-is-it.html |archive-date = January 29, 2014 |access-date = January 27, 2012}}</ref> Per his 2012 financial disclosure, Obama may be worth as much as $10{{spaces}}million.<ref name="networth12">{{cite news |url = http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/05/obama-worth-as-much-as-10-million/1 |title = Obama worth as much as $10 million |last = Wolf |first = Richard |date = May 16, 2012 |work = [[USA Today]] |access-date = June 16, 2012 |archive-date = May 16, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120516010755/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/05/obama-worth-as-much-as-10-million/1 |url-status = live}}</ref>

===Religious views===
Obama is a [[Protestant]] Christian whose religious views developed in his adult life.<ref name="Christian" /> He wrote in ''[[The Audacity of Hope]]'' that he "was not raised in a religious household." He described his mother, raised by non-religious parents, as being detached from religion, yet "in many ways the most spiritually awakened person{{nbsp}}... I have ever known", and "a lonely witness for [[secular humanism]]." He described his father as a "confirmed [[atheist]]" by the time his parents met, and his stepfather as "a man who saw religion as not particularly useful." Obama explained how, through working with [[black church]]es as a [[community organizer]] while in his twenties, he came to understand "the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change."<ref name="social change" />
[[File:Obamas at church on Inauguration Day 2013.jpg|thumb|The Obamas worship at [[African Methodist Episcopal Church]] in Washington, D.C., January 2013|alt=Obama and his wife standing in a crowded Church, looking forward, with their mouths open mid-sentence while reciting a prayer]]

In January 2008, Obama told ''[[Christianity Today]]'': "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the [[Redeemer (Christianity)|redemptive death]] and [[resurrection of Jesus Christ]]. I believe that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life."<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Pulliam |first1 = Sarah |last2 = Olsen |first2 = Ted |url = http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html?start=2 |title = Q&A: Barack Obama |work = Christianity Today |date = January 23, 2008 |access-date = January 4, 2013 |archive-date = April 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190428085526/https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html?start=2 |url-status = live}}</ref> On September 27, 2010, Obama released a statement commenting on his religious views, saying:

{{blockquote|I'm a Christian by choice. My family didn't—frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church. So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of [[Jesus Christ]] spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead—being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, [[Golden Rule|treating others as they would treat me]].<ref name="APbychoice">{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/obama-christian-by-choice_n_742124.html|title=Obama 'Christian By Choice': President Responds To Questioner|last1=Babington|first1=Charles|last2=Superville|first2=Darlene|agency=Associated Press|date=September 28, 2010|work=The Huffington Post|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511232554/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/obama-christian-by-choice_n_742124.html|archive-date=May 11, 2011}}</ref><ref name="ABCVideobychoice">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/09/president-obama-i-am-a-christian-by-choicethe-precepts-of-jesus-spoke-to-me.html|title=President Obama: 'I am a Christian By Choice ... The Precepts of Jesus Spoke to Me'|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=September 29, 2010|access-date=December 27, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713041729/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/09/president-obama-i-am-a-christian-by-choicethe-precepts-of-jesus-spoke-to-me/|archive-date=July 13, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

Obama met [[Trinity United Church of Christ]] pastor [[Jeremiah Wright]] in October 1987 and became a member of Trinity in 1992.<ref name="Trinity" /> During Obama's first presidential campaign in May 2008, he resigned from Trinity after [[Jeremiah Wright controversy|some of Wright's statements were criticized]].<ref>{{cite news |agency = Associated Press |date = November 17, 2008 |title = Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized |work = NBC News |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/27775757 |access-date = January 20, 2009 |archive-date = March 21, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130321122023/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27775757/ |url-status = live}}</ref> Since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2009, the Obama family has attended several Protestant churches, including [[Shiloh Baptist Church (Washington, D.C.)|Shiloh Baptist Church]] and [[St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square|St. John's Episcopal Church]], as well as Evergreen Chapel at [[Camp David]], but the members of the family do not attend church on a regular basis.<ref>{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Ashley |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/us/as-the-obamas-celebrate-christmas-rituals-of-faith-stay-on-the-sidelines.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230064130/http://www.nytimes.com//2013/12/29/us/as-the-obamas-celebrate-christmas-rituals-of-faith-stay-on-the-sidelines.html |archive-date=December 30, 2013 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=As the Obamas Celebrate Christmas, Rituals of Faith Become Less Visible |work=The New York Times |date=December 28, 2013 |access-date=January 15, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Gilgoff |first=Dan |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/god-and-country/2009/06/30/time-report-white-house-reaction-raise-more-questions-about-obamas-church-hunt |title=TIME Report, White House Reaction Raise More Questions About Obama's Church Hunt |work=U.S. News & World Report |date=June 30, 2009 |access-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-date=June 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625064319/https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/god-and-country/2009/06/30/time-report-white-house-reaction-raise-more-questions-about-obamas-church-hunt |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/22/first-lady-we-use-sundays-for-naps-if-were-not-going-to-church/ |title=First Lady: We Use Sundays For Naps If We're Not Going To Church |publisher=CBS DC |agency=Associated Press |date=April 22, 2014 |access-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116174238/http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/22/first-lady-we-use-sundays-for-naps-if-were-not-going-to-church/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, Obama said that he gets inspiration from a few items that remind him "of all the different people I've met along the way", adding: "I carry these around all the time. I'm not that superstitious, so it's not like I think I necessarily have to have them on me at all times." The items, "a whole bowl full", include rosary beads given to him by [[Pope Francis]], a figurine of the Hindu deity [[Hanuman]], a [[Coptic cross]] from Ethiopia, a small [[Buddha statue]] given by a monk, and a metal poker chip that used to be the lucky charm of a motorcyclist in Iowa.<ref>{{cite news |title=Revealed: Obama always carries Hanuman statuette in pocket |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Revealed-Obama-always-carries-Hanuman-statuette-in-pocket/article14001552.ece |access-date=April 8, 2021 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=January 16, 2016 |language=en-IN |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414074305/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/Revealed-Obama-always-carries-Hanuman-statuette-in-pocket/article14001552.ece |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Obama Reveals Personal Faith-Related Items, Including Rosary Beads, Buddha Statuette |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/obama-reveals-personal-faith-related-items-including-rosary-beads-buddha-n497681 |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=NBC News |date=January 15, 2016 |language=en |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220013126/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/obama-reveals-personal-faith-related-items-including-rosary-beads-buddha-n497681 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Legal career==
From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the [[Woods Fund of Chicago]]—which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project—and of the [[Joyce Foundation]].<ref name="Who's Who 2008" /> He served on the board of directors of the [[Chicago Annenberg Challenge]] from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.<ref name="Who's Who 2008" /> Obama's law license became inactive in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.factcheck.org/2012/06/the-obamas-law-licenses/ |title = The Obamas' Law Licenses |publisher = FactCheck.org |date = June 14, 2012 |access-date = July 16, 2012 |last = Gore |first = D'Angelo |archive-date = July 18, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120718221807/http://www.factcheck.org/2012/06/the-obamas-law-licenses/ |url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="DavisMiner" />

==Legislative career==
===Illinois Senate (1997–2004)===

{{Main|Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama}}
[[File:Obamamiltondavis1.jpg|thumb|State senator Obama and others celebrate the naming of a street in Chicago after [[ShoreBank]] co-founder Milton Davis in 1998|alt=Photo of Obama and others carrying a streetsign that reads "Honorary: Milton Davis Blvd."]]

Obama was elected to the [[Illinois Senate]] in 1996, succeeding Democratic state senator [[Alice Palmer (politician)|Alice Palmer]] from [[Illinois's 13th Senate district|Illinois's 13th District]], which, at that time, spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park–Kenwood south to [[South Shore, Chicago|South Shore]] and west to [[Chicago Lawn]].<ref>{{cite news |first1=David |last1=Jackson |last2=Long |first2=Ray |title=Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot |date=April 3, 2007 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-070403obama-ballot-archive,0,5693903.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011054057/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-070403obama-ballot-archive%2C0%2C5693903.story |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 18, 2012 |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book |last = White |first = Jesse |author-link = Jesse White (politician) |year = 2001 |chapter = Legislative Districts of Cook County, 1991 Reapportionment |chapter-url=http://www.sos.state.il.us/publications/02bluebook/legislative_branch/legdistrictmaps.pdf |title = Illinois Blue Book 2001–2002 |place = Springfield |publisher = [[Illinois Secretary of State]] |page = 65 |access-date = July 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226221919/http://www.sos.state.il.us/publications/02bluebook/legislative_branch/legdistrictmaps.pdf |archive-date = February 26, 2008}} State Sen. District 13 = State Rep. Districts 25 & 26.</ref> Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation that reformed ethics and health care laws.<ref>{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Slevin |title=Obama Forged Political Mettle in Illinois Capitol |date=February 9, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020802262.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-date=May 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516055720/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020802262.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Scott |last=Helman |title=In Illinois, Obama dealt with Lobbyists |date=September 23, 2007 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/23/in_illinois_obama_dealt_with_lobbyists/ |work=The Boston Globe |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416235513/http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/09/23/in_illinois_obama_dealt_with_lobbyists/ |archive-date=April 16, 2008 |url-status=live}} See also:{{cite news|title=Obama Record May Be Gold Mine for Critics |date=January 17, 2007 |work=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml |agency=Associated Press |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412223055/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/17/politics/main2369157.shtml |archive-date=April 12, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> He sponsored a law that increased [[tax credit]]s for low-income workers, negotiated [[welfare reform]], and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.<ref name="Scott20070730">{{cite news |first = Janny |last = Scott |title = In Illinois, Obama Proved Pragmatic and Shrewd |date = July 30, 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html |work = The New York Times |access-date = April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210135903/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/us/politics/30obama.html|archive-date=December 10, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican governor [[George Ryan]]'s [[payday loan]] regulations and [[predatory mortgage lending]] regulations aimed at averting home [[foreclosure]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Allison| first=Melissa |date=December 15, 2000 |title=State takes on predatory lending; Rules would halt single-premium life insurance financing |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/65214450.html?dids=65214450:65214450&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |format=paid archive |work=Chicago Tribune |page=1 (Business) |access-date=June 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617151154/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/65214450.html?dids=65214450%3A65214450&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT |archive-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Ray |last1=Long |first2=Melissa |last2=Allison |date=April 18, 2001 |title=Illinois OKs predatory loan curbs; State aims to avert home foreclosures |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/71459393.html?dids=71459393:71459393&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |format=paid archive |work=Chicago Tribune |page=1 |access-date=June 1, 2008 |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218011718/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/71459393.html?dids=71459393:71459393&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status=dead}}</ref>

He was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was re-elected again in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html |title = 13th District: Barack Obama |access-date = April 20, 2008 |date = August 24, 2000 |publisher = Illinois State Senate Democrats |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824102110/http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html |archive-date = August 24, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html |title = 13th District: Barack Obama |access-date = April 20, 2008 |date = October 9, 2004 |publisher = Illinois State Senate Democrats |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040802233730/http://www.senatedem.state.il.us/obama/index.html |archive-date = August 2, 2004}}</ref> In 2000, he lost a [[2000 Illinois's 1st congressional district election|Democratic primary race]] for [[Illinois's 1st congressional district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives]] to four-term incumbent [[Bobby Rush]] by a margin of two to one.<ref name="Democratic primary" />

In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jackie |last=Calmes |title=Statehouse Yields Clues to Obama |date=February 23, 2007 |url=https://www.wsj.com/public/article/SB117219748197216894-Sn6oV_4KLQHp_xz7CjYLuyjv3Jg_20070324.html |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=April 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918032039/http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117219748197216894-Sn6oV_4KLQHp_xz7CjYLuyjv3Jg_20070324.html |archive-date=September 18, 2008}}</ref> He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor [[racial profiling]] by requiring police to record the race of drivers they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations.<ref name="Scott20070730" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Tavella |first=Anne Marie |date=April 14, 2003 |title=Profiling, taping plans pass Senate |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ADHB&p_theme=adhb&p_action=search&p_text_search-0=Profiling,%20AND%20taping%20AND%20plans%20AND%20pass%20AND%20Senate |format=paid archive |work=Daily Herald |page=17 |access-date=June 1, 2008 |archive-date=January 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101151400/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ADHB&p_theme=adhb&p_action=search&p_text_search-0=Profiling,%20AND%20taping%20AND%20plans%20AND%20pass%20AND%20Senate |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Haynes |first=V. Dion |date=June 29, 2003 |title=Fight racial profiling at local level, lawmaker says; U.S. guidelines get mixed review |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/352884461.html?dids=352884461:352884461&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |format=paid archive |work=Chicago Tribune |page=8 |access-date=June 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617150449/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/352884461.html?dids=352884461%3A352884461&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT |archive-date=June 17, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pearson |first=Rick |date=July 17, 2003 |title=Taped confessions to be law; State will be 1st to pass legislation |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/370136121.html?dids=370136121:370136121&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |format=paid archive |work=Chicago Tribune |page=1 (Metro) |access-date=June 1, 2008 |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218011706/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/370136121.html?dids=370136121:370136121&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status=dead}}</ref> During his 2004 general election campaign for the U.S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting [[Capital punishment in the United States|death penalty]] reforms.<ref>{{cite news |first1 = Sam |last1 = Youngman |last2 = Blake |first2 = Aaron |title = Obama's Crime Votes Are Fodder for Rivals |date = March 14, 2007 |url = https://thehill.com/homenews/news/8935-obamas-crime-votes-are-fodder-for-rivals/ |work = The Hill |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = November 14, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121114030716/http://thehill.com/homenews/news/11316-obamas-crime-votes-are-fodder-for-rivals |url-status = live}} See also: {{cite news |title = US Presidential Candidate Obama Cites Work on State Death Penalty Reforms |date = November 12, 2007 |work = International Herald Tribune |url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/12/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Death-Penalty.php |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080607111231/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/12/america/NA-POL-US-Obama-Death-Penalty.php |agency = Associated Press |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = June 7, 2008}}</ref> Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U.S. Senate.<ref>{{cite news|first=Melanie |last=Coffee |title=Attorney Chosen to Fill Obama's State Senate Seat |date=November 6, 2004 |publisher=HPKCC |url=http://www.hydepark.org/hpkccnews/raoul.htm#ap |agency=Associated Press |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516174431/http://www.hydepark.org/hpkccnews/raoul.htm |archive-date=May 16, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===2004 U.S. Senate campaign in Illinois===
{{Main|2004 United States Senate election in Illinois}}
[[File:Chicago, November 2, 2004 (5471954323).jpg|thumb|Obama campaign yard sign in [[Chicago]], {{circa|November 2004}}]]

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race. He created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant [[David Axelrod]] by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last = Helman |first = Scott |date = October 12, 2007 |title = Early defeat launched a rapid political climb |newspaper = [[The Boston Globe]] |page = 1A |url = https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-date = October 12, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012215244/http://boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb/ |url-status = live}}</ref>

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref>{{cite news |last = Strausberg |first = Chinta |date = September 26, 2002 |title = Opposition to war mounts |newspaper = Chicago Defender |page = 1 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220062931.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511195931/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220062931.html |url-status=dead |archive-date = May 11, 2011 |format = paid archive |access-date = February 3, 2008}}</ref> On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the [[Iraq Resolution|joint resolution]] authorizing the [[Iraq War]],<ref name="Rose Garden" /> Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago [[Protests against the Iraq War|anti-Iraq War rally]],<ref name="Federal Plaza" /> and spoke out against the war.<ref name="spoke out" /> He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd "it's not too late" to stop the war.<ref name="stop the war" />

Decisions by Republican incumbent [[Peter Fitzgerald (politician)|Peter Fitzgerald]] and his Democratic predecessor [[Carol Moseley Braun]] not to participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving 15 candidates.<ref>{{cite news |last = Davey |first = Monica |date = March 7, 2004 |title = Closely watched Illinois Senate race attracts 7 candidates in millionaire range |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416015834/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html|archive-date=April 16, 2009 |newspaper = [[The New York Times]] |page = 19 |access-date = April 13, 2008}}</ref> In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, ''Dreams from My Father''.<ref name="future" /> In July 2004, Obama delivered [[2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address|the keynote address]] at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]],<ref>{{cite news |last = Bernstein |first = David |date = June 2007 |title = The Speech |magazine = Chicago Magazine |url = http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-date = June 14, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080614213455/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech/ |url-status = live}}</ref> seen by nine million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.<ref name="status" />

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner [[Jack Ryan (politician)|Jack Ryan]], withdrew from the race in June 2004.<ref>{{cite news |date = June 25, 2004 |title = Ryan drops out of Senate race in Illinois |publisher = CNN |url = http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/25/il.ryan/ |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = January 8, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180108042942/http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/25/il.ryan/ |url-status = live}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=260–271}}</ref> Six weeks later, [[Alan Keyes]] accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan.<ref>{{cite news |last = Lannan |first = Maura Kelly |agency = Associated Press |date = August 9, 2004 |title = Alan Keyes enters U.S. Senate race in Illinois against rising Democratic star |newspaper = [[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |url=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040809-0849-illinoissenate.html |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214115053/http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040809-0849-illinoissenate.html |archive-date = December 14, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In the [[2004 United States Senate election in Illinois|November 2004 general election]], Obama won with 70 percent of the vote, the largest margin of victory for a Senate candidate in Illinois history.<ref name="margin" /> He took 92 of the state's 102 counties, including several where Democrats traditionally do not perform well.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kaufman |first1=Burton |title=Barack Obama: Conservative, Pragmatist, Progressive |date=2022 |publisher=Cornell University Press |page=64}}</ref>

===U.S. Senate (2005–2008)===
{{See also|US Senate career of Barack Obama|List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate}}
[[File:BarackObamaportrait.jpg|thumb|Official portrait of Obama as a member of the United States Senate|alt=Photo of Obama smiling with his arms crossed, with the Capitol building and the sky in the background]]

Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005,<ref>{{CongBio|o000167|inline=1|date=October 12, 2011}}</ref> becoming the only Senate member of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Member Info |url=http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709114659/http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/cbc/member_info.html |archive-date = July 9, 2008 |publisher = Congressional Black Caucus |access-date = June 25, 2008}}</ref> He introduced two initiatives that bore his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the [[Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction]] concept to conventional weapons;<ref>{{cite web |url = http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/ |title = Lugar–Obama Nonproliferation Legislation Signed into Law by the President |date = January 11, 2007 |publisher = Richard Lugar U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154746/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070111-lugar-obama_non/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008}} See also: {{cite news |first1 = Richard G. |last1 = Lugar |last2 = Obama |first2 = Barack |title = Junkyard Dogs of War |date = December 3, 2005 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR2005120201509.html |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-date = October 14, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081014001222/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/02/AR2005120201509.html |url-status = live}}</ref> and the [[Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006]], which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.<ref>{{cite news |first = John |last = McCormack |title = Google Government Gone Viral |date = December 21, 2007 |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/502njiqx.asp |work = Weekly Standard |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423235240/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/502njiqx.asp |archive-date = April 23, 2008 |url-status=live}} See also: {{cite web |title = President Bush Signs Coburn–Obama Transparency Act |date = September 26, 2006 |url=http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501233103/http://coburn.senate.gov/ffm/index.cfm?FuseAction=LegislativeFloorAction.Home&ContentRecord_id=eb582f19-802a-23ad-41db-7a7cb464cfdb |archive-date = May 1, 2008 |publisher = Tom Coburn U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008}}</ref> On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama—along with Senators [[Tom Carper]], [[Tom Coburn]], and [[John McCain]]—introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s3077 |title = S. 3077: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008: 2007–2008 (110th Congress) |publisher = Govtrack.us |date = June 3, 2008 |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = May 3, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120503183255/http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/s3077 |url-status = live}}</ref> He also [[Sponsor (legislative)|cosponsored]] the [[Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act]].<ref>{{cite web |title = S. 1033, Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act |date = May 12, 2005 |url = https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/1033/cosponsors |publisher = Library of Congress |access-date = February 25, 2017 |archive-date = February 26, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170226132657/https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/1033/cosponsors |url-status = live}}</ref>

In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.<ref>{{cite web |title = Democratic Republic of the Congo |date = April 2006 |url=http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/drc0406.shtml |publisher = United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |access-date = January 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110108193726/http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/drc0406.shtml |archive-date = January 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = The IRC Welcomes New U.S. Law on Congo |date = January 5, 2007 |url=http://www.theirc.org/news/the-irc-welcomes-new-us-law.html |publisher = International Rescue Committee |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807061958/http://www.rescue.org/news/the-irc-welcomes-new-us-law.html |archive-date = August 7, 2011}}</ref> In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the [[Honest Leadership and Open Government Act]], which was signed into law in September 2007.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nathaniel |last=Weixel |title=Feingold, Obama Go After Corporate Jet Travel |date=November 15, 2007 |url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feingold-obama-go-after-corporate-jet-travel-2007-11-15.html |work=The Hill |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515201902/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feingold-obama-go-after-corporate-jet-travel-2007-11-15.html |archive-date=May 15, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Nathaniel |last=Weixel |title=Lawmakers Press FEC on Bundling Regulation |date=December 5, 2007 |url=http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-press-fec-on-bundling-regulation-2007-12-05.html |work=The Hill |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416162108/http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/lawmakers-press-fec-on-bundling-regulation-2007-12-05.html |archive-date=April 16, 2008 |url-status=dead}} See also: {{cite news|title=Federal Election Commission Announces Plans to Issue New Regulations to Implement the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 |date=September 24, 2007 |publisher=Federal Election Commission |url=http://www.fec.gov/press/press2007/20070924travel.shtml |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411220016/http://www.fec.gov/press/press2007/20070924travel.shtml |archive-date=April 11, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to add safeguards for personality-disorder military discharges.<ref>{{cite web |title = Obama, Bond Hail New Safeguards on Military Personality Disorder Discharges, Urge Further Action |date = October 1, 2007 |url=http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31 |publisher = Kit Bond U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205075008/http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=5C1EBFEB-1321-0E36-BA7D-04630AEFAD31 |archive-date = December 5, 2010}}</ref> This amendment passed the full Senate in the spring of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title = Obama, Bond Applaud Senate Passage of Amendment to Expedite the Review of Personality Disorder Discharge Cases |url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/080314-obama_bond_appl/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154824/http://obama.senate.gov/press/080314-obama_bond_appl/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008 |date = March 14, 2008}}</ref> He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which was never enacted but later incorporated in the [[Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/s1065|title=Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009 (2009—S. 1065)|website=GovTrack.us|access-date=August 27, 2018|archive-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828071034/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/s1065|url-status=live}}</ref> and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.<ref name="nuclear terrorism" /> Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the [[State Children's Health Insurance Program]], providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.<ref>{{cite web |title = Senate Passes Obama, McCaskill Legislation to Provide Safety Net for Families of Wounded Service Members |date = August 2, 2007 |url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/ |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154819/http://obama.senate.gov/press/070802-senate_passes_o_1/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008}}</ref>

Obama held assignments on the Senate Committees for [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Foreign Relations]], [[United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works|Environment and Public Works]], and [[United States Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs|Veterans' Affairs]] through December 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://obama.senate.gov/committees/ |date = December 9, 2006 |title = Committee Assignments |access-date = April 27, 2008 |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209190827/http://obama.senate.gov/committees/ |archive-date = December 9, 2006}}</ref> In January 2007, he left the Environment and Public Works committee and took additional assignments with [[United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions|Health, Education, Labor and Pensions]] and [[United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs|Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Gets New Committee Assignments |date = November 15, 2006 |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |url=http://obama.senate.gov/news/061115-obama_gets_new/ |agency = Associated Press |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154741/http://obama.senate.gov/news/061115-obama_gets_new/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008}}</ref> He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on [[United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation|European Affairs]].<ref>{{cite news |first = Tom |last = Baldwin |title = 'Stay at home' Barack Obama comes under fire for a lack of foreign experience |date = December 21, 2007 |url = https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/stay-at-home-barack-obama-comes-under-fire-for-a-lack-of-foreign-experience-2qjm86d9l2n |work = Sunday Times (UK) |access-date = April 27, 2008 |archive-date = April 15, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200415064755/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stay-at-home-barack-obama-comes-under-fire-for-a-lack-of-foreign-experience-2qjm86d9l2n |url-status = live}}</ref> As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. He met with [[Mahmoud Abbas]] before Abbas became [[President of the Palestinian National Authority]] and gave a speech at the [[University of Nairobi]] in which he condemned corruption within the Kenyan government.<ref name="Kenyan" /> Obama [[resignation from the United States Senate|resigned his Senate seat]] on November 16, 2008, to focus on his transition period for the presidency.<ref name="transition period" />

==Presidential campaigns==
===2008 presidential candidacy===
{{Main|Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|Barack Obama 2008 presidential primary campaign|2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2008 United States presidential election}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege2008.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=Results for the 2008 United States presidential election, depicting Obama winning many states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific West, and Florida, and McCain winning many states in the South and Rocky Mountains.|2008 electoral vote results. Obama won 365–173.]]
On February 10, 2007, Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the [[Old State Capitol State Historic Site (Illinois)|Old State Capitol]] building in [[Springfield, Illinois]].<ref name="ChicagoTribune_Pearson_20070210">{{cite news |last1=Pearson |first1=Rick |last2=Long |first2=Ray |date=February 10, 2007 |title=Obama: I'm running for president |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070210obama-pearson1-story,0,3768114.story |access-date=September 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813115846/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070210obama-pearson1-story%2C0%2C3768114.story |archive-date=August 13, 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBC20070210">{{cite news |date=February 10, 2007 |title=Obama Launches Presidential Bid |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm |url-status=live |access-date=January 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080202060802/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6349081.stm |archive-date=February 2, 2008}}</ref> The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic, as it was also where [[Abraham Lincoln]] delivered his [[Lincoln's House Divided Speech|"House Divided"]] speech in 1858.<ref name="ChicagoTribune_Pearson_20070210" /><ref name="ChicagoTribune_Parsons20070210">{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-159132539.html |url-status=dead |access-date=June 12, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511195905/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-159132539.html |archive-date = May 11, 2011 |title = Obama's launch site: Symbolic Springfield: Announcement venue evokes Lincoln legacy |last=Parsons |first=Christi |date=February 10, 2007 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> Obama emphasized issues of rapidly ending the Iraq War, increasing [[Energy policy of the United States|energy independence]], and [[Health care reform in the United States|reforming the health care system]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Barack Obama on the Issues: What Would Be Your Top Three Overall Priorities If Elected? |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/#top-priorities |url-status=dead |access-date=April 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509140350/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/barack-obama/ |archive-date=May 9, 2008}} See also:
* {{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Evan |author-link=Evan Thomas |year=2009 |title=A Long Time Coming |publisher=[[PublicAffairs]] |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/alongtimecominge00thom |url-access=registration |isbn=978-1-58648-607-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/alongtimecominge00thom/page/74 74] }}
* {{cite news |last=Falcone |first=Michael |date=December 21, 2007 |title=Obama's 'One Thing' |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/obamas-one-thing/ |access-date=April 14, 2008 |archive-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716212237/https://archive.nytimes.com/thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/obamas-one-thing/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Barack obama by bill cramer.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Obama in 2008, during his presidential campaign]]
Numerous candidates entered the [[2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries|Democratic Party presidential primaries]]. The field narrowed to Obama and Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] after early contests, with the race remaining close throughout the primary process, but Obama gained a steady lead in pledged [[Delegate (American politics)|delegates]] due to better long-range planning, superior fundraising, dominant organizing in [[caucus]] states, and better exploitation of delegate allocation rules.<ref name="allocation" />
On June 2, 2008, Obama had received enough votes to clinch his nomination. After an initial hesitation to concede, on June 7, Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nagourney |first1=Adam |first2=Jeff |last2=Zeleny |date=June 5, 2008 |title=Clinton to End Bid and Endorse Obama |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/politics/04cnd-campaign.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=November 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605014013/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/politics/04cnd-campaign.html |archive-date=June 5, 2008}}</ref> On August 23, 2008, Obama announced his [[2008 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection|selection]] of [[Delaware]] senator [[Joe Biden]] as his vice presidential running mate.<ref name=nagourney>{{cite news |last1=Nagourney |first1=Adam |first2=Jeff |last2=Zeleny |date=August 23, 2008 |title=Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/us/politics/24biden.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401222653/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/us/politics/24biden.html |archive-date=April 1, 2009}}</ref> Obama selected Biden from a field speculated to include former Indiana governor and senator [[Evan Bayh]] and Virginia governor [[Tim Kaine]].<ref name=nagourney /> At the [[2008 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]] in [[Denver]], Colorado, Hillary Clinton called for her supporters to endorse Obama, and she and [[Bill Clinton]] gave convention speeches in his support.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baldwin |first=Tom |date=August 27, 2008 |title=Hillary Clinton: 'Barack is my candidate' |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/hillary-clinton-barack-is-my-candidate-50w3d5n7wm9 |access-date=December 15, 2021 |issn=0140-0460 |archive-date=December 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215030155/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hillary-clinton-barack-is-my-candidate-50w3d5n7wm9 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nagourney |first=Adam |date=August 28, 2008 |title=Obama Wins Nomination; Biden and Bill Clinton Rally Party |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28DEMSDAY.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=December 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827212341/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28DEMSDAY.html |archive-date=August 27, 2008 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Obama delivered his acceptance speech at [[Invesco Field at Mile High]] stadium to a crowd of about eighty-four thousand; the speech was viewed by over three million people worldwide.<ref name="npr1409">{{cite news |last1=Liasson |first1=Mara |last2=Norris |first2=Michele |date=July 7, 2008 |title=Obama To Accept Nomination at Mile High Stadium |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92301409 |access-date=December 22, 2010 |archive-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316164750/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92301409 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="acceptance" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Lloyd |first=Robert |date=August 29, 2008 |title=Barack Obama, Al Gore Raise the Roof at Invesco Field |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-na-tvcritic29-2008aug29,0,3593116.story |access-date=August 29, 2008 |archive-date=September 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906195440/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-na-tvcritic29-2008aug29,0,3593116.story |url-status=live}}</ref> During both the primary process and the general election, Obama's campaign set numerous fundraising records, particularly in the quantity of small donations.<ref name="small donations" /> On June 19, 2008, Obama became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn down [[Campaign finance in the United States#Public financing of campaigns|public financing]] in the general election since the system was created in 1976.<ref name="Bloomberg_Salant_20080619">{{cite news |last=Salant |first=Jonathan D. |date=June 19, 2008 |title=Obama Won't Accept Public Money in Election Campaign |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |url=https://article.wn.com/view/2008/06/19/Obama_Wont_Accept_Public_Money_in_Election_Campaign/ |access-date=June 19, 2008 |archive-date=February 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207114028/https://article.wn.com/view/2008/06/19/Obama_Wont_Accept_Public_Money_in_Election_Campaign/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

John McCain was nominated as the Republican candidate, and he selected [[Sarah Palin]] as his running mate. Obama and McCain engaged in three [[United States presidential election debates|presidential debates]] in September and October 2008.<ref name="presidential debates" /> On November 4, Obama won the presidency with 365 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]] to 173 received by McCain.<ref name="electoral votes" /> Obama won 52.9 percent of the [[Election|popular vote]] to McCain's 45.7 percent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html |title = General Election: McCain vs. Obama |access-date = February 20, 2009 |publisher = Real Clear Politics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090217083055/http://www.realclearpolitics.com//epolls//2008//president//us//general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html |archive-date = February 17, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> He became the first African-American to be elected president.<ref name="FirstBlackPrez">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7709978.stm |title = Obama wins historic US election |publisher = BBC News |date = November 5, 2008 |access-date = November 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218083153/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7709978.stm |archive-date = December 18, 2008 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |access-date = November 5, 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05elect.html |title = Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls |first = Adam |last = Nagourney |date = November 4, 2008 |work = The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209071842/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05elect.html |archive-date = December 9, 2008 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |access-date = November 5, 2008 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html |title = Obama: 'This is your victory' |publisher = CNN |date = November 5, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104231227/http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html |archive-date = November 4, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Obama delivered [[Barack Obama election victory speech, 2008|his victory speech]] before hundreds of thousands of supporters in Chicago's [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]].<ref name=achangeisgoncome>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/us/politics/05text-obama.html|website=[[The New York Times]]|first=Barack|last=Obama|year=2008|title=Transcript of Senator Barack Obama's speech to supporters after the Feb. 5 nominating contests, as provided by Federal News Service|quote=Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.|access-date=June 21, 2023|archive-date=June 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621044712/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/us/politics/05text-obama.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="independent1">{{cite news |access-date = November 5, 2008 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/change-has-come-says-presidentelect-obama-992930.html |title = Change has come, says President-elect Obama |work = The Independent |location = London |date = November 5, 2008 |last = Johnson |first = Wesley |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209055411/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/change-has-come-says-presidentelect-obama-992930.html |archive-date = December 9, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> He is one of the three United States senators moved directly from the U.S. Senate to the White House, the others being [[Warren G. Harding]] and [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S. Senate: Senators Who Became President|url=https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senators_became_president.htm|access-date=August 27, 2021|website=senate.gov|archive-date=July 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724012115/https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senators_became_president.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===2012 presidential candidacy===
{{Main|Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign|2012 Democratic Party presidential primaries|2012 United States presidential election}}
[[File:ElectoralCollege2012.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|alt=Results for the 2012 United States presidential election, depicting Obama winning many states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific West, and Florida, and Romney winning many states in the South and Rocky Mountains.|2012 electoral vote results. Obama won 332–206.]]

On April 4, 2011, Obama filed election papers with the [[Federal Election Commission]] and then announced his reelection campaign for 2012 in a video titled "It Begins with Us" that he posted on his website.<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Begins Re-Election Facing New Political Challenges |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/obama-launches-re-election-facing-new-political-challenges/ |date = April 4, 2011 |first = Michael D. |last = Shear |work = The New York Times (blog) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405205656/http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/obama-launches-re-election-facing-new-political-challenges/ |archive-date = April 5, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Obama announces re-election bid |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/04/04/Obama-announces-re-election-bid/UPI-95081301905800/?dailybrief |date = April 4, 2011 |work = [[United Press International]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510011832/http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/04/04/Obama-announces-re-election-bid/UPI-95081301905800/?dailybrief |archive-date = May 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Opens 2012 Campaign, With Eye on Money and Independent Voters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/us/politics/05obama.html |date = April 4, 2011 |first1 = Jeff |last1 = Zeleny |work = The New York Times |first2 = Jackie |last2 = Calmes |name-list-style = amp |access-date = April 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115021431/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/us/politics/05obama.html|archive-date=November 15, 2012}}</ref> As the incumbent president, he ran virtually unopposed in the [[Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2012|Democratic Party presidential primaries]],<ref name="CNN-clinch1">{{cite news |url = http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/leading-presidential-candidate-to-clinch-nomination-tuesday/ |title = Leading presidential candidate to clinch nomination Tuesday |publisher = CNN (blog) |last = Yoon |first = Robert |date = April 3, 2012 |access-date = May 2, 2012 |archive-date = April 26, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120426082004/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/leading-presidential-candidate-to-clinch-nomination-tuesday/ |url-status = dead}}</ref> and on April 3, 2012, Obama secured the 2778 [[2012 Democratic National Convention|convention]] delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination.<ref name="CNN-clinch2">{{cite news |url = http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/breaking-obama-clinches-democratic-nomination/ |title = Obama clinches Democratic nomination |publisher = CNN (blog) |date = April 3, 2012 |access-date = April 3, 2012 |archive-date = April 4, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120404203415/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/breaking-obama-clinches-democratic-nomination/ |url-status = dead}}</ref> At the [[2012 Democratic National Convention|Democratic National Convention]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], Obama and Joe Biden were formally nominated by former president Bill Clinton as the Democratic Party candidates for president and vice president in the general election. Their main opponents were Republicans [[Mitt Romney]], the former governor of Massachusetts, and Representative [[Paul Ryan]] of Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite news |last = Cohen |first = Tom |title = Clinton says Obama offers a better path forward for America |url = https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/05/politics/democratic-convention-wrap/index.html |publisher = CNN |date = September 6, 2012 |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = July 6, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150706115632/http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/05/politics/democratic-convention-wrap/index.html |url-status = live}}</ref>

On November 6, 2012, Obama won 332 electoral votes, exceeding the 270 required for him to be reelected as president.<ref name="Lauter2012">{{cite news|last=Lauter |first=David |title=Romney campaign gives up in Florida |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-romney-concedes-florida-election-20121108,0,415187.story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109020204/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-romney-concedes-florida-election-20121108%2C0%2C415187.story |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=November 8, 2012 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Barnes2012">{{cite news |last = Barnes |first = Robert |title = Obama wins a second term as U.S. president |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/after-grueling-campaign-polls-open-for-election-day-2012/2012/11/06/d1c24c98-2802-11e2-b4e0-346287b7e56c_story.html |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = November 6, 2012 |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = April 17, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150417162701/http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/after-grueling-campaign-polls-open-for-election-day-2012/2012/11/06/d1c24c98-2802-11e2-b4e0-346287b7e56c_story.html |url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="Welch2012">{{cite news |last1 = Welch |first1 = William M. |last2 = Strauss |first2 = Gary |title = With win in critical battleground states, Obama wins second term |url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/11/06/election-day-obama-romney/1680933/ |newspaper = USA Today |date = November 7, 2012 |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = June 16, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150616201528/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/11/06/election-day-obama-romney/1680933/ |url-status = live}}</ref> With 51.1 percent of the popular vote,<ref name="FEC">{{cite web |url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/federalelections2012.pdf |title = Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives |publisher = [[Federal Election Commission]] |author = FEC |date = July 2013 |access-date = August 20, 2013 |page = 5 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131002094824/http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/federalelections2012.pdf |archive-date = October 2, 2013 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Obama became the first Democratic president since [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] to win the [[List of United States presidential elections by popular vote margin|majority of the popular vote]] twice.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brownstein |first=Ronald |title=The U.S. has reached a demographic milestone—and it's not turning back |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/thenextamerica/demographics/the-u-s-has-reached-a-demographic-milestone-and-it-s-not-turning-back-20121109 |work=[[National Journal]] |date=November 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111231854/http://www.nationaljournal.com/thenextamerica/demographics/the-u-s-has-reached-a-demographic-milestone-and-it-s-not-turning-back-20121109 |archive-date=November 11, 2012 |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.thenation.com/blog/171178/obama-has-great-big-mandate-and-he-must-use-it |title = Obama's 3 Million Vote, Electoral College Landslide, Majority of States Mandate |last = Nichols |first = John |date = November 9, 2012 |work = The Nation |access-date = November 18, 2012 |archive-date = November 27, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121127235843/http://www.thenation.com/blog/171178/obama-has-great-big-mandate-and-he-must-use-it |url-status = live}}</ref> Obama addressed supporters and volunteers at Chicago's [[McCormick Place]] after his reelection and said: "Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties."<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Kristen A.|title=Election 2012: President Obama gives victory speech in front of thousands in Chicago, 'I have never been more hopeful about America{{'-}}|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/president-obama-victory-speech-hopeful-america-article-1.1197895|access-date=November 8, 2012|newspaper=Daily News|location=New York|date=November 7, 2012|archive-date=November 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109073355/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/president-obama-victory-speech-hopeful-america-article-1.1197895|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYT20130121">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/us/politics/obama-inauguration-draws-hundreds-of-thousands.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121151143/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/us/politics/obama-inauguration-draws-hundreds-of-thousands.html |archive-date=January 21, 2013 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Obama Offers Liberal Vision: 'We Must Act{{'-}}|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|first=Michael|last=Shear|date=January 21, 2013|access-date=July 10, 2013}}</ref>

==Presidency (2009–2017)==
{{Main|Presidency of Barack Obama}}
{{for timeline|Timeline of the Barack Obama presidency}}

===First 100 days===
{{Main|First 100 days of the Obama presidency}}
[[File:US President Barack Obama taking his Oath of Office - 2009Jan20.jpg|thumb|Obama takes [[Oath of office of the President of the United States|the oath of office]] administered by [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[John Roberts]] at [[United States Capitol|the Capitol]], January 20, 2009|alt=Photo of Obama raising his left hand for the oath of office]]
[[File:Official portrait of Barack Obama.jpg|thumb|upright|Official portrait, 2009]]
The [[First inauguration of Barack Obama|inauguration of Barack Obama]] as the 44th president took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office, Obama issued [[executive order]]s and [[presidential memoranda]] directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |title=Obama asks Pentagon for responsible Iraq drawdown |date=January 23, 2009 |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2009/01/22/Obama-asks-Pentagon-for-responsible-Iraq-drawdown/stories/200901220423 |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |first1=Anne |last1=Gearan |first2=Lolita C. |last2=Baldor |agency=Associated Press |access-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223150302/https://www.post-gazette.com/news/nation/2009/01/22/Obama-asks-Pentagon-for-responsible-Iraq-drawdown/stories/200901220423 |url-status=live }}</ref> He ordered the closing of the [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/washington/22gitmo.html |title = Obama Orders Halt to Prosecutions at Guantánamo |last = Glaberson |first = William |date = January 21, 2009 |work = The New York Times |access-date = February 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416015909/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/washington/22gitmo.html|archive-date=April 16, 2009 }}</ref> but Congress prevented the closure by refusing to appropriate the required funds<ref>{{cite news |title = Senate blocks transfer of Gitmo detainees |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/30826649 |date = May 20, 2009 |work = [[NBC News]] |agency = Associated Press |mode = cs2 |access-date = March 22, 2011 |archive-date = November 4, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141104101140/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30826649/ |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Obama signs Defense authorization bill |url = https://federalnewsnetwork.com/congress/2011/01/obama-signs-defense-authorization-bill/ |date = January 7, 2011 |first = Jared |last = Serbu |publisher = [[Federal News Radio]] |mode = cs2 |access-date = March 22, 2011 |archive-date = December 12, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181212174641/http://federalnewsnetwork.com/congress/2011/01/obama-signs-defense-authorization-bill/ |url-status = live }}</ref> and preventing moving any Guantanamo detainee.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.npr.org/2013/01/23/169922171/obamas-promise-to-close-guantanamo-prison-falls-short |title = Obama's Promise To Close Guantanamo Prison Falls Short |last = Northam |first = Jackie |date = January 23, 2013 |access-date = April 22, 2013 |publisher = [[NPR]] |archive-date = March 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130326042851/http://www.npr.org/2013/01/23/169922171/obamas-promise-to-close-guantanamo-prison-falls-short |url-status = live }}</ref> Obama reduced the secrecy given to presidential records.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |date=December 30, 2009 |title=Obama Curbs Secrecy of Classified Documents |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/us/politics/30secrets.html |access-date=December 20, 2022 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=December 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221220023908/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/us/politics/30secrets.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He also revoked President George W. Bush's restoration of President [[Ronald Reagan]]'s [[Mexico City policy]] which prohibited federal aid to international [[family planning]] organizations that perform or provide counseling about abortion.<ref>{{cite news |last = Meckler |first = Laura |date = January 24, 2009 |title = Obama lifts 'gag rule' on family-planning groups |newspaper = The Wall Street Journal |page = A3 |url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123272364299610287 |access-date = September 21, 2012 |archive-date = July 23, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150723125402/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123272364299610287 |url-status = live }}
* {{cite news |last1 = Stein |first1 = Rob |last2 = Shear |first2 = Michael |date = January 24, 2009 |title = Funding restored to groups that perform abortions, other care |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = A3 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/23/AR2009012302814.html |access-date = September 21, 2012 |quote = Lifting the Mexico City Policy would not permit U.S. tax dollars to be used for abortions, but it would allow funding to resume to groups that provide other services, including counseling about abortions. |archive-date = November 11, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121111031558/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/23/AR2009012302814.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

===Domestic policy===
{{See also|Social policy of the Obama administration}}

The first bill signed into law by Obama was the [[Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009]], relaxing the [[statute of limitations]] for equal-pay lawsuits.<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation |work = The New York Times |first=Sheryl Gay|last=Stolberg|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130125449/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date = June 15, 2009 |date = January 30, 2009 }}</ref> Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program to cover an additional four million uninsured children.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obama signs into law expansion of SCHIP health care program for children |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-kids-health-care_thufeb05,0,30310.story |access-date=June 15, 2009 |first=Noam N. |last=Levey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430194400/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-kids-health-care_thufeb05%2C0%2C30310.story |archive-date=April 30, 2009 |url-status=dead |date=February 5, 2009 }}</ref> In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy that had limited funding of [[embryonic stem cell]] research and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.stem.cells/index.html |title = Obama overturns Bush policy on stem cells |publisher = CNN |date = March 9, 2009 |access-date = April 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330183125/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.stem.cells/index.html |archive-date = March 30, 2010 }}</ref>

[[File:Barack Obama addresses joint session of Congress 2009-02-24.jpg|thumb|left|Obama delivers a [[February 2009 Barack Obama speech to a joint session of Congress|speech at a joint session of Congress]] with Vice President [[Joe Biden]] and [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|House Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] on February 24, 2009|alt=Photo of Obama giving a speech to Congress, with Pelosi and Biden clapping behind him]]

Obama appointed two women to serve on the Supreme Court in the first two years of his presidency. He nominated [[Sonia Sotomayor]] on May 26, 2009, to replace retiring [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|associate justice]] [[David Souter]]. She was confirmed on August 6, 2009,<ref>{{cite news |title=Senate confirms Sotomayor for Supreme Court |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/06/sonia.sotomayor/ |first1=Lisa |last1=Desjardins |first2=Kristi |last2=Keck |first3=Bill |last3=Mears |date=August 6, 2009 |publisher=CNN |access-date=August 6, 2009 |archive-date=September 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925110216/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/06/sonia.sotomayor/ |url-status=live }}</ref> becoming the first Supreme Court Justice of [[Hispanic]] descent.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/supreme.court/index.html |first1=Peter |last1=Hamby |first2=Ed |last2=Henry |first3=Suzanne |last3=Malveaux |first4=Bill |last4=Mears |title=Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court |date=May 26, 2009 |website=CNN |access-date=September 13, 2014 |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915214022/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/supreme.court/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Obama nominated [[Elena Kagan]] on May 10, 2010, to replace retiring Associate Justice [[John Paul Stevens]]. She was confirmed on August 5, 2010, bringing the number of women sitting simultaneously on the Court to three for the first time in American history.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20101004/News/608110519/LL/ |title = New Era Begins on High Court: Kagan Takes Place as Third Woman |last = Sherman |first = Mark |date = October 4, 2010 |agency = Associated Press |website=The Ledger  |access-date = November 13, 2010 |archive-date = October 10, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010074850/http://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20101004/News/608110519/LL/ |url-status = dead }}</ref>

On March 11, 2009, Obama created the [[White House Council on Women and Girls]], which formed part of the [[Office of Intergovernmental Affairs]], having been established by {{Executive Order|13506}} with a broad mandate to advise him on issues relating to the welfare of American women and girls. The council was chaired by [[Senior Advisor to the President]] [[Valerie Jarrett]]. Obama also established the [[White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault]] through a government memorandum on January 22, 2014, with a broad mandate to advise him on issues relating to sexual assault on college and university campuses throughout the United States. The co-chairs of the Task Force were Vice President Joe Biden and Jarrett. The Task Force was a development out of the White House Council on Women and Girls and [[Office of the Vice President of the United States]], and prior to that the 1994 [[Violence Against Women Act]] first drafted by Biden.

In July 2009, Obama launched the [[Priority Enforcement Program]], an immigration enforcement program that had been pioneered by George W. Bush, and the [[Secure Communities]] fingerprinting and immigration status data-sharing program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 24, 2015 |title=Obama Administration Implements Priority Enforcement Program, Limits Interior Enforcement |url=https://www.numbersusa.com/news/obama-administration-implements-priority-enforcement-program-limits-interior-enforcement |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=NumbersUSA |language=en |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525035043/https://www.numbersusa.com/news/obama-administration-implements-priority-enforcement-program-limits-interior-enforcement |url-status=live }}</ref>

In a [[Space policy of the Obama administration|major space policy speech]] in April 2010, Obama announced a planned change in direction at [[NASA]], the U.S. space agency. He ended plans for a return of [[human spaceflight]] to the moon and development of the [[Ares I]] rocket, [[Ares V]] rocket and [[Constellation program]], in favor of funding [[earth science]] projects, a new rocket type, research and development for an eventual crewed mission to Mars, and ongoing missions to the [[International Space Station]].<ref>{{cite news |first1=Robert |last1=Block |first2=Mark K. |last2=Matthews |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-27-la-na-nasa-budget27-2010jan27-story.html |title=White House won't fund NASA moon program |quote=President Obama's budget proposal includes no money for the Ares I and Ares V rocket or Constellation program. Instead, NASA would be asked to monitor climate change and develop a new rocket |date=January 27, 2010 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 30, 2011 |archive-date=October 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026070433/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jan-27-la-na-nasa-budget27-2010jan27-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Barack Obama visiting victims of 2012 Aurora shooting.jpg|thumb|Obama visits an [[2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting|Aurora shooting]] victim at [[University of Colorado Hospital]], 2012|alt=Photo of Obama smiling at a hospital patient while hugging her friend]]

On January 16, 2013, one month after the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]], Obama signed 23 executive orders and outlined a series of sweeping proposals regarding [[Gun politics in the United States|gun control]].<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21049942 |publisher = BBC News |title = US gun debate: Obama unveils gun control proposals |first = Mark |last = Mardell |date = January 16, 2013 |access-date = January 16, 2013 |archive-date = January 16, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130116181612/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21049942 |url-status = live }}</ref> He urged Congress to reintroduce an [[Federal Assault Weapons Ban|expired ban]] on military-style [[assault weapons]], such as those used in several recent mass shootings, impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, introduce background checks on all gun sales, pass a ban on possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets, introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers, especially unlicensed dealers who buy arms for criminals and approving the appointment of the head of the federal [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] for the first time since 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title = What's in Obama's Gun Control Proposal |url = https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/16/us/obama-gun-control-proposal.html |work = The New York Times |date = January 16, 2013 |access-date = February 12, 2013 |archive-date = February 21, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130221133649/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/01/16/us/obama-gun-control-proposal.html |url-status = live }}</ref> On January 5, 2016, Obama announced new executive actions extending background check requirements to more gun sellers.<ref name="edition.cnn.com">{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/05/politics/obama-gun-control-executive-action/ |title=Obama announces gun control executive action (full transcript) |work=CNN |date=January 5, 2016 |access-date=January 7, 2016 |archive-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221221129/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/05/politics/obama-gun-control-executive-action/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2016 editorial in ''The New York Times'', Obama compared the struggle for what he termed "common-sense gun reform" to [[women's suffrage]] and other [[civil rights movements]] in American history.

In 2011, Obama signed a four-year renewal of the Patriot Act.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/43180202/ns/us_news-security/t/obama-europe-signs-patriot-act-extension/ |work=[[NBC News]] |title=Obama, in Europe, signs Patriot Act extension |date=May 27, 2011 |access-date=August 8, 2019 |archive-date=August 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810204645/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43180202/ns/us_news-security/t/obama-europe-signs-patriot-act-extension/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the [[2013 global surveillance disclosures]] by [[whistleblower]] [[Edward Snowden]], Obama condemned the leak as unpatriotic,<ref name="CNN-Snowden">{{cite news | work=CNN | url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/politics/obama-snowden-whistleblower | title=Fact-checking Obama's claims about Snowden | date=August 13, 2013 | access-date=August 8, 2019 | last=Wolf | first=Z. Byron | archive-date=August 8, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808215548/https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/politics/obama-snowden-whistleblower | url-status=live }}</ref> but called for increased restrictions on the [[National Security Agency]] (NSA) to address violations of privacy.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-security-obama-idUSL1N0MS1QW20140403?type=companyNews | title=Obama's NSA overhaul may require phone carriers to store more data | date=April 3, 2014 | work=Reuters | access-date=August 8, 2019 | last=Hosenball | first=Mark | archive-date=June 2, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602160321/https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-security-obama-idUSL1N0MS1QW20140403?type=companyNews | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ackerman |first=Spencer |date=January 17, 2014 |title=Obama to overhaul NSA's bulk storage of Americans' telephone data |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/obama-end-nsa-bulk-storage-telephone-metadata |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=August 12, 2019 |archive-date=August 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812214452/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/obama-end-nsa-bulk-storage-telephone-metadata |url-status=live }}</ref> Obama continued and expanded surveillance programs set up by George W. Bush, while implementing some reforms.<ref name="Roth2017">{{cite web |last=Roth |first=Kenneth |date=January 9, 2017 |title=Barack Obama's Shaky Legacy on Human Rights |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/01/09/barack-obamas-shaky-legacy-human-rights |access-date=June 26, 2022 |website=[[Human Rights Watch]] |language=en |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202082511/https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/01/09/barack-obamas-shaky-legacy-human-rights |url-status=live }}</ref> He supported legislation that would have limited the NSA's ability to collect phone records in bulk under a single program and supported bringing more transparency to the [[Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court]] (FISC).<ref name="Roth2017" />

====Racial issues====
{{see also|Race and ethnicity in the United States}}

In his speeches as president, Obama did not make more overt references to race relations than his predecessors,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dyson |first1=Michael Eric |title=The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-544-38766-9 |page=275|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gillion |first=Daniel Q. |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/governing-with-words/5D4F713A016401E3FC3922C66D371FF2 |title=Governing with Words |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-316-41229-9 |language=en |doi=10.1017/CBO9781316412299 |access-date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=August 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810185603/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/governing-with-words/5D4F713A016401E3FC3922C66D371FF2 |url-status=live }}</ref> but according to one study, he implemented stronger policy action on behalf of African-Americans than any president since the Nixon era.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Butler |first1=Bennett |last2=Mendelberg |first2=Tali |last3=Haines |first3=Pavielle E. |date=2019 |title="I'm Not the President of Black America": Rhetorical versus Policy Representation |journal=Perspectives on Politics |language=en |volume=17 |issue=4 |pages=1038–1058 |doi=10.1017/S1537592719000963 |issn=1537-5927 |doi-access=free| publisher=Cambridge University Press}}</ref>

Following Obama's election, many pondered the existence of a "[[post-racial America]]".<ref name="wrodgers">{{cite news |last1=Rodgers |first1=Walter |date=January 5, 2010 |title=A year into Obama's presidency, is America postracial? |work=The Christian Science Monitor |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Walter-Rodgers/2010/0105/A-year-into-Obama-s-presidency-is-America-postracial |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117065412/http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Walter-Rodgers/2010/0105/A-year-into-Obama-s-presidency-is-America-postracial |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="shearalcindor1">{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael |last2=Alcindor |first2=Yamiche |date=January 14, 2017 |title=Jolted by Deaths, Obama Found His Voice on Race |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/politics/obama-presidency-race.html |access-date=January 17, 2017 |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116205805/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/politics/obama-presidency-race.html |url-status=live }}</ref> However, lingering racial tensions quickly became apparent,<ref name="wrodgers" /><ref name="ccil2">{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |date=August 14, 2014 |title=President Obama's vision of post-racial America faces another stress test with Ferguson |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/08/14/president-obamas-desire-to-reshape-race-relations-runs-into-stark-realities/ |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117033531/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/08/14/president-obamas-desire-to-reshape-race-relations-runs-into-stark-realities/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and many African-Americans expressed outrage over what they saw as an intense racial animosity directed at Obama.<ref name="jblake">{{Cite web |last=Blake |first=John |date=July 1, 2016 |title=What black America won't miss about Obama |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/30/politics/why-black-america-may-be-relieved-to-see-obama-go/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003024730/https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/30/politics/why-black-america-may-be-relieved-to-see-obama-go/ |archive-date=October 3, 2022 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref> The [[Trial of George Zimmerman|acquittal]] of [[George Zimmerman]] following the [[killing of Trayvon Martin]] sparked national outrage, leading to Obama giving a speech in which he said that "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago."<ref name="ccilliza">{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |date=July 19, 2013 |title=President Obama's remarkably personal speech on Trayvon Martin and race in America |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/07/19/president-obamas-remarkably-personal-speech-on-trayvon-martin-and-race-in-america/ |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022902/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/07/19/president-obamas-remarkably-personal-speech-on-trayvon-martin-and-race-in-america/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The shooting of [[Shooting of Michael Brown|Michael Brown]] in [[Ferguson, Missouri]], [[Ferguson unrest|sparked a wave of protests]].<ref name="capeheart2">{{cite news |last1=Capeheart |first1=Jonathan |date=February 27, 2015 |title=From Trayvon Martin to 'black lives matter' |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/02/27/from-trayvon-martin-to-black-lives-matter/ |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117013956/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/02/27/from-trayvon-martin-to-black-lives-matter/ |url-status=live }}</ref> These and other events led to the birth of the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement, which campaigns against violence and [[systemic racism]] toward [[black people]].<ref name="capeheart2" /> Though Obama entered office reluctant to talk about race, by 2014 he began openly discussing the disadvantages faced by many members of minority groups.<ref name="pbacon">{{cite news |last1=Bacon |first1=Perry Jr. |date=January 3, 2015 |title=In Wake of Police Shootings, Obama Speaks More Bluntly About Race |publisher=NBC |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/barack-obama/wake-police-shootings-obama-speaks-more-bluntly-about-race-n278616 |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=November 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151111003526/http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/barack-obama/wake-police-shootings-obama-speaks-more-bluntly-about-race-n278616 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several incidents during Obama's presidency generated disapproval from the African-American community and with law enforcement, and Obama sought to build trust between law enforcement officials and civil rights activists, with mixed results. Some in law enforcement criticized Obama's condemnation of racial bias after incidents in which police action led to the death of African-American men, while some racial justice activists criticized Obama's expressions of empathy for the police.<ref name="bridgethedivide">{{cite news |last1=Hirschfield Davis |first1=Julie |date=July 13, 2016 |title=Obama Urges Civil Rights Activists and Police to Bridge Divide |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/14/us/politics/tensions-between-police-and-blacks-are-likely-to-worsen-obama-says.html |access-date=July 23, 2016 |archive-date=July 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718174834/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/14/us/politics/tensions-between-police-and-blacks-are-likely-to-worsen-obama-says.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In a March 2016 Gallup poll, nearly one third of Americans said they worried "a great deal" about race relations, a higher figure than in any previous Gallup poll since 2001.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 11, 2016 |title=U.S. Worries About Race Relations Reach a New High |publisher=Gallup |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/190574/worries-race-relations-reach-new-high.aspx?g_source=race%20obama&g_medium=search&g_campaign=tiles|access-date=December 5, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220044735/http://www.gallup.com/poll/190574/worries-race-relations-reach-new-high.aspx?g_source=race%20obama&g_medium=search&g_campaign=tiles|url-status=live |author-last1=Norman|author-first1=Jim}}</ref>

====LGBT rights====
On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the [[Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act]], a measure that expanded the [[Hate crime laws in the United States#Federal|1969 United States federal hate-crime law]] to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/28/hate.crimes/ |title=Obama signs hate crimes bill into law |work=CNN |date=October 28, 2009 |access-date=October 12, 2011 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112004850/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/28/hate.crimes/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On October 30, 2009, Obama lifted the ban on travel to the United States by those infected with HIV. The lifting of the ban was celebrated by [[Immigration Equality]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Preston |first=Julia |date=October 30, 2009 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/politics/31travel.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407213122/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/politics/31travel.html |archive-date=April 7, 2010 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Obama Lifts a Ban on Entry Into U.S. by H.I.V.-Positive People |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=February 8, 2017 }}</ref> On December 22, 2010, Obama signed the [[Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010]], which fulfilled a promise made in the 2008 presidential campaign<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/22/obama-repeals-dont-ask-dont-tell |title = 'Don't ask, don't tell' repealed as Obama signs landmark law |work = The Guardian |location = London |date = December 22, 2010 |access-date = June 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223060037/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/obama-repeals-dont-ask-dont-tell |archive-date = December 23, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Sheryl Gay|last=Stolberg|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/us/politics/23military.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512170430/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/us/politics/23military.html |archive-date=May 12, 2011 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Obama Signs Away 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'|date=December 23, 2010|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> to end the [[don't ask, don't tell]] policy of 1993 that had prevented gay and lesbian people from serving openly in the [[United States Armed Forces]]. In 2016, the Pentagon ended the policy that barred [[Transgender personnel in the United States military|transgender people from serving openly in the military]].<ref name=TransBan1>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/30/us-military-ends-ban-transgender-service-members |first1=Molly |last1=Redden |first2=Amanda |last2=Holpuch |title=US military ends ban on transgender service members |work=The Guardian |date=June 30, 2016 |access-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-date=February 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219181650/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/30/us-military-ends-ban-transgender-service-members |url-status=live }}</ref>

===== Same-sex marriage =====
As a candidate for the Illinois state senate in 1996, Obama stated he favored legalizing [[Same-sex marriage in the United States|same-sex marriage]].<ref name="WCT0114">{{cite news |last = Baim |first = Tracy |title = Windy City Times exclusive: Obama's Marriage Views Changed. WCT Examines His Step Back |url = http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Windy-City-Times-exclusive-Obamas-Marriage-Views-Changed-WCT-Examines-His-Step-Back/20524.html |access-date = May 10, 2012 |newspaper = [[Windy City Times]] |date = January 14, 2009 |archive-date = November 14, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121114030720/http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Windy-City-Times-exclusive-Obamas-Marriage-Views-Changed-WCT-Examines-His-Step-Back/20524.html |url-status = live }}</ref> During his Senate run in 2004, he said he supported civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners but opposed same-sex marriages.<ref name="WCT0204">{{cite news |last = Baim |first = Tracy |title = Obama Seeks U.S. Senate seat |url = http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=3931 |access-date = May 10, 2012 |newspaper = [[Windy City Times]] |date = February 4, 2004 |archive-date = May 14, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120514034445/http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=3931 |url-status = live }}</ref> In 2008, he reaffirmed this position by stating "I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I am not in favor of gay marriage."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/may/11/barack-obama/president-barack-obamas-shift-gay-marriage/|title=President Barack Obama's shifting stance on gay marriage|author-first1=Becky|author-last1=Bowers|date=May 11, 2012|work=PolitiFact|access-date=November 28, 2018|archive-date=November 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126060141/https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/may/11/barack-obama/president-barack-obamas-shift-gay-marriage/|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 9, 2012, shortly after the official launch of his campaign for re-election as president, Obama said his views had evolved, and he publicly affirmed his personal support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to do so.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-backs-same-sex-marriage/ |first=Corbett |last=Daly |title=Obama backs same-sex marriage |work=[[CBS News]] |date=May 9, 2012 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |archive-date=December 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219204646/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-backs-same-sex-marriage/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Huffington Post">{{cite news |url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/obama-gay-marriage_n_1503245.html |title = Obama Backs Gay Marriage |last = Stein |first = Sam |date = May 9, 2012 |work = The Huffington Post |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = June 29, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150629071547/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/obama-gay-marriage_n_1503245.html |url-status = live }}</ref> During his second [[Second inauguration of Barack Obama|inaugural address]] on January 21, 2013,<ref name="NYT20130121" /> Obama became the first U.S. president in office to call for full equality for gay Americans, and the first to mention [[LGBT rights in the United States|gay rights]] or the word "gay" in an inaugural address.<ref>{{cite news |last = Robillard |first = Kevin |title = First inaugural use of the word 'gay' |url = https://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/first-inaugural-use-of-the-word-gay-086499 |access-date = January 21, 2013 |work = Politico |date = January 21, 2013 |archive-date = July 23, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150723110125/http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/first-inaugural-use-of-the-word-gay-86499.html |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Inauguration Speech Makes History With Mention of Gay Rights Struggle, Stonewall Uprising |url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/obama-inauguration-speech-stonewall-gays_n_2520962.html |work = The Huffington Post |access-date = January 21, 2013 |first = Noah |last = Michelson |date = January 21, 2013 |archive-date = September 19, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180919184320/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/21/obama-inauguration-speech-stonewall-gays_n_2520962.html |url-status = live }}</ref> In 2013, the Obama administration filed briefs that urged the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] to rule in favor of same-sex couples in the cases of ''[[Hollingsworth v. Perry]]'' (regarding same-sex marriage)<ref name="huffpo-amicus">{{cite news |url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/obama-gay-marriage_n_2783912.html |title = Obama Administration: Gay Marriage Ban Unconstitutional In Prop. 8 Supreme Court Case |last = Reilly |first = Ryan J. |date = February 28, 2013 |work = [[The Huffington Post]] |access-date = April 21, 2013 |archive-date = April 11, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130411220023/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/obama-gay-marriage_n_2783912.html |url-status = live }}</ref> and ''[[United States v. Windsor]]'' (regarding the [[Defense of Marriage Act]]).<ref name="cnn-amicus">{{cite news |url = https://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/22/politics/supreme-court-marriage |title = Obama administration weighs in on defense of marriage law |last = Mears |first = Bill |date = February 27, 2013 |publisher = CNN |access-date = April 21, 2013 |archive-date = September 1, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130901110517/http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/22/politics/supreme-court-marriage |url-status = live }}</ref>

====Economic policy====
{{Main|Economic policy of the Obama administration}}

On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], a $787{{spaces}}billion (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|787|2009}} billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}) [[economic stimulus]] package aimed at helping the economy recover from the [[Great Recession|deepening worldwide recession]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/13/stimulus/index.html |title = Stimulus package en route to Obama's desk |access-date = March 29, 2009 |publisher = CNN |date = February 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330094958/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/13/stimulus/index.html |archive-date = March 30, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and [[tax incentive|incentives]], and direct assistance to individuals.<ref name="direct assistance" /> In March 2009, Obama's Treasury Secretary, [[Timothy Geithner]], took further steps to manage the [[2008 financial crisis]], including introducing the [[Public–Private Investment Program for Legacy Assets]], which contains provisions for buying up to $2{{spaces}}trillion in depreciated real estate assets.<ref name="markets opened" />

[[File:U.S. Total Deficits vs. National Debt Increases 2001-2010.png|thumb|[[United States federal budget|Deficit]] and [[National debt of the United States|debt]] increases, 2001–2016|alt=Graph showing large deficit increases in 2008 and 2009, followed by a decline]]

Obama intervened in the [[automotive industry crisis of 2008–10|troubled automotive industry]]<ref>{{cite news|title=White House questions viability of GM, Chrysler |date=March 30, 2009 |first=David|last= Espo |work=The Huffington Post |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/30/obama-denies-bailout-fund_n_180563.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407010806/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/30/obama-denies-bailout-fund_n_180563.html |archive-date=April 7, 2009 }}</ref> in March 2009, renewing loans for [[General Motors]] (GM) and [[Chrysler]] to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the [[Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization|sale of Chrysler]] to Italian automaker [[Fiat]]<ref>{{cite news |title = Chrysler and Union Agree to Deal Before Federal Deadline |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/27chrysler.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428062100/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/business/27chrysler.html |archive-date=April 28, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |work = The New York Times |first1 = Nick |last1 = Bunkley |first2 = Bill |last2 = Vlasic |date = April 27, 2009 |access-date = April 12, 2010 }}</ref> and a [[General Motors Chapter 11 reorganization|reorganization of GM]] giving the U.S. government a temporary 60 percent equity stake in the company.<ref>{{cite news|title=GM Begins Bankruptcy Process With Filing for Affiliate |first1=John |last1=Hughes |first2=Caroline |last2=Salas |first3=Jeff |last3=Green |first4=Bob |last4=Van Voris |url=http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aw4F_L7E4xYg |agency=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=June 1, 2009 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613163056/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087 |archive-date=June 13, 2010 }}</ref> In June 2009, dissatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus, Obama called on his cabinet to accelerate the investment.<ref name="Christopher Conkey and Louise Radnofsky">{{cite news |title = Obama Presses Cabinet to Speed Stimulus Spending |date = June 9, 2009 |work = The Wall Street Journal |publisher = News Corp |url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124445867883193821 |first1 = Christopher |last1 = Conkey |first2 = Louise |last2 = Radnofsky |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = July 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130726203047/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124445867883193821.html |url-status = dead }}</ref> He signed into law the [[Car Allowance Rebate System]], known colloquially as "Cash for Clunkers", which temporarily boosted the economy.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/20/AR2009082002699.html |title = U.S. Says 'Cash for Clunkers' Program Will End on Monday |last = Hedgpeth |first = Dana |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = August 21, 2009 |access-date = March 26, 2010 |archive-date = May 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110516094603/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/20/AR2009082002699.html |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1918692,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828040214/http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1918692,00.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= August 28, 2009 |title = Was Cash for Clunkers a Success? |last = Szczesny |first = Joseph R. |magazine = Time |date = August 26, 2009 |access-date = March 26, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Mian |first1 = Atif R. |first2 = Amir |last2 = Sufi |s2cid = 219352572 |title = The Effects of Fiscal Stimulus: Evidence from the 2009 'Cash for Clunkers' Program |date = September 1, 2010 |ssrn = 1670759 |doi = 10.2139/ssrn.1670759 |journal=The Quarterly Journal of Economics|volume=127|issue=3|pages=1107–1142}}</ref>

The Bush and Obama administrations authorized spending and loan guarantees from the [[Federal Reserve]] and the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]]. These guarantees totaled about $11.5{{spaces}}trillion, but only $3{{spaces}}trillion had been spent by the end of November 2009.<ref>{{cite news |title = CNNMoney.com's bailout tracker |work = CNNMoney |page = 20 |volume = 06 |url = https://money.cnn.com/news/storysupplement/economy/bailouttracker/ |access-date = March 26, 2010 |last = Goldman |first = David |date = April 6, 2009 |archive-date = April 7, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190407090433/https://money.cnn.com/news/storysupplement/economy/bailouttracker/ |url-status = live }}</ref> On August 2, 2011, after a lengthy congressional debate over whether to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama signed the bipartisan [[Budget Control Act of 2011]]. The legislation enforced limits on discretionary spending until 2021, established a procedure to increase the debt limit, created a Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to propose further deficit reduction with a stated goal of achieving at least $1.5{{spaces}}trillion in budgetary savings over 10 years, and established automatic procedures for reducing spending by as much as $1.2{{spaces}}trillion if legislation originating with the new joint select committee did not achieve such savings.<ref>{{cite web |last = Stein |first = Sylvie |url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/02/7231805-a-breakdown-of-the-debt-limit-legislation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114001916/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/02/7231805-a-breakdown-of-the-debt-limit-legislation |archive-date = January 14, 2012 |title = First Read—A breakdown of the debt-limit legislation |publisher = MSNBC |access-date = August 3, 2011 }}</ref> By passing the legislation, Congress was able to prevent a [[U.S. government]] [[Default (finance)|default]] on its obligations.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/43967924 |title = House passes debt ceiling bill |work = NBC News |date = March 8, 2011 |access-date = August 3, 2011 |archive-date = July 21, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200721161500/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43967924 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The unemployment rate rose in 2009, reaching a peak in October at 10.0 percent and averaging 10.0 percent in the fourth quarter. Following a decrease to 9.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate fell to 9.6 percent in the second quarter, where it remained for the rest of the year.<ref name="Theodossiou">{{cite journal |last1 = Theodossiou |first1 = Eleni |last2 = Hipple |first2 = Steven F. |year = 2011 |title = Unemployment Remains High in 2010 |journal = Monthly Labor Review |volume = 134 |issue = 3 |pages = 3–22 |url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/03/art1full.pdf |access-date = April 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508050328/http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/03/art1full.pdf |archive-date = May 8, 2011 }}</ref> Between February and December 2010, employment rose by 0.8 percent, which was less than the average of 1.9 percent experienced during comparable periods in the past four employment recoveries.<ref name="Eddlemon">{{cite journal |last1 = Eddlemon |first1 = John P. |year = 2011 |title = Payroll Employment Turns the Corner in 2010 |journal = Monthly Labor Review |volume = 134 |issue = 3 |pages = 23–32 |url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/03/art2full.pdf |access-date = April 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110506195757/http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/03/art2full.pdf |archive-date = May 6, 2011 }}</ref> By November 2012, the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet |title = Unemployment Rate |publisher = [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] |access-date = December 11, 2012 |archive-date = October 13, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221013235422/https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet |url-status = live }}</ref> decreasing to 6.7 percent in the last month of 2013.<ref name="LNS14000000">{{cite web |url = http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 |title = Unemployment Rate |publisher = [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] |access-date = January 10, 2014 |archive-date = April 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190428090214/https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 |url-status = live }}</ref> During 2014, the unemployment rate continued to decline, falling to 6.3 percent in the first quarter.<ref name="LNS14000000"/> GDP growth returned in the third quarter of 2009, expanding at a rate of 1.6 percent, followed by a 5.0 percent increase in the fourth quarter.<ref name="BEA1">{{cite web |url=http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Qtr&FirstYear=2009&LastYear=2010&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no#Mid |title = Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product (Quarterly) |website = National Income and Product Accounts Table |publisher = [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] |access-date = April 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512014536/http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Qtr&FirstYear=2009&LastYear=2010&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no#Mid |archive-date = May 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Growth continued in 2010, posting an increase of 3.7 percent in the first quarter, with lesser gains throughout the rest of the year.<ref name="BEA1" /> In July 2010, the Federal Reserve noted that economic activity continued to increase, but its pace had slowed, and chairman [[Ben Bernanke]] said the economic outlook was "unusually uncertain".<ref>{{cite news |last = Harding |first = Robin |title = Beige Book survey reports signs of slowdown |url=https://www.ft.com/content/dac3245a-9a7b-11df-87fd-00144feab49a |work = [[Financial Times]] |access-date = July 29, 2010 |date = July 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729184009/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dac3245a-9a7b-11df-87fd-00144feab49a.html|archive-date=July 29, 2010 }}</ref> Overall, the economy expanded at a rate of 2.9 percent in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Year&FirstYear=2009&LastYear=2010&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no#Mid |title = Percent Change in Real Gross Domestic Product (Annual) |website = National Income and Product Accounts Table |publisher = Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date = April 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512014513/http://bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=1&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Year&FirstYear=2009&LastYear=2010&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no#Mid |archive-date = May 12, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{Multiple image
| total_width       = 700
| align             = center
| image1            = US Employment Statistics.svg
| caption1          = U.S. [[unemployment rate]] and monthly changes in net employment during Obama's tenure as president<ref name="LNS14000000"/><ref>{{cite web |url = http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001?output_view=net_1mth |title = 1-month net change in employment |publisher = [[Bureau of Labor Statistics]] |access-date = September 12, 2018 |archive-date = April 28, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190428085608/https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001?output_view=net_1mth |url-status = live }}</ref>
| alt1              = Graph showing increased unemployment in Obama's first year, followed by consistent jobs growth
| image2            = Job Growth by U.S. President - v1.png
| caption2          = Job growth during the presidency of Obama compared to other presidents, as measured as a cumulative percentage change from month after inauguration to end of his term
| alt2              = Graph showing lower jobs growth under Obama was lower than previous presidents, except George W. Bush
}}

The [[Congressional Budget Office]] (CBO) and a broad range of economists credit Obama's stimulus plan for economic growth.<ref name="estimated" /><ref name="newc" /> The CBO released a report stating that the stimulus bill increased employment by 1–2.1{{spaces}}million,<ref name="newc">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/business/economy/21stimulus.html |title = New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package as Worthy Step |work = The New York Times |date = November 20, 2009 |access-date = December 21, 2010 |first1 = Jackie |last1 = Calmes |first2 = Michael |last2 = Cooper |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511230904/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/business/economy/21stimulus.html|archive-date=May 11, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/62343-cbo-stimulus-created-as-many-as-2-1-million-jobs/ |title = CBO: Stimulus created as many as 2.1 million jobs|first= Jordan |last=Fabian |website=The Hill|date = February 23, 2010 |access-date = April 25, 2010 |archive-date = March 3, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100303115604/http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83253-cbo-stimulus-created-as-many-as-21-million-jobs |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Isidore |first = Chris |url = https://money.cnn.com/2010/01/29/news/economy/gdp/index.htm |title = Best economic growth in six years |publisher = CNN |date = January 29, 2010 |access-date = April 18, 2010 |archive-date = April 20, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100420161722/http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/29/news/economy/gdp/index.htm |url-status = live }}</ref> while conceding that "it is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package."<ref name="estimated">{{cite web |url = http://www.cbo.gov/publication/42715 |title = Estimated Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Employment and Economic Output |date = November 22, 2011 |publisher = Congressional Budget Office |access-date = February 21, 2012 |archive-date = February 29, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120229112907/http://www.cbo.gov/publication/42715 |url-status = live }}</ref> Although an April 2010, survey of members of the [[National Association for Business Economics]] showed an increase in job creation (over a similar January survey) for the first time in two years, 73 percent of 68 respondents believed the stimulus bill has had no impact on employment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nabe.com/publib/indsum.html |title=New NABE Survey Shows Business Recovery Gaining Momentum, with More Jobs Ahead |access-date=April 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100502053859/http://www.nabe.com/publib/indsum.html |archive-date=May 2, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The economy of the United States has grown faster than the other original [[NATO]] members by a wider margin under President Obama than it has anytime since the end of [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |work=Politics that Work |url=http://politicsthatwork.com/graphs/gdp-growth-vs-nato-president |title=U.S. GDP Growth Relative to Original NATO Members |date=March 9, 2015 |access-date=April 14, 2015 |archive-date=April 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423174827/http://politicsthatwork.com/graphs/gdp-growth-vs-nato-president |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] credits the much faster growth in the United States to the stimulus plan of the U.S. and the austerity measures in the European Union.<ref>{{cite news |first=Irene |last=Chapple |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/business/oecd-u-s-europe-economic-recovery/ |title=OECD: U.S. will recover faster, Europe faces unemployment crisis |work=CNN |date=May 29, 2013 |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=December 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220015240/https://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/business/oecd-u-s-europe-economic-recovery/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Within a month of the [[2010 midterm elections]], Obama announced a compromise deal with the Congressional Republican leadership that included a temporary, two-year extension of the [[Bush tax cuts|2001 and 2003 income tax rates]], a one-year [[Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax|payroll tax]] reduction, continuation of unemployment benefits, and a new rate and exemption amount for [[Estate tax in the United States|estate taxes]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08cong.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209044154/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/politics/08cong.html |archive-date=December 9, 2010 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title = Democrats Skeptical of Obama on New Tax Plan |last1 = Herszenhorn |first1 = David M. |last2 = Stolberg |first2 = Sheryl Gay |newspaper = The New York Times |date = December 7, 2010 }}</ref> The compromise overcame opposition from some in both parties, and the resulting $858{{spaces}}billion (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|.858|2010|r=1}} trillion in {{Inflation/year|US}}) [[Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010]] passed with bipartisan majorities in both houses of Congress before Obama signed it on December 17, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/17/tax.deal/index.html |title = Obama signs tax deal into law |publisher = CNN |date = December 17, 2010 |access-date = December 17, 2010 |archive-date = December 18, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101218125507/http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/17/tax.deal/index.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

In December 2013, Obama declared that growing [[Income inequality in the United States|income inequality]] is a "defining challenge of our time" and called on Congress to bolster the safety net and raise wages. This came on the heels of the [[Fast food worker strikes|nationwide strikes of fast-food workers]] and [[Pope Francis]]' criticism of inequality and [[trickle-down economics]].<ref>{{cite news |url = https://finance.yahoo.com/news/obama-income-inequality-defining-challenge-164430631.html |title = Obama: Income Inequality a Defining Challenge |first = Jim |last = Kuhnhenn |agency = Associated Press |date = December 4, 2013 |access-date = January 9, 2014 |archive-date = December 7, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131207035721/http://finance.yahoo.com/news/obama-income-inequality-defining-challenge-164430631.html |url-status = live }}</ref> Obama urged Congress to ratify a 12-nation free trade pact called the [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-obama-makes-trade-deal-a-top-priority-in-remaining-months/ |title=President Obama uses his final months to bring congressional approval of a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership |date=September 5, 2016 |work=CBS News |access-date=September 5, 2016 |archive-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160906160240/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-obama-makes-trade-deal-a-top-priority-in-remaining-months/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Environmental policy====
{{See also|Climate change policy of the United States|Energy policy of the Obama administration}}
[[File:Obama-venice-la.jpg|thumb|Obama at a 2010 briefing on the [[BP oil spill]] at the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] Station Venice in [[Venice, Louisiana]]|alt=Photo of Obama listening to a briefing, surrounded by senior staffers]]

On April 20, 2010, an explosion destroyed an offshore [[drilling rig]] at the [[Macondo Prospect]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], causing a [[Deepwater Horizon oil spill|major sustained oil leak]]. Obama visited the Gulf, announced a federal investigation, and formed a bipartisan commission to recommend new safety standards, after a review by [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]] [[Ken Salazar]] and concurrent Congressional hearings. He then announced a six-month moratorium on new [[deepwater drilling]] permits and leases, pending regulatory review.<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama Halts Drilling Projects, Defends Actions |publisher = NPR |date = May 27, 2010 |url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127205462&ps=rs |access-date = April 5, 2018 |archive-date = September 19, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180919115513/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127205462&ps=rs |url-status = live }}</ref> As multiple efforts by BP failed, some in the media and public expressed confusion and criticism over various aspects of the incident, and stated a desire for more involvement by Obama and the federal government.<ref>{{cite news |first = Patrik |last = Jonsson |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0529/Gulf-oil-spill-Obama-s-big-political-test |title = Gulf oil spill: Obama's big political test |work = [[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date = May 29, 2010 |access-date = June 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601094118/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0529/Gulf-oil-spill-Obama-s-big-political-test |archive-date = June 1, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Prior to the oil spill, on March 31, 2010, Obama ended a ban on oil and gas drilling along the majority of the [[East Coast of the United States]] and along the coast of [[northern Alaska]] in an effort to win support for an energy and climate bill and to reduce foreign imports of oil and gas.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Neuman|first=Scott|date=March 31, 2010|title=Obama Ends Ban On East Coast Offshore Drilling|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125378223|access-date=October 30, 2021|archive-date=November 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103203751/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125378223|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2013, Obama expressed reservations and said he "would reject the [[Keystone XL pipeline]] if it increased carbon pollution [or] greenhouse emissions."<ref>{{cite news |last=Goldenberg |first=Suzanne |date=July 28, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/28/obama-reservations-keystone-pipeline-project |title=Barack Obama expresses reservations about Keystone XL pipeline project |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-date=December 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229153228/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/28/obama-reservations-keystone-pipeline-project |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Stein |first=Sam |date=June 25, 2013 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-keystone_n_3497292 |title=Obama: Keystone XL Should Not Be Approved If It Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions |work=The Huffington Post |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=March 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301134515/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-keystone_n_3497292 |url-status=live }}</ref> On February 24, 2015, Obama vetoed a bill that would have authorized the pipeline.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388738159/obama-to-veto-keystone-xl-pipeline-today-without-drama-or-fanfare-or-delay |title=Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline Bill |date=February 24, 2015 |access-date=February 24, 2015 |publisher=NPR |first=Krishnadev |last=Calamur |archive-date=June 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609085930/http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/02/24/388738159/obama-to-veto-keystone-xl-pipeline-today-without-drama-or-fanfare-or-delay |url-status=live }}</ref> It was the third veto of Obama's presidency and his first major veto.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/234615-senate-fails-to-override-obama-keystone-veto/ |title = Keystone veto override fails |date = March 4, 2015 |first = Laura |last = Barron-Lopez |website = [[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |publisher = Capitol Hill Publishing |access-date = July 2, 2015 |archive-date = July 15, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150715070123/http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/234615-senate-fails-to-override-obama-keystone-veto |url-status = live }}</ref>

In December 2016, Obama permanently banned new offshore oil and gas drilling in most United States-owned waters in the [[Atlantic]] and Arctic Oceans using the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Act.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 21, 2016|title=Obama bans oil drilling 'permanently' in millions of acres of ocean|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38387525|access-date=October 30, 2021|archive-date=October 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030021148/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38387525|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Smith|first=David|date=December 20, 2016|title=This article is more than 4 years old Barack Obama bans oil and gas drilling in most of Arctic and Atlantic oceans|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/20/barack-obama-bans-oil-gas-drilling-arctic-atlantic|access-date=October 30, 2021|archive-date=October 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030022650/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/20/barack-obama-bans-oil-gas-drilling-arctic-atlantic|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Volcovici|first1=Valerie|last2=Gardner|first2=Timothy|date=December 20, 2016|title=Obama bans new oil, gas drilling off Alaska, part of Atlantic coast|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-drilling-idUSKBN1492KU|access-date=October 30, 2021|archive-date=October 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030021142/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-drilling-idUSKBN1492KU|url-status=live}}</ref>

Obama emphasized the [[Conservation movement|conservation]] of [[federal lands]] during his term in office. He used his power under the [[Antiquities Act]] to create 25 new [[National monument (United States)|national monuments]] during his presidency and expand four others, protecting a total of {{convert|553000000|acre|ha}} of federal lands and waters, more than any other U.S. president.<ref name="Monuments">{{cite news |first1=Juliet |last1=Eilperin |first2=Brady |last2=Dennis |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/with-new-monuments-in-nevada-utah-obama-adds-to-his-environmental-legacy/2016/12/28/e9833f62-c471-11e6-8422-eac61c0ef74d_story.html |title=With new monuments in Nevada, Utah, Obama adds to his environmental legacy |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 28, 2016 |access-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-date=January 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108190102/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/with-new-monuments-in-nevada-utah-obama-adds-to-his-environmental-legacy/2016/12/28/e9833f62-c471-11e6-8422-eac61c0ef74d_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/12/29/507436648/obama-s-newly-designated-national-monuments-upset-some-lawmakers-and-constituent |title=Obama's Newly Designated National Monuments Upset Some Lawmakers |publisher=NPR |work=[[All Things Considered]] |date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=April 5, 2018 |archive-date=October 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010075711/http://www.npr.org/2016/12/29/507436648/obama-s-newly-designated-national-monuments-upset-some-lawmakers-and-constituent |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Amy R. |last=Connolly |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/02/13/Obama-expands-public-lands-more-than-any-US-president/1161455298784/ |title=Obama expands public lands more than any U.S. president |work=[[United Press International]] |date=February 13, 2016 |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519003556/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/02/13/Obama-expands-public-lands-more-than-any-US-president/1161455298784/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Health care reform====
{{Main|Healthcare reform in the United States}}

Obama called for [[United States Congress|Congress]] to pass legislation reforming [[health care in the United States]], a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.<ref name="health reform" /> He proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured, cap premium increases, and allow people to retain their coverage when they leave or change jobs. His proposal was to spend $900{{spaces}}billion over ten years and include a government insurance plan, also known as the [[public option]], to compete with the corporate insurance sector as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality of health care. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for [[pre-existing condition]]s, and require every American to carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/us/politics/10obama.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912093912/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/us/politics/10obama.html |archive-date=September 12, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title = Obama, Armed With Details, Says Health Plan Is Necessary |last1 = Stolberg |first1 = Sheryl Gay |last2 = Zeleny |first2 = Jeff |date = September 9, 2009 |newspaper = The New York Times |access-date = July 5, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first = Mike |last = Allen |url = https://www.politico.com/story/2009/09/obama-will-hedge-on-public-option-026907 |title = Barack Obama will hedge on public option |work = [[Politico]] |access-date = July 5, 2015 |date = September 9, 2009 |archive-date = July 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130726215752/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/26907.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:PPACA Premium Chart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|left|Maximum Out-of-Pocket Premium as Percentage of Family Income and [[federal poverty level]], under [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]], starting in 2014 (source: [[Congressional Research Service|CRS]])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41137.pdf |title = Health Insurance Premium Credits in the PPACA |publisher = Congressional Research Service |access-date = May 17, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121014002318/https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41137.pdf |archive-date = October 14, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>|alt=Graph of maximum out-of-pocket premiums by poverty level, showing single-digit premiums for everyone under 400% of the federal poverty level.]]

On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017-page plan for overhauling the U.S. health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.<ref name="health reform">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/obama_july_22_2009_press_confe.html |title=Obama July 22, 2009 press conference. Transcript |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=July 22, 2009 |access-date=July 5, 2015 |first=Lynn |last=Sweet |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416063154/http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/obama_july_22_2009_press_confe.html |archive-date=April 16, 2015 }}</ref> After public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered [[Barack Obama speech to joint session of Congress, September 2009|a speech to a joint session of Congress]] on September 9 where he addressed concerns over the proposals.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/09/obama.speech/index.html |title = Obama calls for Congress to face health care challenge |date = September 9, 2009 |access-date = September 9, 2009 |publisher = CNN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910083332/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/09/obama.speech/index.html |archive-date = September 10, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2009, Obama lifted a ban on using federal funds for stem cell research.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/10/obama-stem-cell-research |title = Stem cell |first = Daniel |last = Nasaw |newspaper = The Guardian |access-date = September 13, 2014 |date = March 10, 2009 |archive-date = July 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130726203242/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/10/obama-stem-cell-research |url-status = live }}</ref>

On November 7, 2009, a health care bill featuring the public option was passed in the House.<ref name="nyt1">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/health/policy/08health.html |title = Sweeping Health Care Plan Passes House |last1 = Hulse |first1 = Carl |first2 = Robert |last2 = Pear |date = November 7, 2009 |work = The New York Times |access-date = November 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110331033230/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/health/policy/08health.html|archive-date=March 31, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/health/policy/08scene.html |title = Abortion Was at Heart of Wrangling |last1 = Herszenhorn |first1 = David M. |first2 = Jackie |last2 = Calmes |date = December 7, 2009 |work = The New York Times |access-date = December 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110331073732/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/health/policy/08scene.html|archive-date=March 31, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its own bill—without a public option—on a party-line vote of 60–39.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121854289 |title = Senate Says Yes To Landmark Health Bill |author = Hensley, Scott |date = December 24, 2009 |access-date = December 24, 2009 |publisher = [[NPR]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121191700/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121854289 |archive-date = January 21, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 21, 2010, the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]] (ACA, colloquially "Obamacare") passed by the Senate in December was passed in the House by a vote of 219 to 212. Obama signed the bill into law on March 23, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/policy/24health.html |title = Obama Signs Landmark Health Care Bill |date = March 23, 2010 |access-date = March 23, 2010 |newspaper = The New York Times |author = Stolberg, Sheryl Gay|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325033529/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/policy/24health.html |archive-date = March 25, 2010 }}</ref>

The ACA includes [[Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|health-related provisions]], most of which took effect in 2014, including expanding [[Medicaid]] eligibility for people making up to 133 percent{{spaces}}of the [[federal poverty level]] (FPL) starting in 2014,<ref name="cnn_ref1">{{cite news |last = Rice |first = Sabriya |url = http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/25/health.care.law.basics/index.html |title = 5 key things to remember about health care reform |publisher = CNN |date = March 25, 2010 |access-date = January 6, 2013 |archive-date = January 2, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130102173326/http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/25/health.care.law.basics/index.html |url-status = live }}</ref> subsidizing insurance premiums for people making up to 400 percent{{spaces}}of the FPL ($88,000 for family of four in 2010) so their maximum "out-of-pocket" payment for annual premiums will be from 2 percent to 9.5 percent of income,<ref>{{cite news |last = Grier |first = Peter |url = https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0320/Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-gets-subsidized-insurance |date = March 20, 2010 |title = Health Care Reform Bill 101 |newspaper = [[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = July 6, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150706014515/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0320/Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-gets-subsidized-insurance |url-status = live }}</ref> providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing [[health insurance exchange]]s, prohibiting annual coverage caps, and support for medical research. According to White House and CBO figures, the maximum share of income that enrollees would have to pay would vary depending on their income relative to the federal poverty level.<ref name="cbo_est">{{cite web |last = Elmendorf |first = Douglas W. |url=http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10781/11-30-premiums.pdf |title = An Analysis of Health Insurance Premiums Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act |publisher = Congressional Budget Office |date = November 30, 2009 |access-date = April 9, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120227142305/http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/ftpdocs/107xx/doc10781/11-30-premiums.pdf |archive-date = February 27, 2012 |url-status = live }}</ref>

[[File:Percentage of Individuals in the United States Without Health Insurance, 1963-2015.png|thumb|Percentage of Individuals in the United States without Health Insurance, 1963–2015 (source: [[JAMA (journal)|JAMA]])<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Obama|first1=Barack|title=United States Health Care Reform|journal=JAMA|date=August 2, 2016|volume=316|issue=5|pages=525–532|doi=10.1001/jama.2016.9797|pmid=27400401|issn=0098-7484|pmc=5069435}}</ref>|alt=Graph showing significant decreases in uninsured rates after the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, and after the creation of Obamacare]]

The costs of these provisions are offset by taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for those in high-income [[tax bracket|brackets]], taxes on [[indoor tanning]], cuts to the [[Medicare Advantage]] program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies;<ref>{{Cite journal |last = Grier |first = Peter |date = March 21, 2010 |url = https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0321/Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-will-pay-for-reform |title = Health care reform bill 101: Who will pay for reform? |journal = Christian Science Monitor |access-date = July 5, 2015 |archive-date = July 6, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150706012138/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0321/Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-will-pay-for-reform |url-status = live }}</ref> there is also a tax penalty for those who do not obtain health insurance, unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0319/Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-must-buy-insurance |title = Health care reform bill 101: Who must buy insurance? |last = Grier |first = Peter |date = March 19, 2010 |work = [[The Christian Science Monitor]] |access-date = April 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405075157/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0319/Health-care-reform-bill-101-Who-must-buy-insurance |archive-date = April 5, 2010 }}</ref> In March 2010, the CBO estimated that the net effect of both laws will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143{{spaces}}billion over the first decade.<ref>{{cite web |last = Elmendorf |first = Douglas W. |title = H.R. 4872, Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Final Health Care Legislation) |date = March 20, 2010 |url = http://www.cbo.gov/publication/21351 |publisher = Congressional Budget Office |access-date = January 6, 2013 |archive-date = January 2, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130102193615/http://www.cbo.gov/publication/21351 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The law faced several legal challenges, primarily based on the argument that an individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance was unconstitutional. On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled by a 5–4 vote in ''[[National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius]]'' that the mandate was constitutional under the U.S. Congress's taxing authority.<ref name="WP-uphold">{{cite news |first = Robert |last = Barnes |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-to-rule-thursday-on-health-care-law/2012/06/28/gJQAarRm8V_story.html |title = Supreme Court upholds Obama health care overhaul by 5–4 vote, approving insurance requirement |date = June 28, 2012 |newspaper = The Washington Post |agency = Associated Press |access-date = June 29, 2012 |archive-date = June 28, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120628232111/http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-to-rule-thursday-on-health-care-law/2012/06/28/gJQAarRm8V_story.html |url-status = live }}</ref> In ''[[Burwell v. Hobby Lobby]]'' the Court ruled that "closely-held" for-profit corporations could be exempt on religious grounds under the [[Religious Freedom Restoration Act]] from regulations adopted under the ACA that would have required them to pay for insurance that covered certain contraceptives. In June 2015, the Court ruled 6–3 in ''[[King v. Burwell]]'' that subsidies to help individuals and families purchase health insurance were authorized for those doing so on both the federal exchange and state exchanges, not only those purchasing plans "established by the State", as the statute reads.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/25/supreme-court-upholds-obamacare-subsidies-in-king-v-burwell |title=Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare Subsidies |first=Kimberly |last=Leonard |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=November 25, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160116072123/http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/25/supreme-court-upholds-obamacare-subsidies-in-king-v-burwell |archive-date=January 16, 2016 }}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
{{Main|Foreign policy of the Obama administration}}
[[File:P06409PS-0571 (3594694537).jpg|June 4, 2009 − after his speech ''[[A New Beginning (speech)|A New Beginning]]'' at [[Cairo University]], U.S. president Obama participates in a roundtable interview in 2009 with among others [[Jamal Khashoggi]], [[Bambang Harymurti]] and [[Nahum Barnea]]|thumb|alt=refer to caption]]

In February and March 2009, Vice President Joe Biden and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] Hillary Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "[[Russian reset|reset]]" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration.<ref name="preceding administration" /> Obama attempted to reach out to Arab leaders by granting his first interview to an Arab satellite TV network, [[Al Arabiya]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama reaches out to Muslim world on TV |work = NBC News |url = https://www.nbcnews.com/id/28869185 |access-date = June 15, 2009 |date = January 27, 2009 |archive-date = September 27, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130927152322/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28869185/ |url-status = live }}</ref> On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/20/barack-obama-usa |title = Barack Obama's address to Iran: Full text of Barack Obama's videotaped message to the people and leaders of Iran as they celebrate their New Year's holiday, Nowruz |date = March 20, 2013 |access-date = July 14, 2013 |work = [[The Guardian]] |location = London |archive-date = September 6, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130906074500/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/mar/20/barack-obama-usa |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first = Karen |last = DeYoung |title = Nation U.S. to Join Talks on Iran's Nuclear Program |date = April 9, 2009 |newspaper = The Washington Post |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040802254.html |access-date = June 15, 2009 |archive-date = October 4, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181004081141/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040802254.html |url-status = live }}</ref> On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at [[Cairo University]] in Egypt calling for "[[A New Beginning (speech)|A New Beginning]]" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.<ref name="middleeast" /> On June 26, 2009, Obama condemned the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following [[2009 Iranian presidential election|Iran's 2009 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/26/obama-dismisses-ahmadinejad-apology-request/ |title = Obama dismisses Ahmadinejad apology request |work = The Washington Times |date = June 26, 2009 |access-date = July 2, 2015 |first1 = Joseph |last1 = Weber |first2 = Stephen |last2 = Dinan |archive-date = April 10, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190410020414/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/26/obama-dismisses-ahmadinejad-apology-request/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

In 2011, Obama ordered a drone strike in Yemen which targeted and killed [[Anwar al-Awlaki]], an American imam suspected of being a leading [[Al-Qaeda]] organizer. al-Awlaki became the first [[U.S. citizen]] to be targeted and killed by a [[Drone strike|U.S. drone strike]]. The&nbsp;Department of Justice released a memo justifying al-Awlaki's death as a lawful act of war,<ref name="Lauter2014">{{cite news|last=Lauter|first=David|date=June 23, 2014|title=Memo justifying drone killing of American Al Qaeda leader is released|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-drone-memo-awlaki-20140623-story.html|access-date=December 7, 2021|archive-date=April 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430033031/https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-drone-memo-awlaki-20140623-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> while civil liberties advocates described it as a violation of al-Awlaki's constitutional right to [[due process]]. The killing led to significant controversy.<ref>{{cite news | title=Long-sought memo on lethal drone strike is released | newspaper=Washington Post | date=June 23, 2014 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/legal-memo-backing-drone-strike-is-released/2014/06/23/1f48dd16-faec-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html | access-date=August 15, 2022 | archive-date=August 24, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824084156/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/legal-memo-backing-drone-strike-is-released/2014/06/23/1f48dd16-faec-11e3-8176-f2c941cf35f1_story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> His [[Abdulrahman al-Awlaki|teenage son]] and [[Death of Nawar al-Awlaki|young daughter]], also Americans, were later killed in separate [[Raid on Yakla|U.S. military actions]], although they were not targeted specifically.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shane|first=Scott|date=August 27, 2015|title=The Lessons of Anwar al-Awlaki|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/magazine/the-lessons-of-anwar-al-awlaki.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827141921/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/30/magazine/the-lessons-of-anwar-al-awlaki.html |archive-date=August 27, 2015 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=December 7, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Lauter2014" />
[[File:Barack Obama's trip to Saudi Arabia April 2016 (9).jpg|thumb|Obama, King [[Salman of Saudi Arabia]], Saudi crown prince [[Mohammed bin Salman]] and other leaders at the [[Gulf Cooperation Council|GCC]] summit in Saudi Arabia, April 2016]]

In March 2015, Obama declared that he had authorized U.S. forces to provide logistical and intelligence support to the Saudis in their [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen|military intervention in Yemen]], establishing a "Joint Planning Cell" with Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/report-yemens-embattled-president-flees-stronghold-as-rebels-advance/2015/03/25/e0913ae2-d2d5-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html|title=Saudi Arabia launces air attacks in Yemen|first=Ali |last=al-Mujahed|author2=Karen DeYoung|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 25, 2015|access-date=August 21, 2017|archive-date=October 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011041452/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/report-yemens-embattled-president-flees-stronghold-as-rebels-advance/2015/03/25/e0913ae2-d2d5-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Yemen conflict: US 'could be implicated in war crimes' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37607248 |publisher=BBC News |date=October 10, 2016 |access-date=August 27, 2018 |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827111918/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-37607248 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2016, the Obama administration proposed a series of [[Saudi Arabia–United States relations|arms deals with Saudi Arabia]] worth $115{{spaces}}billion.<ref>{{Cite news | last=Bayoumy | first=Yara | title=Obama administration arms sales offers to Saudi top $115 billion: ... | work=Reuters | date=September 7, 2016 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-security/obama-administration-arms-sales-offers-to-saudi-top-115-billion-report-idUSKCN11D2JQ | access-date=August 27, 2018 | archive-date=May 8, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508012617/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-security/obama-administration-arms-sales-offers-to-saudi-top-115-billion-report-idUSKCN11D2JQ | url-status=live }}</ref> Obama halted the sale of guided munition technology to [[Saudi Arabia]] after Saudi warplanes [[2016 Sana'a funeral airstrike|targeted a funeral]] in Yemen's capital Sanaa, killing more than 140 people.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-saudi-arabia-yemen-war-support-military-houthis-bombing-campaign-crisis-a7472546.html |title=America 'agrees to stop selling some arms' to Saudi Arabia |work=The Independent |date=December 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401180257/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-saudi-arabia-yemen-war-support-military-houthis-bombing-campaign-crisis-a7472546.html|archive-date=April 1, 2019 |first1=Phil |last1=Stewart |first2=Warren |last2=Strobel }}</ref>

In September 2016 Obama was snubbed by [[Xi Jinping]] and the [[Chinese Communist Party]] as he descended from [[Air Force One]] to the tarmac of [[Hangzhou International Airport]] for the [[2016 G20 Hangzhou summit]] without the usual red carpet welcome.<ref name="tgu1">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/04/barack-obama-deliberately-snubbed-by-chinese-in-chaotic-arrival-at-g20 |title=Barack Obama 'deliberately snubbed' by Chinese in chaotic arrival at G20 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=September 4, 2016 |last1=Phillips |first1=Tom }}</ref>

====War in Iraq====
{{Main|Iraq War|US-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)}}

On February 27, 2009, Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq would end within 18 months.<ref>{{cite news |agency = [[Associated Press]] |first = Ben |last = Feller |url = http://gazette.com/obama-sets-firm-withdrawal-timetable-for-iraq/article/49026 |title = Obama sets firm withdrawal timetable for Iraq |work = [[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]] |date = February 27, 2009 |access-date = March 3, 2009 |archive-date = February 7, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170207113330/http://gazette.com/obama-sets-firm-withdrawal-timetable-for-iraq/article/49026 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The Obama administration scheduled the withdrawal of combat troops to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troop's levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of about 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. On August 19, 2010, the last U.S. combat brigade exited Iraq. Remaining troops transitioned from combat operations to [[counter-terrorism]] and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.<ref>{{cite news |last = Jones |first = Athena |date = February 27, 2009 |url = http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2009/02/27/4428005-obama-announces-iraq-plan |title = Obama announces Iraq plan |publisher = MSNBC |access-date = July 2, 2015 |archive-date = November 16, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141116013112/http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2009/02/27/4428005-obama-announces-iraq-plan |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author = Sykes, Hugh |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11020270 |title = Last US combat brigade exits Iraq |publisher = BBC News |date = August 19, 2010 |access-date = December 25, 2012 }}</ref> On August 31, 2010, Obama announced that the United States combat mission in Iraq was over.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/01/obama-formally-ends-iraq-war |place = London |work = The Guardian |title = Barack Obama ends the war in Iraq. 'Now it's time to turn the page' |first = Ewen |last = MacAskill |date = September 1, 2010 }}</ref> On October 21, 2011, President Obama announced that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq in time to be "home for the holidays."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/44990594 |title = All U.S. troops out of Iraq by end of year |work = NBC News |date = October 21, 2011 |access-date = December 25, 2012 }}</ref>

In June 2014, following the [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)#Fall of Mosul and push into Kirkuk|capture of Mosul]] by [[ISIL]], Obama sent 275 troops to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. ISIS continued to gain ground and to commit [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant#Human rights abuse and war crime findings|widespread massacres and ethnic cleansing]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-is-sending-275-us-troops-to-iraq-2014-6 |title = Obama Is Sending 275 US Troops To Iraq |work = Business Insider |access-date = June 19, 2014 |first=Hunter |last=Walker |date=June 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-rights-idUSKBN0H30KB20140908 |title = New U.N. rights boss warns of 'house of blood' in Iraq, Syria |access-date = July 11, 2015 |last = Nebehay |first = Stephanie |work = Reuters |date = September 8, 2014 }}</ref> In August 2014, during the [[Sinjar massacre]], Obama ordered a [[American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)#Airstrikes|campaign of U.S. airstrikes against ISIL]].<ref name="def31-10-14">{{cite web |url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123542 |title = DoD Authorizes War on Terror Award for Inherent Resolve Ops |date = October 31, 2014 |publisher = Defense.gov |access-date = November 22, 2014 }}</ref> By the end of 2014, 3,100 American ground troops were committed to the conflict<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30388718 |title = Islamic State: Coalition 'pledges more troops' for Iraq |publisher = BBC News |access-date = August 23, 2015 |date = December 8, 2014 }}</ref> and 16,000 sorties were flown over the battlefield, primarily by U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2015/01/19/a10-strikes-isis-11-percent/21875911/ |title = A-10 Performing 11 Percent of Anti-ISIS Sorties |last = Mehta |first = Aaron |date = January 19, 2015 |work = [[Defense News]] |access-date = August 23, 2015 }}</ref> In early 2015, with the addition of the "Panther Brigade" of the [[82nd Airborne Division]] the number of U.S. ground troops in Iraq increased to 4,400,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stripes.com/news/us/1-000-soldiers-from-the-82nd-airborne-headed-to-iraq-1.320194 |title = 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne headed to Iraq |work=[[Stars and Stripes (newspaper)|Stars and Stripes]] |access-date = August 23, 2015 |date=December 19, 2014 |first=Jon |last=Harper }}</ref> and by July American-led coalition air forces counted 44,000 sorties over the battlefield.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/07/21/stealthy-jet-ensures-other-war-fighting-aircraft-survive |title=Stealthy Jet Ensures Other War-Fighting Aircraft Survive |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=August 23, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813053355/http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/07/21/stealthy-jet-ensures-other-war-fighting-aircraft-survive |archive-date=August 13, 2015 |first=Lolita C. |last=Baldor |date=July 21, 2015 }}</ref>

====Afghanistan and Pakistan====
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|AfPak}}
[[File:P050609PS-0531 (3508804772).jpg|thumb|Obama after a trilateral meeting with Afghan president [[Hamid Karzai]] (left) and Pakistani president [[Asif Ali Zardari]] (right), May 2009|alt=Photo of Obama and other heads of state walking along the Colonnade outside the White House]]
In his election campaign, Obama called the war in Iraq a "dangerous distraction" and that emphasis should instead be put on the war in Afghanistan,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/15/obama.iraq/index.html |title=Obama calls Iraq war a 'dangerous distraction' |work=[[CNN]] |date=July 15, 2008 |access-date=August 15, 2022 |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814231036/https://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/15/obama.iraq/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> the region he cites as being most likely where an attack against the United States could be launched again.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/16/us/politics/15cnd-obama.html | title=Obama and McCain Duel over Iraq | newspaper=The New York Times | date=July 16, 2008 | last1=Broder | first1=John M. }}</ref> Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan. He announced an increase in U.S. troop levels to 17,000 military personnel in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires."<ref>{{cite news |first = Amanda |last = Hodge |title = Obama launches Afghanistan Surge |date = February 19, 2009 |work = The Australian |location = Sydney |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/news/obama-launches-afghanistan-surge/story-e6frg6t6-1111118893671 }}</ref> He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General [[David D. McKiernan]], with former [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Special Forces]] commander Lt. Gen. [[Stanley A. McChrystal]] in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.<ref name="counterinsurgency tactics" /> On December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 military personnel to Afghanistan and proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date;<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=December 1, 2009 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/34218604 |title=Obama details Afghan war plan, troop increases |work=NBC News }}</ref> this took place in July 2011. [[David Petraeus]] replaced McChrystal in June 2010, after McChrystal's staff criticized White House personnel in a magazine article.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/24/mcchrystal.gates.support/ |title = Gates says he agrees with Obama decision on McChrystal |publisher = CNN |date = June 24, 2010 |access-date = September 18, 2010 }}</ref> In February 2013, Obama said the U.S. military would reduce the troop level in Afghanistan from 68,000 to 34,000 U.S. troops by February 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last = Chandrasekaran |first = Rajiv |title = Obama wants to cut troop level in Afghanistan in half over next year |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/official-obama-to-cut-troop-level-in-afghanistan-in-half-by-next-year/2013/02/12/63a044c8-7536-11e2-8f84-3e4b513b1a13_story.html |access-date = February 14, 2013 |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = February 12, 2013 }}</ref> In October 2015, the White House announced a plan to keep U.S. Forces in Afghanistan indefinitely in light of the deteriorating security situation.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34536833 |title = US troops in Afghanistan: Taliban resurgence sees rethink |publisher = BBC News |date = October 15, 2015 |access-date = October 15, 2015 |last = Marcus |first = Jonathan }}</ref>

Regarding neighboring Pakistan, Obama called its tribal border region the "greatest threat" to the security of Afghanistan and Americans, saying that he "cannot tolerate a terrorist sanctuary." In the same speech, Obama claimed that the U.S. "cannot succeed in Afghanistan or secure our homeland unless we change our Pakistan policy."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/us/politics/15text-obama.html | title=Obama's Remarks on Iraq and Afghanistan | newspaper=The New York Times | date=July 15, 2008 }}</ref>

=====Death of Osama bin Laden=====
{{Main|Killing of Osama bin Laden}}
[[File:Obama and Biden await updates on bin Laden.jpg|left|thumb|Obama and members of the national security team receive an update on [[Operation Neptune's Spear]] in the [[White House Situation Room]], May 1, 2011. See also: [[Situation Room (photograph)|''Situation Room'']].|alt=Photo of Obama, Biden, and national security staffers in the Situation Room, somberly listening to updates on the bin Laden raid]]

Starting with information received from Central Intelligence Agency operatives in July 2010, the CIA developed intelligence over the next several months that determined what they believed to be the hideout of [[Osama bin Laden]]. He was living in seclusion in [[Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad|a large compound]] in [[Abbottabad]], Pakistan, a suburban area {{convert|35|mi|km}} from [[Islamabad]].<ref name="NYT-clues">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html |title = Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama bin Laden |last1 = Mazzetti |first1 = Mark |first2 = Helene |last2 = Cooper |first3 = Peter |last3 = Baker |date = May 3, 2011 |work = The New York Times |access-date = May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503190900/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html |archive-date = May 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> CIA head [[Leon Panetta]] reported this intelligence to President Obama in March 2011.<ref name="NYT-clues" /> Meeting with his national security advisers over the course of the next six weeks, Obama rejected a plan to bomb the compound, and authorized a "surgical raid" to be conducted by [[United States Navy SEALs]].<ref name="NYT-clues" /> The operation took place on May 1, 2011, and resulted in the shooting death of bin Laden and the seizure of papers, computer drives and disks from the compound.<ref name="WP-binLaden">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/osama-bin-laden-is-killed-by-us-forces-in-pakistan/2011/05/01/AFXMZyVF_story.html |title = Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = September 13, 2014 |date = May 2, 2011 |first1 = Philip |last1 = Rucker |first2 = Scott |last2 = Wilson |first3 = Anne E. |last3 = Kornblut }}</ref><ref name="ND-binLaden">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsday.com/news/breaking/official-offers-details-of-bin-laden-raid-1.2853079 |title = Official offers details of bin Laden raid |website = Newsday |access-date = September 13, 2014 |date = May 2, 2011 }}</ref> DNA testing was one of five methods used to positively identify bin Laden's corpse,<ref name="ABC-binLaden">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703 |title = Osama bin Laden Killed by U.S. Forces in Pakistan |last1 = Schabner |first1 = Dean |first2 = Karen |last2 = Travers |date = May 1, 2011 |work = ABC News |access-date = May 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504021523/http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/osama-bin-laden-killed/story?id=13505703 |archive-date = May 4, 2011 }}</ref> which was buried at sea several hours later.<ref name="NYT-ObamaAnnounce">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html |title=Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama Says |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |first2=Helene |last2=Cooper |first3=Mark |last3=Mazzetti |date=May 2, 2011 |work=The New York Times |access-date=May 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505195308/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-is-killed.html |archive-date=May 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Within minutes of the President's announcement from Washington, DC, late in the evening on May 1, there were spontaneous celebrations around the country as crowds gathered outside the White House, and at New York City's [[World Trade Center site|Ground Zero]] and [[Times Square]].<ref name="WP-binLaden" /><ref name="Guard-ObamaAnnounce">{{cite news |last1 = Walsh |first1 = Declan |first2 = Richard |last2 = Adams |first3 = Ewen |last3 = MacAskill |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama |title = Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces |date = May 2, 2011 |work = The Guardian |place = London |access-date = May 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503154000/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama |archive-date = May 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Reactions to the death of Osama bin Laden|Reaction to the announcement]] was positive across party lines, including from former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.<ref name="Bloom-binLaden">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/death-of-bin-laden-may-strengthen-obama-s-hand-in-domestic-foreign-policy.html |title = Death of Bin Laden May Strengthen Obama's Hand in Domestic, Foreign Policy |last = Dorning |first = Mike |date = May 2, 2011 |agency = [[Bloomberg News]] |access-date = May 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503203539/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/death-of-bin-laden-may-strengthen-obama-s-hand-in-domestic-foreign-policy.html |archive-date = May 3, 2011 }}</ref>
{{clear}}

====Relations with Cuba====
{{Main|Cuban thaw}}
[[File:Handshake between the President and Cuban President Raúl Castro.jpg|thumb|Obama meeting with Cuban president [[Raúl Castro]] in Panama, April 2015|alt=Photo of Obama shaking hands with the Cuban president]]

Since the spring of 2013, secret meetings were conducted between the United States and Cuba in the neutral locations of Canada and [[Vatican City]].<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Warren |first1 = Strobel |title = Secret talks in Canada, Vatican City led to Cuba breakthrough |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-usa-reconstruction-idUSKBN0JV2DM20141217 |work = Reuters |access-date = December 21, 2014 }}</ref> The Vatican first became involved in 2013 when Pope Francis advised the U.S. and Cuba to [[exchange prisoners]] as a gesture of goodwill.<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Morello |first1 = Carol |last2 = DeYoung |first2 = Karen |title = Secret U.S.-Cuba diplomacy ended in landmark deal on prisoners, future ties |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/secret-diplomacy-with-cuba-ended-in-breakthrough-deal/2014/12/17/c51b3ed8-8614-11e4-a702-fa31ff4ae98e_story.html |newspaper = The Washington Post |access-date = December 21, 2014 }}</ref> On December 10, 2013, Cuban President [[Raúl Castro]], in a significant public moment, greeted and shook hands with Obama at the [[Death of Nelson Mandela|Nelson Mandela memorial service]] in [[Johannesburg]].<ref>{{Cite news | last1=Roberts | first1=Dan | last2=Luscombe | first2=Richard | title=Obama shakes hands with Raúl Castro for first time at Mandela memorial | newspaper=The Guardian | date=December 10, 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/obama-shakes-hands-raul-castro-mandela-memorial | access-date=February 15, 2017}}</ref>

In December 2014, after the secret meetings, it was announced that Obama, with Pope Francis as an intermediary, had negotiated a restoration of relations with Cuba, after nearly sixty years of détente.<ref>{{cite news |first = Barbie Latza |last = Nadeau |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/17/the-pope-s-diplomatic-miracle-ending-the-u-s-cuba-cold-war.html |title = The Pope's Diplomatic Miracle: Ending the U.S.–Cuba Cold War |work = The Daily Beast |date = December 17, 2014 |access-date = December 18, 2014 }}</ref> Popularly dubbed the [[Cuban Thaw]], ''[[The New Republic]]'' deemed the Cuban Thaw to be "Obama's finest foreign policy achievement."<ref>{{cite news |magazine=[[The New Republic]] |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/121522/cuba-obamas-biggest-foreign-policy-success |title=The Cuban Thaw Is Obama's Finest Foreign Policy Achievement to Date |first=Joel |last=Gillin |date=April 13, 2015 }}</ref> On July 1, 2015, President Obama announced that formal diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States would resume, and embassies would be opened in Washington and [[Havana]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama announces re-establishment of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic ties |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/01/politics/obama-note-to-castro-reestablish-ties/ |publisher = CNN |access-date = July 1, 2015 }}</ref> The countries' respective "interests sections" in one another's capitals were upgraded to embassies on July 20 and August 13, 2015, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article27862504.html |title = United States and Cuba reestablish diplomatic relations |first = Mimi |last = Whitefield |work = The Miami Herald |date = July 20, 2015 |access-date = July 19, 2015 }}</ref> Obama visited Havana, Cuba for two days in March 2016, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to arrive since [[Calvin Coolidge]] in 1928.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Julie Hirschfeld Davis |first2=Damien |last2=Cave |date = March 21, 2016 |title = Obama Arrives in Cuba, Heralding New Era After Decades of Hostility |work = The New York Times |page = A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/world/americas/obama-arrives-in-cuba.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320203029/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/world/americas/obama-arrives-in-cuba.html |archive-date=March 20, 2016 |url-access=limited |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Israel====
{{See also|Israel–United States relations#Obama administration (2009–2017)}}
[[File:Barack Obama welcomes Shimon Peres in the Oval Office.jpg|thumb|left|Obama meeting with Israeli president [[Shimon Peres]] in the [[Oval Office]], May 2009|alt=Photo of Obama shaking hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres, with Biden overlooking]]

During the initial years of the Obama administration, the U.S. increased military cooperation with Israel, including increased military aid, re-establishment of the [[Joint Political Military Group|U.S.–Israeli Joint Political Military Group]] and the Defense Policy Advisory Group, and an increase in visits among high-level military officials of both countries.<ref>{{cite news |last=Levinson |first=Charles |date=August 14, 2010 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703321004575427272550050504 |title=U.S., Israel Build Military Cooperation |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |location=New York |access-date=March 1, 2011 }}</ref> The Obama administration asked Congress to allocate money toward funding the [[Iron Dome]] program in response to the waves of [[Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kampeas |first=Ron |date=October 26, 2012 |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/nation/article/for_obama_campaign_trying_to_put_to_rest_persistent_questions_about_kishkes |title=For Obama campaign, trying to put to rest persistent questions about 'kishkes' |newspaper=Jewish Journal}}</ref> In March 2010, Obama took a public stance against plans by the government of Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] to continue building Jewish housing projects in predominantly Arab neighborhoods of [[East Jerusalem]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/netanyahus-office-no-change-on-east-jerusalem-plans-89258402/114705.html |title = Israel Refuses to Halt Construction in East Jerusalem |publisher = [[Voice of America]] |date = March 25, 2010 |access-date = July 2, 2015 |first = Robert |last = Berger }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/world/middleeast/25jerusalem.html |title = Israel Confirms New Building in East Jerusalem |work = The New York Times |date = March 24, 2010 |first = Isabel |last = Kershner |access-date = April 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329231159/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/world/middleeast/25jerusalem.html |archive-date = March 29, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning [[Israeli settlement]]s, with the United States being the only nation to do so.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37572&Cr=palestin&Cr1 |title = United States vetoes Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements |date = February 18, 2011 |website = UN News Service Section |access-date = September 13, 2014 }}</ref> Obama supports the [[two-state solution]] to the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]] based on the 1967 borders with land swaps.<ref>{{cite news |last=Levy |first=Elior |date=May 22, 2011 |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4072210,00.html |title=PA challenges Netanyahu to accept 1967 lines |work=Ynetnews |access-date=May 22, 2011 }}</ref>

In 2013, [[Jeffrey Goldberg]] reported that, in Obama's view, "with each new settlement announcement, Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation."<ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite news |last = Goldberg |first = Jeffrey |title = Obama: 'Israel Doesn't Know What Its Best Interests Are' |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-14/what-obama-thinks-israelis-don-t-understand-.html |access-date = January 23, 2013 |work = Bloomberg |date = January 14, 2013 }}</ref> In 2014, Obama likened the [[Zionist movement]] to the [[civil rights movement]] in the United States. He said both movements seek to bring justice and equal rights to historically persecuted peoples, explaining: "To me, being pro-Israel and pro-Jewish is part and parcel with the values that I've been fighting for since I was politically conscious and started getting involved in politics."<ref>{{cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Jeffrey |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/obama-netanyahu-and-the-future-of-israel/405082/ |title=After the Iran Deal: Obama, Netanyahu, and the Future of the Jewish State |work=The Atlantic |date=September 13, 2015 |access-date=September 13, 2015 }}</ref> Obama expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself during the [[2014 Israel–Gaza conflict]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama reaffirms Israel's right to defend itself |first=Herb|last=Keinon|url=https://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Netanyahu-speaks-with-UN-chief-over-phone-363479 |date = July 19, 2014 | work= [[The Times of Israel]] }}</ref> In 2015, Obama was harshly criticized by Israel for advocating and signing the [[Iran Nuclear Deal]]; Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had advocated the U.S. congress to oppose it, said the deal was "dangerous" and "bad."<ref>{{Cite news | title=Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal makes world much more dangerous, Israel not bound by it |first=Barak |last=Ravid| newspaper=[[Haaretz]] | date=July 14, 2015 |url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.665821 | access-date=January 3, 2018}}</ref>

On December 23, 2016, under the Obama administration, the United States abstained from [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334]], which condemned Israeli settlement building in the occupied [[Palestinian territories]] as a violation of international law, effectively allowing it to pass.<ref>{{cite news | last1=Collinson | first1=Stephen | last2=Wright | first2=David | last3=Labott | first3=Elise | title=US Abstains as UN Demands End to Israeli Settlements |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/23/politics/israel-official-rips-obama-un-settlements/ | date=December 24, 2016 | work=CNN | access-date=January 7, 2017}}</ref> Netanyahu strongly criticized the Obama administration's actions,<ref>{{Cite news | last1=Barak | first1=Ravid | title=Netanyahu on UN Settlement Vote: Israel Will Not Turn the Other Cheek |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.761470 | date=December 26, 2016 | newspaper=[[Haaretz]] | access-date=January 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title=Israel-Palestinians: Netanyahu Condemns John Kerry Speech |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38455753 | date=December 29, 2016 | publisher=BBC News | access-date=January 7, 2017 }}</ref> and the Israeli government withdrew its annual dues from the organization, which totaled $6{{spaces}}million, on January 6, 2017.<ref>{{cite web | title=Israel Halts $6{{spaces}}million to UN to Protest UN Settlements Vote |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-halts-6-million-to-un-to-protest-un-settlements-vote | date=January 6, 2017 | publisher=[[Fox News]] (from the [[Associated Press]]) | access-date=January 7, 2017}}</ref> On January 5, 2017, the United States House of Representatives voted 342–80 to condemn the UN Resolution.<ref>{{cite news | title=House Overwhelmingly Votes to Condemn UN Resolution on Israel Settlements |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-overwhelmingly-votes-to-condemn-un-resolution-on-israel-settlements | date=January 5, 2017 | publisher=[[Fox News]] | access-date=January 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1=Cortellessa | first1=Eric | title=US House Passes Motion Repudiating UN Resolution on Israel |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/us-house-passes-repudiation-of-un-security-council-resolution-on-israel/ | date=January 6, 2017 | work=[[The Times of Israel]] | access-date=January 17, 2017}}</ref>

====Libya====
{{Main|2011 military intervention in Libya|2012 Benghazi attack}}

In February 2011, protests in Libya began against long-time dictator [[Muammar Gaddafi]] as part of the [[Arab Spring]]. They soon turned violent. In March, as forces loyal to Gaddafi advanced on rebels across Libya, calls for a no-fly zone came from around the world, including Europe, the [[Arab League]], and a resolution<ref>{{cite web |url = http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.FloorStatements&ContentRecord_id=b63b7b6f-a466-ba23-dea8-7bc024f54655 |title = Floor Statement by Senator McCain Introducing the Senate Resolution Calling for a No-Fly Zone in Libya |publisher = Senate.gov |date = March 14, 2011 |access-date = March 28, 2011 |archive-date = September 27, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927155925/http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.FloorStatements&ContentRecord_id=b63b7b6f-a466-ba23-dea8-7bc024f54655 |url-status = dead }}</ref> passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nationaljournal.com/congress/senate-passes-resolution-calling-for-no-fly-zone-over-libya-20110301?page=1 |title = Senate Passes Resolution Calling for No-Fly Zone Over Libya |work = [[National Journal]] |date = March 1, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511121418/http://nationaljournal.com/congress/senate-passes-resolution-calling-for-no-fly-zone-over-libya-20110301?page=1 |archive-date = May 11, 2011 }}</ref> In response to the passage of [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973]] on March 17, the Foreign Minister of Libya Moussa Koussa announced a ceasefire. However Gaddafi's forces continued to attack the rebels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Libya declares ceasefire but fighting goes on |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/3/18/libya-declares-ceasefire-but-fighting-goes-on |access-date=May 9, 2024 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

On March 19, a multinational coalition led by France and the United Kingdom with Italian and U.S. support, approved by Obama, took part in air strikes to destroy the Libyan government's air defense capabilities to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly-zone,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=David D. |last2=Erlanger |first2=Steven |last3=Bumiller |first3=Elisabeth |date=March 19, 2011 |title=Allies Open Air Assault on Qaddafi's Forces in Libya |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/africa/20libya.html |access-date=May 9, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> including the use of [[Tomahawk missiles]], [[Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit|B-2 Spirits]], and fighter jets.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/mar/23/ap-news-in-brief/ |title=Obama says US efforts in Libya have saved lives, control of operation can be turned over soon |work=[[Ventura County Star]] |agency=Associated Press |access-date=March 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828104819/http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/mar/23/ap-news-in-brief/ |archive-date=August 28, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author = Pannell, Ian |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12813757 |title = Gaddafi 'not targeted' by allied strikes |publisher = BBC News |date = March 21, 2011 |access-date = July 3, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623012338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12813757 |archive-date = June 23, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/22/f15-fighter-crash-libya |title = F-15 fighter jet crashes in Libya |work = The Guardian |location = London |date = March 22, 2011 |access-date = March 23, 2011 |first = Sam |last = Jones |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322190309/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/22/f15-fighter-crash-libya |archive-date = March 22, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Six days later, on March 25, by unanimous vote of all its 28 members, NATO took over leadership of the effort, dubbed [[Operation Unified Protector]].<ref name="NATOPressRelease">{{cite web |url=http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_03/20110325_110325-unified-protector-no-fly-zone.pdf |title = NATO No-Fly Zone over Libya Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR |publisher = NATO |date = March 25, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110515150551/http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_03/20110325_110325-unified-protector-no-fly-zone.pdf |archive-date = May 15, 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Some members of Congress<ref name="LibyaOffensive">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-obamas-libya-offensive-constitutional/ |title = Is Obama's Libya offensive constitutional? |work = CBS News |date = March 22, 2011 |access-date = March 22, 2011 |first = Brian |last = Montopoli }}</ref> questioned whether Obama had the constitutional authority to order military action in addition to questioning its cost, structure and aftermath.<ref>{{cite news |title = Obama's Libya Policy Makes Strange Bedfellows of Congressional Critics |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/20/obama-libya_n_838219.html |work = The Huffington Post |access-date = March 26, 2011 |date = March 21, 2011 |first = Sam |last = Stein |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323083100/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/20/obama-libya_n_838219.html |archive-date = March 23, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Obama juggles Libya promises, realities |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/25/obama.libya/index.html |publisher = CNN |access-date = March 26, 2011 |date = March 25, 2011 }}</ref> In 2016 Obama said "Our coalition could have and should have done more to fill a vacuum left behind" and that it was "a mess".<ref>{{cite news|first1=Allie|last1=Malloy|first2=Catherine|last2=Treyz|date=April 10, 2016|title=Obama admits worst mistake of his presidency&nbsp;— CNN Politics|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/10/politics/obama-libya-biggest-mistake/index.html|access-date=April 24, 2021|website=CNN|language=en}}</ref> He has stated that the lack of preparation surrounding the days following the government's overthrow was the "worst mistake" of his presidency.<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 11, 2016|title=President Obama: Libya aftermath 'worst mistake' of presidency|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36013703|access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref>

====Syrian civil war====
{{See also|Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war#United States|US intervention in the Syrian civil war}}

On August 18, 2011, several months after the start of the [[Syrian civil war]], Obama issued a written statement that said: "The time has come for [[Bashar al-Assad|President Assad]] to step aside."<ref name="mustgo">{{cite news|title=Assad must go, Obama says|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/assad-must-go-obama-says/2011/08/18/gIQAelheOJ_story.html |first=Scott|last=Wilson|author2=Joby Warrick |access-date=November 23, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=August 18, 2011}}</ref> This stance was reaffirmed in November 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-says-syrian-leader-bashar-al-assad-must-go-1447925671|title=Obama Says Syrian Leader Bashar al-Assad Must Go|last=Nelson|first=Colleen}}</ref> In 2012, Obama authorized multiple [[Timber Sycamore|programs run by the CIA]] and the Pentagon to train anti-Assad rebels.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-syria-obama-order-idUSBRE8701OK20120802|last=Hosenball|first=Mark|title=Obama authorizes secret support for Syrian rebels|access-date=February 19, 2016|work=Reuters|date=August 2, 2012}}</ref> The Pentagon-run program was later found to have failed and was formally abandoned in October 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/10/world/middleeast/pentagon-program-islamic-state-syria.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009144157/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/10/world/middleeast/pentagon-program-islamic-state-syria.html |archive-date=October 9, 2015 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Obama Administration Ends Effort to Train Syrians to Combat ISIS|first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Helene |last2=Cooper |first3=Eric |last3=Schmitt |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 9, 2015 |access-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-usa-idUSKCN0S31BR20151009|title=U.S. pulls plug on Syria rebel training effort; will focus on weapons supply|first1=Phil |last1=Stewart |first2=Kate|last2=Holton|access-date=February 20, 2016|work=Reuters|date=October 9, 2015}}</ref>

In the wake of a [[Ghouta chemical attack|chemical weapons attack]] in Syria, [[U.S. Government Assessment of the Syrian Government's Use of Chemical Weapons on August 21, 2013|formally blamed]] by the Obama administration on the Assad government, Obama chose not to enforce the "red line" he had pledged<ref name="redline">{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/17/obama-red-line-erased-as-assad-chemical-weapons-us/?page=all|title=Obama 'red line' erased as Bashar Assad's chemical weapons use goes unchecked by U.S. military|first=Ben|last=Wolfgang|work=The Washington Times |date=May 17, 2015 |access-date=November 23, 2015}}</ref> and, rather than authorize the promised military action against Assad, went along with the Russia-brokered deal that led to Assad [[Destruction of Syria's chemical weapons|giving up chemical weapons]]; however attacks with [[chlorine gas]] continued.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/world/middleeast/syria-talks.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914154144/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/world/middleeast/syria-talks.html |archive-date=September 14, 2013 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=U.S. and Russia Reach Deal to Destroy Syria's Chemical Arms|last=Gordon|first=Michael|newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 14, 2013 |access-date=February 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/syria-got-rid-of-its-chemical-weapons-but-reports-of-attacks-continue/|title=Syria Got Rid of Its Chemical Weapons—But Reports of Attacks Continue|last=Boghani |first=Priyanka|date=May 26, 2015|access-date=February 19, 2016}}</ref> In 2014, Obama authorized an [[Military intervention against ISIL|air campaign aimed primarily at ISIL]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/09/obama-strike-wherever-it-exists-2014910223935601193.html|title=Obama outlines plan to target IS fighters|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=September 11, 2014|access-date=September 24, 2014}}</ref>

====Iran nuclear talks====
{{See also|Iran–United States relations during the Obama administration|Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action}}
[[File:Barack Obama talks with Benjamin Netanyahu (8637772147).jpg|thumb|Obama talks with Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] in [[Jerusalem]], March 2013|alt=refer to caption]]

On October 1, 2009, the Obama administration went ahead with a Bush administration program, increasing nuclear weapons production. The "Complex Modernization" initiative expanded two existing nuclear sites to produce new bomb parts. In November 2013, the Obama administration opened [[Negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|negotiations]] with Iran to prevent it from acquiring [[nuclear weapon]]s, which included an [[Joint Plan of Action|interim agreement]]. Negotiations took two years with numerous delays, with a deal being announced on July 14, 2015. The deal titled the "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action" saw sanctions removed in exchange for measures that would prevent Iran from producing nuclear weapons. While Obama hailed the agreement as being a step towards a more hopeful world, the deal drew strong criticism from Republican and conservative quarters, and from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.<ref>{{Cite news |title = Iran deal reached, Obama hails step toward 'more hopeful world' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-idUSKCN0PM0CE20150714 |date = July 14, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2015 |work = Reuters }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title = Iran, World Powers Prepare to Sign Nuclear Accord |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/embargo-on-arms-clouds-iran-nuclear-deal-1436831280 |date = July 14, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2015 |newspaper = The Wall Street Journal |last1 = Solomon |first1 = Jay |last2 = Norman |first2 = Laurence |last3 = Lee |first3 = Carol E. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Landmark deal reached on Iran nuclear program |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/14/politics/iran-nuclear-deal/ |date = July 14, 2015 |access-date = July 14, 2015 |publisher = CNN }}</ref> In addition, the transfer of $1.7{{spaces}}billion in cash to Iran shortly after the deal was announced was criticized by the Republican party. The Obama administration said that the payment in cash was because of the "effectiveness of U.S. and international sanctions."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-iran-payment-cash-20160907-snap-story.html|title=$1.7-billion payment to Iran was all in cash due to effectiveness of sanctions, White House says|date=September 7, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> In order to advance the deal, the Obama administration shielded [[Hezbollah]] from the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]]'s [[Project Cassandra]] investigation regarding drug smuggling and from the [[Central Intelligence Agency]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.829686 |title=Obama Administration Reportedly Shielded Hezbollah From DEA and CIA to Save Iran Nuclear Deal |work=Haaretz |date=December 18, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/obama-hezbollah-drug-trafficking-investigation/ |title=A Global Threat Emerges |work=Politico |date=December 18, 2017 |first=Josh |last=Meyer }}</ref>
On a side note, the very same year, in December 2015, Obama started a $348{{spaces}}billion worth program to back the biggest U.S. buildup of nuclear arms since Ronald Reagan left the White House.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2015/12/15/obama-backs-biggest-nuclear-arms-buildup-since-cold-war/|title=Obama Backs Biggest Nuclear Arms Buildup Since Cold War|first=Loren|last=Thompson|website=Forbes}}</ref>

====Russia====
{{See also|Russia–United States relations#Obama administration (2009–2017)}}
[[File:Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama (2015-09-29) 01.jpg|thumb|Obama meets Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] in September 2015|alt=Photo of Obama shaking hands with Vladimir Putin in front of Russian and American flags]]

In March 2010, an agreement was reached with the administration of Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] to replace the [[START I|1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty]] with a new pact reducing the number of long-range nuclear weapons in the arsenals of both countries by about a third.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Peter |date=March 26, 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/world/europe/27start.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328142730/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/27/world/europe/27start.html |archive-date=March 28, 2010 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Obama Seals Arms Control Deal With Russia |work=The New York Times }}</ref> Obama and Medvedev signed the [[New START]] treaty in April 2010, and the [[U.S. Senate]] ratified it in December 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/world/europe/23treaty.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223044444/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/world/europe/23treaty.html |archive-date=December 23, 2010 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |work = The New York Times |first = Peter |last = Baker |title = Senate Passes Arms Control Treaty With Russia, 71–26 |date = December 22, 2010 }}</ref> In December 2011, Obama instructed agencies to consider [[LGBT rights]] when issuing financial aid to foreign countries.<ref>{{cite news |last = McVeigh |first = Karen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/07/gay-rights-us-aid-criteria |title = Gay rights must be criterion for US aid allocations, instructs Obama |newspaper = The Guardian |location = London |date = December 6, 2011 |access-date = January 4, 2013 }}</ref> In August 2013, he criticized Russia's law that discriminates against homosexual people,<ref name="LAT80713">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-xpm-2013-aug-07-la-na-pn-obama-leno-russia-snowden-20130807-story.html |title = Obama criticizes Russia's new anti-gay law in Leno interview |last = Parsons |first = Christi |date = August 7, 2013 |work = [[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date = August 27, 2014 }}</ref> but he stopped short of advocating a boycott of the upcoming [[2014 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sochi]], Russia.<ref name="Huffpo80913">{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/09/obama-olympic-boycott_n_3733275.html |title = Obama Opposes Olympic Boycott, Criticizes Russian Anti-Gay Law |last = Johnson |first = Luke |date = August 9, 2013 |work = [[The Huffington Post]] |access-date = August 27, 2014 }}</ref>

After [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|Russia's invasion of Crimea]] in 2014, [[Russian military intervention in Syria|military intervention in Syria]] in 2015, and [[2016 United States election interference by Russia|the interference]] in the [[2016 U.S. presidential election]],<ref name="ftelect">{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/c596c0a8-a278-11e6-82c3-4351ce86813f | newspaper=[[Financial Times]] | title=US election: The Russia factor: Officials say Moscow's interference is unprecedented. Has the Kremlin achieved its goal? | date=November 4, 2016 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170207141246/https://www.ft.com/content/c596c0a8-a278-11e6-82c3-4351ce86813f |archive-date=February 7, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen|George Robertson]], a former UK defense secretary and NATO secretary-general, said Obama had "allowed Putin to jump back on the world stage and test the resolve of the West", adding that the legacy of this disaster would last.<ref name="obexit">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/world/europe/europeans-view-obamas-exit-with-a-mix-of-admiration-and-regret.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107030307/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/world/europe/europeans-view-obamas-exit-with-a-mix-of-admiration-and-regret.html |archive-date=November 7, 2016 |url-access=limited |url-status=live | newspaper=The New York Times| title=Europeans View Obama's Exit With a Mix of Admiration and Regret |first=Steven |last=Erlanger| date=November 6, 2016}}</ref>

==Post-presidency (2017–present)==
[[File:Obama Macri October 2017.jpg|thumb|Obama playing golf with Argentinian president [[Mauricio Macri]], October 2017|alt=refer to caption]]

Obama's presidency ended on January 20, 2017, upon [[First inauguration of Donald Trump|the inauguration]] of his successor, [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=How Obama felt after Trump's inauguration|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-42491779|access-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Panetta|first=Grace|title=Michelle Obama said attending Trump's inauguration as one of few people of color was 'a lot emotionally'|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/michelle-obama-trump-inauguration-a-lot-emotionally-2019-7|access-date=March 6, 2021|website=Business Insider}}</ref> The family moved to a house they rented in [[Sheridan-Kalorama Historic District|Kalorama, Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/25/politics/obama-kalorama-washington-dc-leases-house/ |title=Peek inside Obama's post-presidential pad|last1=Kosinski|first1=Michelle |first2=Daniella |last2=Diaz |date=May 27, 2016|work=CNN|access-date=January 22, 2017}}</ref> On March 2, the [[John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum]] awarded the [[Profile in Courage Award]] to Obama "for his enduring commitment to democratic ideals and elevating the standard of political courage."<ref>{{cite web|title=Former President Barack H. Obama Announced as Recipient of 2017 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award|url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/About-Us/News-and-Press/Press-Releases/2017-Profile-in-Courage-Award.aspx|website=John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum|access-date=April 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170408015950/https://www.jfklibrary.org/About-Us/News-and-Press/Press-Releases/2017-Profile-in-Courage-Award.aspx|archive-date=April 8, 2017|date=March 2, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> His first public appearance since leaving the office was a seminar at the [[University of Chicago]] on April 24, where he appealed for a new generation to participate in politics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/us/politics/obama-chicago.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424225327/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/us/politics/obama-chicago.html |archive-date=April 24, 2017 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|title=Obama Steps Back into Public Life, Trying to Avoid One Word: Trump|date=April 24, 2017|work=The New York Times|first=Michael D.|last=Shear}}</ref> On September 7, Obama partnered with former presidents Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush to work with [[One America Appeal]] to help the victims of [[Hurricane Harvey]] and [[Hurricane Irma]] in the [[Gulf Coast]] and [[Texas]] communities.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/349993-former-presidents-add-irma-recovery-to-fundraising-appeal/ |title=Former presidents fundraise for Irma disaster relief|last=Shelbourne|first=Mallory|date=September 10, 2017|work=The Hill|access-date=September 11, 2017}}</ref> From October 31 to November 1, Obama hosted the inaugural summit of the [[Obama Foundation]],<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hope|first=Leah|date=September 14, 2017|title=Obama Foundation holds public meeting about presidential library project|url=https://abc7chicago.com/2411976/|access-date=November 17, 2020|publisher=[[WLS-TV]]}}</ref> which he intended to be the central focus of his post-presidency and part of his ambitions for his subsequent activities following his presidency to be more consequential than his time in office.<ref>{{cite news |first=Edward-Isaac |last=Dovere |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/31/barack-obama-foundation-summit-244393|title=Obama, opening his foundation's first summit, calls for fixing civic culture|work=Politico|date=October 31, 2017}}</ref>

Barack and Michelle Obama signed a deal on May 22, 2018, to produce docu-series, documentaries and features for [[Netflix]] under the Obamas' newly formed production company, [[Higher Ground Productions]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Obamas Sign Deal With Netflix, Form 'Higher Ground Productions' |first=Scott |last=Neuman |date=May 22, 2018 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/22/613246456/obamas-sign-content-deal-with-netlfix-form-higher-ground-productions |publisher=NPR |access-date=September 17, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Hunter |title=The Obamas Will Produce Movies and Shows for Netflix |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/05/the-obamas-will-produce-movies-and-shows-for-netflix.html |website=Vulture |access-date=September 17, 2018 |date=May 21, 2018 }}</ref> Higher Ground's first film, ''[[American Factory]]'', won the [[Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/13/entertainment/barack-and-michelle-obama-oscars/index.html|title=Barack and Michelle Obama's production company scores first Oscar nomination|last=Gonzalez|first=Sandra|date=January 13, 2020|work=CNN|access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> On October 24, a pipe bomb addressed to Obama was intercepted by the Secret Service. It was one of several pipe-bombs that had been [[October 2018 United States mail bombing attempts|mailed out to Democratic lawmakers and officials]].<ref name="Pitofsky2018">{{cite news|last=Pitofsky|first=Marina|title=Suspicious packages sent to Clintons, Obamas, CNN: What we know so far|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/24/suspicious-packages-delivered-clintons-obamas-cnn-what-we-know/1749205002/|newspaper=USA Today|date=October 24, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024161609/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/10/24/suspicious-packages-delivered-clintons-obamas-cnn-what-we-know/1749205002/|archive-date=October 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, Barack and Michelle Obama bought a home on [[Martha's Vineyard]] from [[Wyc Grousbeck]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lukpat |first=Alyssa |date=December 5, 2019 |title=Obamas reportedly buy Martha's Vineyard waterfront estate for $11.75 million |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/12/05/obamas-reportedly-buy-martha-vineyard-waterfront-estate-for-million/LeCI83nodDf735zneVfYKM/story.html |work=The Boston Globe}}</ref> On October 29, Obama criticized "[[woke]]ness" and [[call-out culture]] at the Obama Foundation's annual summit.<ref>{{Cite news|date=October 30, 2019|title=Barack Obama challenges 'woke' culture|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50239261|access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Rueb|first1=Emily S.|last2=Taylor|first2=Derrick Bryson|date=October 31, 2019|title=Obama on Call-Out Culture: 'That's Not Activism'|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/obama-woke-cancel-culture.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031174003/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/us/politics/obama-woke-cancel-culture.html |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=October 4, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Obama was reluctant to make an endorsement in the [[2020 Democratic presidential primaries]] because he wanted to position himself to unify the party, regardless of the nominee.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=John Fritze and David |title='Voters themselves must pick': Why Barack Obama isn't endorsing Joe Biden or anyone else for president |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/02/27/why-obama-wont-endorse-biden-south-carolina-super-tuesday-nears/4890693002/ |website=USA Today |access-date=March 18, 2022}}</ref> On April 14, 2020, Obama endorsed his former vice president, [[Joe Biden]], the presumptive nominee, for president in [[2020 United States presidential election|the presidential election]], stating that he has "all the qualities we need in a president right now."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Astor |first1=Maggie |last2=Glueck |first2=Katie |title=Barack Obama Endorses Joe Biden for President |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/obama-endorses-biden.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414145003/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/obama-endorses-biden.html |archive-date=April 14, 2020 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |work=The New York Times |date=April 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Obama endorses Joe Biden for president|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-52287456|access-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref> In May, Obama criticized President Trump for [[Communication of the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic|his handling]] of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]], calling his response to the crisis "an absolute chaotic disaster", and stating that the consequences of the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump presidency]] have been "our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before."<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 20, 2020|title=DNC 2020: Obama blasts Trump's 'reality show' presidency|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53844037|access-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref> On November 17, Obama's presidential memoir, ''[[A Promised Land]]'', was released.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Elizabeth A. |title=Obama's Memoir 'A Promised Land' Coming in November |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 17, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/books/obama-memoir-a-promised-land.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917101005/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/books/obama-memoir-a-promised-land.html |archive-date=September 17, 2020 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |issn=0362-4331 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Adichie|first=Chimamanda Ngozi|date=November 12, 2020|title=Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Barack Obama's 'A Promised Land'|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/books/review/barack-obama-a-promised-land.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112144007/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/books/review/barack-obama-a-promised-land.html |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |url-access=limited |url-status=live|access-date=November 17, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Carras|first=Christi|date=September 17, 2020|title=Barack Obama's new memoir will arrive right after the presidential election|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-09-17/barack-obama-book-memoir-a-promised-land|access-date=November 17, 2020|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Obama and his wife attended the [[inauguration of Joe Biden]] in January 2021.

In February 2021, Obama and musician [[Bruce Springsteen]] started a podcast called ''[[Renegades: Born in the USA]]'' where the two talk about "their backgrounds, music and their 'enduring love of America.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gabbatt |first1=Adam |title=Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen team up for new podcast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/22/barack-obama-bruce-springsteen-podcast-renegades-born-usa |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=March 24, 2021 |date=February 22, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sisario |first1=Ben |title=Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen: The Latest Podcast Duo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/arts/obama-springsteen-podcast-spotify.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/arts/obama-springsteen-podcast-spotify.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=March 24, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=February 22, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Later that year, Regina Hicks had signed a deal with [[Netflix]], in a venture with his and Michelle's Higher Ground to develop comedy projects.<ref>{{cite web|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=December 8, 2021|title='Upshaws' Co-Creator Regina Hicks Sets Netflix Overall Deal, to Develop Comedy Series With Obamas' Higher Ground|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/upshaws-regina-hicks-netflix-overall-deal-obamas-higher-ground-1235129305/|access-date=December 9, 2021|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:P20220405AS-1082 (52067439422).jpg|thumb|Obama with President Joe Biden and Vice President [[Kamala Harris]] in the White House, April 5, 2022|alt=Photo of Obama standing behind a lectern, giving a speech at the White House, with Biden and Harris smiling in the background]]

On March 4, 2022, Obama won an Audio Publishers Association (APA) Award in the best narration by the author category for the narration of his memoir ''A Promised Land''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Perez|first=Lexy|title=Barack Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda Among 2022 Audie Awards Winners|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/audie-awards-2022-winners-lin-manuel-miranda-1235040071/|date=March 5, 2022|access-date=March 6, 2022|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> On April 5, Obama visited the White House for the first time since leaving office, in an event celebrating the 12th annual anniversary of the signing of the Affordable Care Act.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 5, 2022 |title=Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Former President Obama on the Affordable Care Act |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/04/05/remarks-by-president-biden-vice-president-harris-and-former-president-obama-on-the-affordable-care-act/ |access-date=April 6, 2022 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Benson |first=Samuel |title=Obama returns to White House for first time since leaving office |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/05/obama-returns-white-house-00023148 |access-date=April 6, 2022 |website=POLITICO |date=April 5, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=April 5, 2022 |title=Obama's back—for a day—in White House health bill push |url=https://apnews.com/article/biden-health-business-donald-trump-john-mccain-2cbb6353329fcb541b4c8399a5981cf5 |access-date=April 6, 2022 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> In June, it was announced that the Obamas and their podcast production company, Higher Ground, signed a multi-year deal with [[Audible (service)|Audible]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Barack and Michelle Obama sign with Amazon after Spotify declines to renew audio deal |url=https://fortune.com/2022/06/21/barack-michelle-obama-amazon-audible-audio-deal-spotify/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chan |first1=J. Clara |date=June 21, 2022 |title=The Obamas' Higher Ground Leaves Spotify for Audible Multiyear Deal |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/obama-higher-ground-audible-1235169084/ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> In September, Obama visited the White House to unveil his and Michelle's official White House portraits.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Meet the artists who painted the Obama White House portraits |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/09/08/obama-portraits-artists/ |access-date=November 6, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Around the same time, he won a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Montgomery |first=Daniel |date=September 3, 2022 |title=2022 Creative Arts Emmy winners list in all categories [UPDATING LIVE] |url=https://www.goldderby.com/feature/2022-creative-arts-emmy-winners-list-1205063473/ |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=GoldDerby |language=en-US}}</ref> for his narration in the Netflix documentary series ''[[Our Great National Parks]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=5 lessons from Obama's national parks show on Netflix |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/04/13/obama-national-parks-show-netflix/ |access-date=May 26, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In 2022, Obama opposed expanding the Supreme Court beyond the present nine Justices.<ref>{{cite magazine
| magazine=[[The Nation]]
| url=https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/obama-wrong-on-supreme-court-expansion/ | title=Barack Obama is Wrong to Oppose Expanding the Supreme Court | date=October 21, 2022 | last1=Jones | first1=Mondaire }}</ref>

In March 2023, Obama traveled to Australia as a part of his speaking tour of the country. During the trip, Obama met with Australian prime minister [[Anthony Albanese]] and visited [[Melbourne]] for the first time.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Here's why former US president Barack Obama is in Australia|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/heres-why-former-us-president-barack-obama-is-in-australia/kz2efsja8|date=March 27, 2023|access-date=March 29, 2023}}</ref> Obama was reportedly paid more than $1 million for two speeches.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Staszewska |first1=Ewa |title=Barack Obama set to reel in $1 million during Aussie speaking tour as he visits Sydney Opera House with wife Michelle|url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/barack-obama-set-to-reel-in-1-million-during-aussie-speaking-tour-as-he-visits-sydney-opera-house-with-wife-michelle/news-story/dddfb0902c77f8e7af0faec3fd8eb098|date=March 28, 2023|access-date=March 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Vidler |first1=Adam |last2=Theocharous |first2=Mikala |title=Former US President Barack Obama could net $1 million for Australian speaking gigs|url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/barack-obama-michelle-obama-sydney-speaking-tour-begins/5ad10ab0-74e8-4c7f-8874-719da99fd386|date=March 28, 2023|access-date=March 29, 2023}}</ref>

In October 2023, during the [[Gaza war]], Obama declared that [[Israel]] must dismantle [[Hamas]] in the wake of the [[Hamas-led attack on Israel]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mueller |first=Julia |date=October 9, 2023 |title=Obama condemns 'brazen' attacks against Israel |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/4246382-obama-condemns-brazen-attacks-against-israel/ |access-date=December 18, 2023 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> Weeks later, Obama warned [[Israel]] that its actions could "harden Palestinian attitudes for generations" and weaken international support for Israel; any military strategy that ignored the war's human costs "could ultimately backfire."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Kanishka |date=October 23, 2023 |title=Obama warns some of Israel's actions in Gaza may backfire |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/obama-warns-some-israels-actions-gaza-may-backfire-2023-10-23/ }}</ref>
[[File:Former President Barack Obama makes his way to the Capitol Rotunda to attend the 60th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol (cropped).jpg|thumb|185x185px|Obama in 2025.]]
In July 2024, Obama expressed concerns about Biden's campaign viability after his critically maligned [[Joe Biden–Donald Trump 2024 presidential debate|debate performance]] against former president Trump.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 18, 2024 |title=Obama tells allies Biden's path to winning reelection has greatly diminished |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/18/obama-says-biden-must-consider-viability/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240718203833/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/18/obama-says-biden-must-consider-viability/ |archive-date=July 18, 2024 |access-date=July 18, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |language=en-US}}</ref> On July 21, Biden [[Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election|withdrew his candidacy]] and swiftly endorsed Vice President Harris right after to run as the Democratic nominee. Obama endorsed Harris alongside his wife Michelle five days later and delivered a speech at the [[2024 Democratic National Convention]] formally endorsing her.<ref>{{cite news | url=
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3g32y8j772o | title =Obamas endorse Kamala Harris for president | publisher =BBC | date =July 26, 2024}}</ref> He joined Harris on the campaign trail in October, traveling to various swing states and emphasizing her record as a prosecutor, senator, and vice president and advocating for increased voter turnout, and his criticisms of Donald Trump and the Republican Party were widely reported by various media outlets.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/13/politics/obama-campaign-trail-harris-biden/index.html | title =Obama's reemergence on the campaign trail for Harris comes as he recognizes his own legacy is at stake | publisher =CNN |first=Edward-Isaac |last=Dovere| date =October 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://apnews.com/article/obama-harris-trump-2024-election-d9874edf5ae646bf632dc463bcee3625| title =Obama urges Black men to show up for Harris as he campaigns in critical Pennsylvania | publisher =Associated Press | date =October 11, 2024}}</ref> After Trump was declared the winner of the election on November 6, Obama and Michelle congratulated him and Vice President–elect [[JD Vance]] while praising the Harris campaign and calling on liberal voters to continue supporting democracy and human rights.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/obamas-congratulate-trump-keep-fighting-democracy-1235155595/| title = Obamas Call on Americans to 'Keep Building' a Country That's 'More Equal and More Free'| publisher = Rolling Stone | date =November 6, 2024}}</ref>

Obama attended the [[second inauguration of Donald Trump]] in January 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCreesh |first=Shawn |date=January 21, 2025 |title=Packed In for Trump's Indoor Inauguration, Awkwardness Abounds |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/us/politics/trumps-indoor-inauguration.html |access-date=June 22, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Cultural and political image==
{{Main|Public image of Barack Obama}}
{{See also|International media reaction to the 2008 United States presidential election}}

Obama's family history, upbringing, and [[Ivy League]] education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who rose to prominence in the 1960s through their involvement in the civil rights movement.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wallace-Wells |first=Benjamin |title=The Great Black Hope: What's Riding on Barack Obama? |date=November 2004 |work=Washington Monthly |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0411.wallace-wells.html |access-date=April 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513153556/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0411.wallace-wells.html |archive-date=May 13, 2008 |url-status=dead }} See also: {{cite news|first=Janny |last=Scott |title=A Member of a New Generation, Obama Walks a Fine Line |date=December 28, 2007 |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/28/america/obama.php |work=International Herald Tribune |access-date=April 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117005009/http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/28/america/obama.php |archive-date=January 17, 2008 }}</ref> Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the [[National Association of Black Journalists]] that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."<ref>{{cite news |first = Les |last = Payne |title = In One Country, a Dual Audience |format = paid archive |date = August 19, 2007 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/1322008241.html?dids=1322008241:1322008241&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |work = Newsday |place = New York |access-date = April 7, 2008 |archive-date = September 15, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080915033412/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/1322008241.html?dids=1322008241:1322008241&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status = dead }}</ref> Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, remarking: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."<ref>{{cite news |first = Mike |last = Dorning |title = Obama Reaches Across Decades to JFK |format = paid archive |date = October 4, 2007 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1353513781.html?dids=1353513781:1353513781&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+4%2C+2007&author=Mike+Dorning |work = Chicago Tribune |access-date = April 7, 2008 |archive-date = June 17, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080617150439/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1353513781.html?dids=1353513781:1353513781&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+4%2C+2007&author=Mike+Dorning |url-status = dead }} See also: {{cite news |first = Toby |last = Harnden |title = Barack Obama is JFK Heir, Says Kennedy Aide |date = October 15, 2007 |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1565992/Barack-Obama-is-JFK-heir-says-Kennedy-aide.html |url-access = subscription |work = The Daily Telegraph |place = London |access-date = April 7, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080515071852/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1565992/Barack-Obama-is-JFK-heir%2C-says-Kennedy-aide.html |archive-date = May 15, 2008 |url-status = live }}</ref> Obama has frequently been referred to as an exceptional orator.<ref name="exceptional orator" /> During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama delivered a series of weekly video addresses on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/ChangeDotGov |title = ChangeDotGov's Channel |via = YouTube |access-date = April 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220004338/http://www.youtube.com/user/ChangeDotGov|archive-date=February 20, 2010 }}</ref>

=== Job approval ===
[[File:Gallup Poll-Approval Rating-Barack Obama.svg|thumb|275px|Graph of Obama's approval ratings per Gallup|alt=refer to adjacent text]]

According to the [[Gallup Organization]], Obama began his presidency with a 68 percent [[approval rating]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/113962/obama-starts-job-approval.aspx |title = Obama Starts With 68% Job Approval |publisher = Gallup |first1= Lydia |last1=Saad |date = January 24, 2009 |access-date = June 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616021142/http://www.gallup.com/poll/113962/Obama-Starts-Job-Approval.aspx |archive-date = June 16, 2011 }}</ref> the fifth highest for a president following their swearing in.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=January 22, 2009 |title=What History Foretells for Obama's First Job Approval Rating |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/113923/History-Foretells-Obama-First-Job-Approval-Rating.aspx |access-date=March 18, 2025 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]] |language=en}}</ref> His ratings remained above the majority level until November 2009<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |date=November 20, 2009 |title=Obama Job Approval Down to 49% |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/122627/Obama-Job-Approval-Down-49.aspx |access-date=March 18, 2025 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]] |language=en}}</ref> and by August 2010 his approval was in the low 40s,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/04/obama-hits-low-point-in-gallup-poll/1 |first1=David |last1=Jackson |title = Obama hits low point in Gallup Poll—41% |work = USA Today |date = April 15, 2011 |access-date = June 19, 2011 }}</ref> a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years in office.<ref>{{cite web |first = Jon |last = Terbush |url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/approval-by-numbers-how-obama-compares-to-past-presidents.php |title = Approval By Numbers: How Obama Compares To Past Presidents |publisher = TPMDC |date = December 9, 2010 |access-date = June 19, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704203654/http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/approval-by-numbers-how-obama-compares-to-past-presidents.php |archive-date= July 4, 2011 }}</ref> Following the [[death of Osama bin Laden]] on May 2, 2011, Obama experienced a small poll bounce and steadily maintained 50–53 percent approval for about a month, until his approval numbers dropped back to the low 40s.<ref name="Obamapolling">{{cite web |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx |title = Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval |date = January 22, 2015 |access-date = March 23, 2015 |website = Gallup Polling }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Oliphant |first = James |date = May 11, 2011 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-may-11-la-pn-obama-bounce-20110511-story.html |title = Bin Laden bounce? New poll shows jump in Obama approval |work = [[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date = June 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Balz |first1 = Dan |last2 = Cohen |first2 = John |date = June 6, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-loses-bin-laden-bounce-romney-on-the-move-among-gop-contenders/2011/06/06/AGT5wiKH_story.html |url-access=subscription |title = Obama loses bin Laden bounce; Romney on the move among GOP contenders |newspaper = The Washington Post |publisher = Nash Holdings LLC |access-date = June 7, 2011 }}</ref>

His approval rating fell to 38 percent on several occasions in late 2011<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Jones |first1 = Jeffrey M. |date = October 21, 2011 |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/150230/obama-job-approval-average-slides-new-low-11th-quarter.aspx |title = Obama Job Approval Average Slides to New Low in 11th Quarter |work = Gallup Inc. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115131117/https://news.gallup.com/poll/150230/Obama-Job-Approval-Average-Slides-New-Low-11th-Quarter.aspx |archive-date= January 15, 2024 }}</ref> before recovering in mid-2012 with polls showing an average approval of 50 percent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saad |first=Lydia |date=September 27, 2012 |title=Obama Approval, Vote Support Both Reach 50% or Better |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/157709/obama-approval-vote-support-reach-better.aspx |access-date=March 18, 2025 |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.]] |language=en}}</ref> After his second inauguration in 2013, Obama's approval ratings remained stable around 52 percent<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/Presidential-Job-Approval-Center.aspx |title = Presidential Job Approval Center |publisher = Gallup |access-date = June 23, 2015 |archive-date = July 2, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150702081744/http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/presidential-job-approval-center.aspx |url-status = dead }}</ref> before declining for the rest of the year and eventually bottoming out at 39 percent in December.<ref name="Obamapolling"/> In polling conducted before the [[2014 midterm elections]], Obama's approval ratings were at their lowest<ref>{{Cite web |last=Topaz |first=Jonathan |date=October 15, 2014 |title=Poll: Obama hits lowest approval |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/poll-obama-approval-rating-111902 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |website=[[Politico]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Horsley |first=Scott |date=November 3, 2014 |title=Obama's Low Approval Rating Casts Shadow Over Democratic Races |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2014/11/03/361060049/obamas-low-approval-rating-casts-shadow-over-democratic-races |access-date=March 18, 2025 |publisher=[[NPR]] |language=en}}</ref> with his disapproval rating reaching a high of 57 percent.<ref name="Obamapolling"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/poll-obama-lowest-approval-rating-nbc-wsj-107978 |title = NBC/WSJ poll: Obama low point |date = June 18, 2014 |access-date = July 25, 2023 |last1=Topaz |first1=Jonathan |website = Politico }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/10/27/politics/cnn-poll-angry-voters/index.html |title = Voters are angry |date = October 28, 2014 |access-date = July 25, 2023 |last1=Preston |first1=Mark |website = CNN }}</ref> His approval rating continued to lag throughout most of 2015 but began to reach the high 40s by the end of the year.<ref name="Obamapolling"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/181490/obama-approval-ratings-historically-polarized.aspx |title = Obama Approval Ratings Still Historically Polarized |date = February 6, 2015 |access-date = July 31, 2023 |last1=Jones |first1=Jeffrey M. |website = Gallup Inc. }}</ref> According to Gallup, Obama's approval rating reached 50 percent in March 2016, a level unseen since May 2013.<ref name="Obamapolling"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/189872/obama-job-approval-highest-level-may-2013.aspx?g_source=Obama%20Job%20Approval&g_medium=search&g_campaign=tiles |title = Obama's Job Approval at Highest Level Since May 2013 |date = March 10, 2016 |access-date = July 25, 2023 |last1=Dugan |first1=Andrew |last2=Newport |first2=Frank |website = Gallup Polling }}</ref> In polling conducted January 16–19, 2017, Obama's final approval rating was 59 percent, which placed him on par with [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose final Gallup ratings also measured in the high 50s.<ref>{{cite news |date = October 28, 2022 |url=https://www.pilotonline.com/2022/10/28/barack-obama-gets-a-midterm-do-over-to-help-boost-democrats/ |title = Barack Obama gets a midterm do-over to help boost Democrats |agency = Associated Press |publisher = [[The Virginia Pilot]] |access-date = July 24, 2023 }}</ref>

Obama has maintained relatively positive public perceptions after his presidency.<ref>{{cite news |date =June 19, 2017 |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/212633/george-bush-barack-obama-popular-retirement.aspx |title = George W. Bush and Barack Obama Both Popular in Retirement |work = [[Gallup Inc.]] |last = Saad |first = Lydia |access-date = July 31, 2023 }}</ref> In Gallup's retrospective approval polls of former presidents, Obama garnered a 63 percent approval rating in 2018 and again in 2023, ranking him the fourth most popular president since World War II.<ref name="Jones2018">{{cite news |date =February 15, 2018 |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/226994/obama-first-retrospective-job-approval-rating.aspx |title = Obama's First Retrospective Job Approval Rating Is 63% |work = [[Gallup Inc.]] |last = Jones |first = Jeffrey M.| access-date = July 31, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date =July 17, 2023 |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/508625/retrospective-approval-jfk-rises-trump.aspx |title = Retrospective Approval of JFK Rises to 90%; Trump at 46% |work = [[Gallup Inc.]] |last = Jones |first = Jeffrey M.| access-date = July 31, 2023 }}</ref>

===Foreign perceptions===
Polls showed strong support for Obama in other countries both before and during his presidency.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912225144/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 12, 2008 |title = World wants Obama as president: poll |agency = Reuters |date = September 9, 2008 |work = [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Wike|first1=Richard|last2=Poushter|first2=Jacob|last3=Zainulbhai|first3=Hani|title=As Obama Years Draw to Close, President and U.S. Seen Favorably in Europe and Asia|url=http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/06/29/as-obama-years-draw-to-close-president-and-u-s-seen-favorably-in-europe-and-asia/|website=Global Attitudes & Trends|publisher=Pew Research Center|access-date=February 23, 2017|date=June 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wan|first1=William|last2=Clement|first2=Scott|date=November 18, 2016|title=Most of the world doesn't actually see America the way Trump said it did|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/obama-legacy/global-approval-rating.html|access-date=February 8, 2021}}</ref> In a February 2009 poll conducted in Western Europe and the U.S. by [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Interactive]] for [[France 24]] and the ''[[International Herald Tribune]]'', Obama was rated as the most respected world leader, as well as the most powerful.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/americas/06iht-poll.4.19983290.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927104642/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/world/americas/06iht-poll.4.19983290.html |archive-date=September 27, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title = Poll shows Obama atop list of most respected |last = Freed |first = John C. |date = February 6, 2009 |work = The New York Times |access-date = January 22, 2012 }}</ref> In a similar poll conducted by Harris in May 2009, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of the economic downturn.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/world/europe/29iht-poll.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601104537/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/world/europe/29iht-poll.html |archive-date=June 1, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title = Obama Most Popular Leader, Poll Finds |date = May 29, 2009 |work = The New York Times |access-date = January 22, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Obama remains a popular symbol of hope |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20090529-obama-remains-popular-symbol-hope-harris-interactive-poll-world-leaders |date = June 2, 2009 |publisher = [[France 24]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513050036/http://www.france24.com/en/20090529-obama-remains-popular-symbol-hope-harris-interactive-poll-world-leaders |archive-date = May 13, 2011 |access-date = January 22, 2012 }}</ref>

On October 9, 2009—only nine months into his first term—the [[Norwegian Nobel Committee]] announced that Obama had won the [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize]] "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples",<ref name="nobel peace prize2">{{cite web |title=The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010170600/http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/ |archive-date=October 10, 2009 |access-date=October 9, 2009 |publisher=Nobel Foundation}}</ref> which drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Philp |first=Catherine |date=October 10, 2009 |title=Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight |language=en |work=[[The Times]] |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/barack-obamas-peace-prize-starts-a-fight-nltk0qdq65d |access-date=December 15, 2021 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Otterman |first=Sharon |date=October 9, 2009 |title=World Reaction to a Nobel Surprise |newspaper=The New York Times |url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/world-reaction-to-a-nobel-surprise/?hp#bozoanchor |access-date=October 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Obama Peace Prize win has Americans asking why? |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BarackObama/idUKTRE5983AM20091009?virtualBrandChannel=11621&sp=true |access-date=October 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Obama: Nobel Peace Prize 'a call to action'—Politics—White House |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/33237202 |access-date=September 13, 2014}}</ref> He became the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Obama's win unique among presidents |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/09/us.nobel.presidents/}}</ref> He himself called it a "call to action" and remarked: "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0950532/|title=Obama says Nobel Peace Prize is 'call to action'|publisher=Reuters|date=October 10, 2009|author1=Matt Spetalnick|author2=Wojciech Moskwa
}}</ref>

==Legacy and recognition==
Obama has been described as one of the most effective campaigners in American history (his 2008 campaign being particularly highlighted) as well as one of the most talented political orators of the 21st century.<ref name="Stirland2008">{{cite magazine |last1=Stirland |first1=Sarah Lai |date=November 30, 2008|title=The Obama Campaign: A Great Campaign, or the Greatest? |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/11/the-obama-campa/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211041825/https://www.wired.com/2008/11/the-obama-campa/ |archive-date=December 11, 2023 |magazine=Wired}}</ref><ref name="Gallo2012">{{cite web |title=Barack Obama: A Master Class in Public Speaking &#91;Video&#93; |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2012/11/20/barack-obama-a-master-class-in-public-speaking/?sh=442e86c7727f |website=[[Forbes]]|first=Carmine |last=Gallo }}</ref><ref name="Entrepenuer2016">{{cite web |date=September 13, 2016 |title=3 Moments Where President Obama Earned the Title of Great Communicator |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/3-moments-where-president-obama-earned-the-title-of-great/280400}}</ref> Historian [[Julian Zelizer]] credits Obama with "a keen sense of how the institutions of government work and the ways that his team could design policy proposals." Zeitzer notes Obama's policy successes included the economic stimulus package which ended the [[Great Recession in the United States|Great Recession]] and the [[Dodd-Frank]] financial and consumer protection reforms, as well as the [[Affordable Care Act]]. Zeitzer also notes the Democratic Party lost power and numbers of elected officials during Obama's term, saying that the consensus among historians is that Obama "turned out to be a very effective policymaker but not a tremendously successful party builder." Zeitzer calls this the "defining paradox of Obama's presidency".<ref name="ZelizerObamaBookChap1">{{cite book  |chapter=Policy Revolution without a Political Transformation |last=Zelizer |first=Julian E. |title=The Presidency of Barack Obama: a First Historical Assessment |editor-last=Zelizer |editor-first=Julian |pages=1–10 |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-691-16028-3 |author-link=Julian E. Zelizer}}</ref>

The [[Brookings Institution]] noted that Obama passed "only one major legislative achievement (Obamacare)—and a fragile one at that—the legacy of Obama's presidency mainly rests on its tremendous symbolic importance and the fate of a patchwork of executive actions."<ref>{{cite web |last=Kamarck |first=Elaine |date=April 6, 2018 |title=The fragile legacy of Barack Obama |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/04/06/the-fragile-legacy-of-barack-obama/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406205333/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/04/06/the-fragile-legacy-of-barack-obama/ |archive-date=April 6, 2018 |access-date=October 30, 2021 |website=[[Brookings Institution|Brookings]] |language=en-US}}</ref> David W. Wise noted that Obama fell short "in areas many Progressives hold dear", including the continuation of drone strikes, not going after big banks during the Great Recession, and failing to strengthen his coalition before pushing for Obamacare. Wise called Obama's legacy that of "a disappointingly conventional president".<ref>{{Cite web |last=W. Wise |first=David |date=April 30, 2019 |title=Obama's legacy is as a disappointingly conventional president |work=USAPP |url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2019/04/30/obamas-legacy-is-as-a-disappointingly-conventional-president/ |access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref>

Obama's most significant accomplishment is generally considered to be the Affordable Care Act (ACA), provisions of which went into effect from 2010 to 2020. Many attempts by Senate Republicans to repeal the ACA, including a "skinny repeal", have thus far failed.<ref name="legacy">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/obama-legacy-recovery-recession-affordable-care-act-44927003 |title=Obama Legacy Will Be Recovery from Recession, Affordable Care Act|date=January 20, 2017|work=ABC News|access-date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> However, in 2017, the penalty for violating the individual mandate was repealed effective 2019.<ref name="Eibner2018">{{Cite report |title=The Effect of Eliminating the Individual Mandate Penalty and the Role of Behavioral Factors|year=2018|work=[[Commonwealth Fund]]|doi=10.26099/SWQZ-5G92 |doi-access=free |last1=Eibner|first1=Christine|last2=Nowak|first2=Sarah}}</ref> Together with the [[Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act]] amendment, it represents the U.S. healthcare system's most significant regulatory overhaul and expansion of coverage since the passage of [[Medicare (United States)|Medicare]] and Medicaid in 1965.<ref name="Oberlander2010">{{cite journal|last1=Oberlander|first1=Jonathan|title=Long Time Coming: Why Health Reform Finally Passed|journal=Health Affairs|date=June 1, 2010|volume=29|issue=6|pages=1112–1116|doi=10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0447|pmid=20530339|issn=0278-2715|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Blumenthal2015">{{cite journal |last1=Blumenthal|first1=David|last2=Abrams|first2=Melinda|last3=Nuzum|first3=Rachel|s2cid=28486139|title=The Affordable Care Act at 5 Years |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |date=June 18, 2015 | volume=372 |issue=25 |pages=2451–2458|doi=10.1056/NEJMhpr1503614|pmid=25946142| issn=0028-4793|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="CohenEtAl">{{cite book|last1=Cohen|first1=Alan B.|last2=Colby|first2=David C.|last3=Wailoo|first3=Keith A.|last4=Zelizer|first4=Julian E. | title=Medicare and Medicaid at 50: America's Entitlement Programs in the Age of Affordable Care|date=June 1, 2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-023156-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H9DGBwAAQBAJ }}</ref><ref name="NYTsigning">{{cite news|last1=Stolberg|first1=Sheryl Gay|last2=Pear|first2=Robert | title=Obama Signs Health Care Overhaul into Law|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/policy/24health.html| work=The New York Times|date=March 23, 2010}}</ref>

Many commentators credit Obama with averting a threatened [[Depression (economics)|depression]] and pulling the economy back from the Great Recession.<ref name="legacy" /> According to the [[U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]], the [[Obama administration]] created 11.3&nbsp;million jobs from the month after his first inauguration to the end of his second term.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Long|first1=Heather|title=Final tally: Obama created 11.3 million jobs|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/01/06/news/economy/obama-over-11-million-jobs/ |work=CNN|date=January 6, 2017}}</ref> In 2010, Obama signed into effect the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Passed as a response to the [[2008 financial crisis]], it brought the most significant changes to [[financial regulation]] in the United States since the regulatory reform that followed the [[Great Depression]] under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Learish |first=Jessica  |date=January 6, 2017 |title=Barack Obama's Legacy: Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/barack-obama-legacy/12/ |access-date=March 15, 2017 |work=CBS News}}</ref>

In 2009, Obama signed into law the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010]], which contained in it the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the first addition to existing federal hate crime law in the United States since Democratic President Bill Clinton signed into law the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996. The act expanded [[Hate crime laws in the United States|existing federal hate crime laws in the United States]], and made it a federal crime to assault people based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bowman |first=Quinn |date=October 28, 2009 |title=Obama Signs Measure to Widen Hate Crimes Law |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/politics-july-dec09-hatecrime_10-28 |access-date=November 8, 2022 |work=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref>

As president, Obama advanced LGBT rights.<ref>{{cite news |last=Crary |first=David |date=January 4, 2017 |url=https://apnews.com/b94c8697ab2148199ca3d1b6137a9c20/lgbt-activists-view-obama-staunch-champion-their-cause |title=LGBT activists view Obama as staunch champion of their cause |work=Associated Press }}</ref> In 2010, he signed the [[Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act]], which brought an end to "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the U.S. armed forces that banned open service from [[LGBT]] people; the law went into effect the following year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bumiller |first=Elisabeth |date=July 22, 2011 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/us/23military.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723235727/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/us/23military.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Obama Ends 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] }}</ref> In 2016, his administration brought an end to the ban on [[transgender]] people serving openly in the U.S. armed forces.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pentagon Says Transgender Troops Can Now Serve Openly|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/30/484192442/pentagon-says-transgender-troops-can-now-serve-openly|date=June 30, 2016|last=Kennedy|first=Kennedy|work=The Two-Way|publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref><ref name=TransBan1 /> A [[Gallup poll]], taken in the final days of Obama's term, showed that 68 percent of Americans believed the U.S. had made progress on LGBT rights during Obama's eight years in office.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Michael |last1=Smith |first2=Frank |last2=Newport |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/201683/americans-assess-progress-obama.aspx |title=Americans Assess Progress Under Obama |publisher=The Gallup Organization |date=January 9, 2017 }}</ref>

Obama substantially escalated the use of [[drone strikes]] against suspected militants and terrorists associated with al-Qaeda and the [[Taliban]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Zenko|first=Micah |date=January 12, 2016 |title= Obama's Embrace of Drone Strikes Will Be a Lasting Legacy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/01/12/reflecting-on-obamas-presidency/obamas-embrace-of-drone-strikes-will-be-a-lasting-legacy|work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date= March 2, 2019}}</ref> In 2016, the last year of his presidency, the U.S. dropped 26,171 bombs on seven different countries.<ref>{{cite news |last=Grandin|first=Greg |date=January 15, 2017 |title= Why Did the US Drop 26,171 Bombs on the World Last Year?|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/why-did-the-us-dropped-26171-bombs-on-the-world-last-year/tnamp/|work=[[The Nation]] |author-link=Greg Grandin|access-date= January 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Agerholm|first=Harriet |date=January 19, 2017 |title=Map shows where President Barack Obama dropped his 20,000 bombs|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-president-barack-obama-bomb-map-drone-wars-strikes-20000-pakistan-middle-east-afghanistan-a7534851.html|work=The Independent |access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref> Obama left about 8,400 U.S. troops in [[Afghanistan]], 5,262 in Iraq, 503 in Syria, 133 in Pakistan, 106 in Somalia, seven in Yemen, and two in Libya at the end of his presidency.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Parsons|first1=Christi|last2=Hennigan|first2=W. J.|title=President Obama, who hoped to sow peace, instead led the nation in war|url=https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-na-pol-obama-at-war/ |work=Los Angeles Times|date=January 13, 2017}}</ref>

According to [[Pew Research Center]] and [[United States Bureau of Justice Statistics]], from December 31, 2009, to December 31, 2015, inmates sentenced in U.S. federal custody declined by five percent. This is the largest decline in sentenced inmates in U.S. federal custody of any president since [[Jimmy Carter]]. By contrast, the federal prison population increased significantly under presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gramlich|first1=John|title=Federal prison population fell during Obama's term, reversing recent trend|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/05/federal-prison-population-fell-during-obamas-term-reversing-recent-trend/ |publisher=Pew Research Center|date=January 5, 2017}}</ref>

[[Human Rights Watch]] (HRW) called Obama's human rights record "mixed", adding that "he has often treated human rights as a secondary interest—nice to support when the cost was not too high, but nothing like a top priority he championed."<ref name="Roth2017" />

Obama left office in January 2017 with a 60 percent approval rating.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/01/18/Obama-leaving-office-at-60-approval-rating/4481484744398/ |first=Allen |last=Cone |date=January 18, 2017 |title=Obama leaving office at 60 percent approval rating|work=United Press International|access-date=February 26, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/18/politics/obama-approval-rating-cnn-orc-poll/index.html|title=Obama approval hits 60 percent as end of term approaches|last=Agiesta |date=January 18, 2017 |first=Jennifer |access-date=February 26, 2017|work=CNN}}</ref> He gained 10 spots from the same survey in 2015 from the Brookings Institution that ranked him the 18th-greatest American president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2015/02/13/measuring-obama-against-the-great-presidents/|title=Measuring Obama against the great presidents|last1= Rottinghaus|first1=Brandon|last2=Vaughn|first2=Justin S.|date=February 13, 2015|publisher=[[Brookings Institution]]}}</ref> In Gallup's 2018 job approval poll for the past 10 U.S. presidents, he received a 63 percent approval rating.<ref name="Jones2018" />

===Presidential library===
{{Main|Barack Obama Presidential Center}}

The Barack Obama Presidential Center is Obama's planned [[Presidential library system|presidential library]]. It will be hosted by the University of Chicago and located in [[Jackson Park (Chicago)|Jackson Park]] on the South Side of Chicago.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.obama.org/the-center/ |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824184224/https://www.obama.org/the-center/ |archive-date=August 24, 2019 |title=The Obama Presidential Center |publisher=Barack Obama Foundation |access-date=October 10, 2023 }}</ref>

=== Awards and honors ===
{{Main|List of awards and honors received by Barack Obama}}

Obama received the [[Norwegian Nobel Committee]]'s [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Prize]] in 2009, [[USC Shoah Foundation|The Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education's Ambassador of Humanity Award]] in 2014, the [[John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award]] in 2017, and the [[Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights|Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award]] in 2018. He was named [[Time (magazine)|''TIME'' Magazine]]'s [[Time Person of the Year|''Time'' Person of the Year]] in 2008 and 2012. He also received two [[Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording|Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album]] for ''[[Dreams from My Father]]'' (2006), and ''[[The Audacity of Hope]]'' (2008) as well as three [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator|Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narrator]] for ''[[Our Great National Parks]]'' (2022), ''[[Working: What We Do All Day]]'' (2023), and ''[[Our Oceans]]'' (2025). He also won two [[Children's and Family Emmy Awards]]. In 2024 he became the first and so far only President from the [[Democratic Party of the United States|Democratic Party]] to win the [[Sylvanus Thayer Award]].

===Eponymy===
{{Main|List of things named after Barack Obama}}

==Bibliography==
{{Main|Bibliography of Barack Obama}}
{{refbegin}}

===Books===
* {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |year=1995 |title=[[Dreams from My Father]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Times Books]] |isbn=978-0-8129-2343-8 |ref=no}}
* {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |author-mask=7 |year=2006 |title=[[The Audacity of Hope]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]] |isbn=978-0-307-23769-9 |ref=no}}
* {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |author-mask=7 |year=2010 |title=[[Of Thee I Sing (book)|Of Thee I Sing]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf]] |isbn=978-0-375-83527-8 |ref=no}}
* {{Cite book |last=Obama |first=Barack |author-mask=7 |year=2020 |title=[[A Promised Land]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group]] |isbn=978-1-5247-6316-9 |ref=no}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Former President Barack Obama's third book starts shipping today|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/shopping/books/barack-obama-book-promised-land-n1246845|first=Sydney|last= Williams|date=November 17, 2020|access-date=September 22, 2021|website=NBC News|language=en}}</ref>

===Audiobooks===
* 2006: ''The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream'' (read by the author), [[Random House Audio]], {{ISBN|978-0-7393-6641-7}}
* 2020: ''A Promised Land'' (read by the author)

===Articles===
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|date=1988|title=Why organize? Problems in the inner city|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1988/ii880840.html|journal=Illinois Issues|volume=XIV|issue=8 & 9|pages=40–42|issn=0738-9663 |ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=1990|title=Tort Law. Prenatal Injuries. Supreme Court of Illinois Refuses to Recognize Cause of Action Brought by Fetus Against Its Mother for Unintentional Infliction of Prenatal Injuries. ''Stallman v. Youngquist'', 125 Ill. 2d 267, 531 N. E.2d 355 (1988)|journal=[[Harvard Law Review]]|volume=103|issue=3|pages=823–828|jstor=1341352|doi=10.2307/1341352|ref=no}} Uncredited case comment.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Ressner|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Smith|first2=Ben|date=August 22, 2008|title=Exclusive: Obama's Lost Law Review Article |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2008/08/exclusive-obamas-lost-law-review-article-012705|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208150320/https://www.politico.com/story/2008/08/exclusive-obamas-lost-law-review-article-012705|archive-date=February 8, 2021|access-date=February 20, 2021|work=[[Politico]]}}</ref>
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=2005|title=Bound to the Word|url=https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/bound-to-the-word/|journal=[[American Libraries]]|volume=36|issue=7|pages=48–52|jstor=25649652|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last1=Obama|first1=Barack|author-mask=7|date=May 25, 2006|title=Making Patient Safety the Centerpiece of Medical Liability Reform|journal=[[The New England Journal of Medicine]]|volume=354|issue=21|pages=2205–2208|doi=10.1056/NEJMp068100|last2=Clinton|first2=Hillary|pmid=16723612|author-link2=Hillary Clinton|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=2007|title=Renewing American Leadership|url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2007-07-01/renewing-american-leadership|journal=[[Foreign Affairs]]|volume=86|pages=2–16|jstor=20032411|issue=4|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=2008|title=A More Perfect Union|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00064246.2008.11413431|journal=[[The Black Scholar]]|volume=38|pages=17–23|doi=10.1080/00064246.2008.11413431|jstor=41069296|issue=1|s2cid=219318643|ref=no|url-access=subscription}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=2009|title=What Science Can Do|url=https://issues.org/obama/|journal=[[Issues in Science and Technology]]|volume=25|pages=23–30|jstor=43314908|issue=4|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=2009|title=A New Beginning|journal=Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften |volume=7|pages=173–186|jstor=26165626|issue=2|doi=10.5771/1610-7780-2009-2-173|doi-access=free|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=August 2, 2016|title=United States Health Care Reform: Progress to Date and Next Steps |journal=[[Journal of the American Medical Association]]|volume=130|issue=5|pages=811–866|doi=10.1001/jama.2016.9797 |doi-access=free |pmid=27400401|pmc=5069435|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=January 5, 2017|title=The President's Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform|url=https://harvardlawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/811-866-Online-Rev-vf.pdf|journal=[[Harvard Law Review]]|volume=130|issue=3|pages=811–866|jstor=44865604|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=January 13, 2017|title=The Irreversible Momentum of Clean Energy|journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]]|volume=355|issue=6321|pages=126–129|doi=10.1126/science.aam6284|pmid=28069665|bibcode=2017Sci...355..126O|s2cid=30991274|doi-access=free|ref=no}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Obama|first=Barack|author-mask=7|date=May 2017|title=Repealing the ACA Without a Replacement—the Risks to American Health Care|journal=[[Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey]]|volume=72|issue=5|pages=263–264|doi=10.1097/OGX.0000000000000447|s2cid=80088566|url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1493&context=publichealthresources|ref=no|url-access=subscription}}
{{refend}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|United States|Hawaii|Chicago|Illinois|Law|Politics|2000s|2010s}}

===Politics===
* {{anl|DREAM Act}}
* {{anl|Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009}}
* {{anl|Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986}}
* {{anl|IRS targeting controversy}}
* [[Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012]]
* {{anl|National Broadband Plan (United States)}}
* {{anl|Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy}}
* [[Social policy of the Barack Obama administration]]
* {{anl|SPEECH Act}}
* [[Stay with It]]
* {{anl|White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy}}

===Other===
* {{anl|Roberts Court}}
* [[Speeches of Barack Obama]]

===Lists===
* [[Assassination threats against Barack Obama]]
* [[List of African-American United States senators]]
* [[List of Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign endorsements]]
* [[List of Barack Obama 2012 presidential campaign endorsements]]
* [[Political scandals during the Obama administration|List of federal political scandals, 2009–17]]
* [[List of people granted executive clemency by Barack Obama]]
* [[List of presidents of the United States]]
* [[List of presidents of the United States by previous experience]]
* [[List of things named after Barack Obama]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="birth-certificate">{{cite web |date = April 27, 2011 |title = Certificate of Live Birth: Barack Hussein Obama II, August 4, 1961, 7:24 pm, Honolulu |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf |access-date = March 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303062746/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf |via = [[NARA|National Archives]] |work = [[whitehouse.gov]] |archive-date = March 3, 2017 }}</ref>
<ref name="Christian">{{cite web |year=2009 |title=American President: Barack Obama |publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia |url=http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama |access-date=January 23, 2009 |quote=Religion: Christian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123091100/http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/obama |archive-date=January 23, 2009 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |title=The Truth about Barack's Faith |publisher=Obama for America |url=http://www.fightthesmears.com/file_download/2/baracksfaith.pdf |access-date=July 1, 2012 |archive-date=January 5, 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110105040018/http://www.fightthesmears.com/file_download/2/baracksfaith.pdf }}
* {{cite news |last=Miller |first=Lisa |date=July 18, 2008 |title=Finding his faith |work=Newsweek |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971 |access-date=February 4, 2010 |quote=He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206163704/http://www.newsweek.com/id/145971 |archive-date=February 6, 2010 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last=Barakat |first=Matthew |agency=Associated Press |date=November 17, 2008 |title=Obama's church choice likely to be scrutinized; D.C. churches have started extending invitations to Obama and his family |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/27775757 |access-date=January 20, 2009 |quote=The United Church of Christ, the denomination from which Obama resigned when he left Wright's church, issued a written invitation to join a UCC denomination in Washington and resume his connections to the church. }}
* {{cite web |date=January 20, 2009 |title=Barack Obama, long time UCC member, inaugurated forty-fourth U.S. President |publisher=United Church of Christ |url=http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html |access-date=January 21, 2009 |quote=Barack Obama, who spent more than 20 years as a UCC member, is the forty-fourth President of the United States. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125002304/http://www.ucc.org/news/obama-inauguration.html |archive-date=January 25, 2009 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Amy |date=June 29, 2009 |title=The Obama's find a church home—away from home |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html |access-date=February 5, 2010 |quote=instead of joining a congregation in Washington, D.C., he will follow in George W. Bush's footsteps and make his primary place of worship Evergreen Chapel, the nondenominational church at Camp David. |archive-date=April 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404153523/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1907610,00.html |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |last=Kornblut |first=Anne E. |date=February 4, 2010 |title=Obama's spirituality is largely private, but it's influential, advisers say |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=A6 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020303619.html |access-date=February 5, 2010 |quote=Obama prays privately{{spaces}}... And when he takes his family to Camp David on the weekends, a Navy chaplain ministers to them, with the daughters attending a form of Sunday school there. }}</ref>
<ref name="Occidental">{{cite news|last=Gordon |first=Larry |date=January 29, 2007 |title=Occidental recalls 'Barry' Obama |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=B1 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-29-me-oxy29-story.html |access-date=May 12, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524102944/http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/29/local/me-oxy29 |archive-date=May 24, 2010 }}
* {{cite news|last=Possley |first=Maurice |date=March 30, 2007 |title=Activism blossomed in college |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=20 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703291042mar30-archive,0,1533921.story |access-date=May 12, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009204342/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0703291042mar30-archive%2C0%2C1533921.story |archive-date=October 9, 2010 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news|last=Kovaleski |first=Serge F. |date=February 9, 2008 |title=Old friends say drugs played bit part in Obama's young life |newspaper=The New York Times |page=A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/politics/09obama.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211095352/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/us/politics/09obama.html |archive-date=February 11, 2008 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=May 12, 2010 }}
* {{cite news|last=Rohter |first=Larry |date=April 10, 2008 |title=Obama says real-life experience trumps rivals' foreign policy credits |newspaper=The New York Times |page=A18 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/us/politics/10obama.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411041927/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/10/us/politics/10obama.html |archive-date=April 11, 2008 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=May 12, 2010 }}
* {{cite news|last1= Goldman |first1= Adam |first2=Robert |last2=Tanner |agency=Associated Press |date=May 15, 2008 |title=Old friends recall Obama's years in LA, NYC |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-05-15-3144401415_x.htm |access-date=May 12, 2010 }}
* {{cite news|last=Helman |first=Scott |date=August 25, 2008 |title=Small college awakened future senator to service (subscription archive) |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=1A |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/08/25/small_college_awakened_future_senator_to_service/?page=full |access-date=May 12, 2010 }}
* {{cite news|last=Jackson |first=Brooks |date=June 5, 2009 |title=More 'birther' nonsense: Obama's 1981 Pakistan trip |publisher=FactCheck.org |url=http://www.factcheck.org/2009/06/more-birther-nonsense-obamas-1981-pakistan-trip |access-date=May 12, 2010 }}
* {{harvnb|Remnick|2010|pp=98–112}}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=92–112}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=55–62}}</ref>
<ref name="Juris Doctor">{{cite web |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/11/obama-joins-list-of-seven-presidents-with-harvard-degrees/ |title=Obama joins list of seven presidents with Harvard degrees |date=November 6, 2008 |website=news.harvard.edu |access-date=October 23, 2017}} {{cite news |last = Adams |first = Richard |date = May 9, 2007 |title = Barack Obama |newspaper = The Guardian |place = London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/may/09/barackobama.uselections20081 |access-date = October 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013083027/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/may/09/barackobama.uselections20081 |archive-date = October 13, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="Fellow">{{cite magazine |last = Merriner |first = James L. |date = June 2008 |title = The friends of O |magazine = Chicago |volume = 57 |issue = 6 |pages = 74–79, 97–99 |issn = 0362-4595 |url = http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2008/Obamas-Chicago-Posse/The-Friends-of-O/index.php?cp=2&si=1 |access-date = January 30, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |last = Zengerle |first = Jason |date = July 30, 2008 |title = Con law; What the University of Chicago right thinks of Obama |magazine = The New Republic |volume = 239 |issue = 1 |pages = 7–8 |url = http://www.tnr.com/article/con-law?id=86dd0277-c6ee-4e3c-83e9-0bb468c5c40d&p=1 |access-date = January 30, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |last = Kantor |first = Jodi |date = July 30, 2008 |title = Teaching law, testing ideas, Obama stood slightly apart |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A1 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/politics/30law.html |access-date = January 30, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |last = Gray |first = Steven |date = September 10, 2008 |title = Taking professor Obama's class |magazine = Time |url = http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1835238-2,00.html |access-date = January 30, 2010 |archive-date = May 12, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090512195322/http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1835238-2,00.html |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite news |last = Starr |first = Alexandra |date = September 21, 2008 |title = Case study |magazine = The New York Times Magazine |page = 76 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/magazine/21obama-t.html |access-date = January 30, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |last = Hundley |first = Tom |date = March 22, 2009 |title = Ivory tower of power |magazine = Chicago Tribune Magazine |page = 6 |url = http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-03-22/features/0903200725_1_barack-obama-story-chicago-school-harvard-law |access-date = January 30, 2010 |archive-date = April 13, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100413214507/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-03-22/features/0903200725_1_barack-obama-story-chicago-school-harvard-law |url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Forty">{{cite book |editor = White, Jesse |year = 2000 |title = Illinois Blue Book, 2000, Millennium ed |page = 83 |place = Springfield, IL |publisher = Illinois Secretary of State |url=http://www.sos.state.il.us/bb/toc.html |archive-date = April 16, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040416120057/http://www.sos.state.il.us/bb/sec4_71_132.pdf |oclc = 43923973 |access-date = June 6, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last = Jarrett |first = Vernon |date = August 11, 1992 |title = 'Project Vote' brings power to the people |work = Chicago Sun-Times |page = 23 |format = paid archive |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Vernon%20Jarrett)%20AND%20date(8/11/1992%20to%208/11/1992)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=8/11/1992%20to%208/11/1992)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Vernon%20Jarrett)Êl_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:DÊl_useweights=no |access-date = June 6, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last = Reynolds |first = Gretchen |date = January 1993 |title = Vote of confidence |work = Chicago Magazine |volume = 42 |issue = 1 |pages = 53–54 |issn = 0362-4595 |url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence |access-date = June 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514183643/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-1993/Vote-of-Confidence |archive-date = May 14, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last = Anderson |first = Veronica |date = October 3, 1993 |title = 40 under Forty: Barack Obama, Director, Illinois Project Vote |newspaper = Crain's Chicago Business |volume = 16 |issue = 39 |page = 43 |issn = 0149-6956 }}</ref>
<ref name="DavisMiner">{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Mike |agency=Associated Press |date=February 20, 2007 |title=Obama got start in civil rights practice |newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/02/20/obama_got_start_in_civil_rights_practice |access-date=June 15, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last=Pallasch |first=Abdon M. |date=December 17, 2007 |title=As lawyer, Obama was strong, silent type; He was 'smart, innovative, relentless,' and he mostly let other lawyers do the talking |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |page=4 |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Pallasch)_AND_date(12/17/2007_to_12/17/2007)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=December_17,_2007_to_12/17/2007)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Pallasch)Êl_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:DÊl_useweights=no |access-date=June 15, 2008 }}{{subscription required}}
* {{cite news |last=Morain |first=Dan |date=April 6, 2008 |title=Obama's law days effective but brief |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=A14 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-06-na-obamalegal6-story.html |access-date=February 14, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |date=June 27, 1993 |title=Document |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=9 (Business) |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24302659.html?dids=24302659:24302659&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |access-date=June 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204190346/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/doc/283584889.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=&author=&pub=&edition=&startpage=&desc= |archive-date=December 4, 2013 |url-status=dead }}{{subscription required}}
* {{cite news |date=July 5, 1993 |title=Business appointments |newspaper=Chicago-Sun-Times |page=40 |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=(Business%20appointments)%20AND%20date(7/5/1993%20to%207/5/1993)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=7/5/1993%20to%207/5/1993)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Business%20appointments)Êl_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:DÊl_useweights=no |access-date=June 15, 2008 }}{{subscription required}}
* {{cite news |last=Ripley |first=Amanda |date=November 3, 2004 |title=Obama's ascent |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,750742,00.html |access-date=February 13, 2010 |archive-date=August 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811203732/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,750742,00.html |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |year=2008 |title=About us |url=http://www.lawmbg.com/index.cfm/PageID/2711 |publisher=Miner, Barnhill & Galland—Chicago, Illinois |access-date=June 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720182856/http://www.lawmbg.com/index.cfm/PageID/2711 |archive-date=July 20, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |last=Reardon |first=Patrick T. |date=June 25, 2008 |title=Obama's Chicago |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |page=1 (Tempo) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-obama-chicago-htmlstory,0,506256.htmlstory |access-date=February 13, 2010 }}
* {{harvnb|Obama|2004|pp=438–439}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=104–106}}</ref>
<ref name="Democratic primary">{{cite web|url=http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/ilh.htm |title=Federal Elections 2000: U.S. House Results—Illinois |publisher=[[Federal Election Commission]] |access-date=April 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328011936/http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/ilh.htm |archive-date=March 28, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14502364 |title=Obama's Loss May Have Aided White House Bid |last=Gonyea |first=Dan |date=September 19, 2007 |publisher=NPR |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218211819/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14502364 |archive-date=February 18, 2011 }}
* {{cite news|first=Janny |last=Scott |title=A Streetwise Veteran Schooled Young Obama |date=September 9, 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321122541/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/us/politics/09obama.html |archive-date=March 21, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news|first=Edward |last=McClelland |title=How Obama Learned to Be a Natural |date=February 12, 2007 |url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/12/obama_natural/ |work=Salon |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308133402/http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/02/12/obama_natural/ |archive-date=March 8, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news|first1=Richard |last1=Wolffe |last2=Briscoe |first2=Daren |title=Across the Divide |date=July 16, 2007 |work=Newsweek |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/33156 |access-date=April 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418014600/http://www.newsweek.com/id/33156 |archive-date=April 18, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news|first=Scott |last=Helman |title=Early Defeat Launched a Rapid Political Climb |date=October 12, 2007 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb/ |work=The Boston Globe |access-date=April 20, 2008 }}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-10-24-3157940059_x.htm |title=Obama learned from failed Congress run |work=USA Today |last=Wills |first=Christopher |date=October 24, 2007 |access-date=November 15, 2010 }}</ref>
<ref name="Rose Garden">{{cite web |author = Office of the Press Secretary |date = October 2, 2002 |title = President, House leadership agree on Iraq resolution |url = https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-7.html |via = [[NARA|National Archives]] |work = [[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date = February 18, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last = Tackett |first = Michael |date = October 3, 2002 |title = Bush, House OK Iraq deal; Congress marches with Bush |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 1 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/203569641.html?dids=203569641:203569641&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |access-date = February 3, 2008 |archive-date = July 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130726235124/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/203569641.html?dids=203569641:203569641&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status = dead }}{{subscription required}}</ref>
<ref name="Federal Plaza">{{cite news |last = Glauber |first = Bill |date = October 3, 2003 |title = War protesters gentler, but passion still burns |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 1 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/203569621.html?dids=203569621:203569621&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |access-date = February 3, 2008 |archive-date = June 17, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080617150444/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/203569621.html?dids=203569621:203569621&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status = dead }}{{subscription required}}
* {{cite news |last = Strausberg |first = Chinta |date = October 3, 2002 |title = War with Iraq undermines U.N |newspaper = Chicago Defender |page = 1 |url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220379051.html |quote = Photo caption: Left Photo: Sen. Barack Obama along with Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke to nearly 3,000 anti-war protestors (below) during a rally at Federal Plaza Wednesday. |access-date = October 28, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091014211715/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220379051.html |archive-date = October 14, 2009 |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite web |last = Katz |first = Marilyn |date = October 2, 2007 |title = Five years since our first action |publisher = Chicagoans Against War & Injustice |url = http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?p=127 |access-date = February 18, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721192331/http://www.noiraqwar-chicago.org/?p=127 |archive-date = July 21, 2011 }}
* {{cite news |last1 = Bryant |first1 = Greg |last2 = Vaughn |first2 = Jane B. |date = October 3, 2002 |title = 300 attend rally against Iraq war |newspaper = Daily Herald |page = 8 |url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=ADHB&p_theme=adhb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=300%20AND%20attend%20AND%20rally%20AND%20against%20AND%20Iraq%20AND%20war&s_dispstring=300%20attend%20rally%20against%20Iraq%20war%20AND%20date(10/3/2002%20to%2010/3/2002)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=10/3/2002%20to%2010/3/2002)Êl_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:DÊl_useweights=no |access-date = October 28, 2008 }}{{subscription required}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=172–177}}</ref>
<ref name="spoke out">{{cite web |last = Obama |first = Barack |date = October 2, 2002 |title = Remarks of Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama against going to war with Iraq |url = http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080130204029/http://www.barackobama.com/2002/10/02/remarks_of_illinois_state_sen.php |archive-date = January 30, 2008 |publisher = Barack Obama |access-date = February 3, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last = McCormick |first = John |date = October 3, 2007 |title = Obama marks '02 war speech; Contender highlights his early opposition in an effort to distinguish him from his rivals |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 7 |url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1351610621.html?dids=1351610621:1351610621&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |quote = The top strategist for Sen. Barack Obama has just 14 seconds of video of what is one of the most pivotal moments of the presidential candidate's political career. The video, obtained from a Chicago TV station, is of Obama's 2002 speech in opposition to the impending Iraq invasion. |access-date = October 28, 2008 |archive-date = December 18, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081218011609/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1351610621.html?dids=1351610621:1351610621&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT |url-status = dead }}{{Subscription required}}
* {{cite news |last = Pallasch |first = Abdon M. |date = October 3, 2007 |title = Obama touts anti-war cred; Kicks off tour 5 years after speech critical of going to Iraq |newspaper = Chicago Sun-Times |page = 26 |url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=headline(Obama%20touts%20anti-war%20cred)%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=title&p_text_advanced-0=(Obama%20touts%20anti-war%20cred)Êl_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:DÊl_useweights=no |access-date = October 28, 2008 }}{{subscription required}}</ref>
<ref name="stop the war">{{cite news |last = Ritter |first = Jim |date = March 17, 2003 |newspaper = Chicago Sun-Times |page = 3 |title = Anti-war rally here draws thousands |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=headline(Anti-war%20rally%20here%20draws%20thousands)%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=title&p_text_advanced-0=(Anti-war%20rally%20here%20draws%20thousands)Êl_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:DÊl_useweights=no |access-date = February 3, 2008 }} {{subscription required}}
* {{cite press release |author = Office of the Press Secretary |date = March 16, 2003 |title = President Bush: Monday 'moment of truth' for world on Iraq |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/03/20030316-3.html |via = [[NARA|National Archives]] |work = [[whitehouse.gov]] |access-date = February 18, 2008 }}</ref>
<ref name="future">{{cite news |last = Mendell |first = David |date = March 17, 2004 |title = Obama routs Democratic foes; Ryan tops crowded GOP field; Hynes, Hull fall far short across state |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 1 |url = http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-17/news/0403170332_1_blair-hull-gery-chico-blacks-and-liberal-whites |access-date = March 1, 2009 |archive-date = September 6, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100906201017/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-03-17/news/0403170332_1_blair-hull-gery-chico-blacks-and-liberal-whites |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite news |last = Davey |first = Monica |date = March 18, 2004 |title = As quickly as overnight, a Democratic star is born |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A20 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/18/us/as-quickly-as-overnight-a-democratic-star-is-born.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090506195833/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/18/us/as-quickly-as-overnight-a-democratic-star-is-born.html |archive-date = May 6, 2009 |url-access = limited |url-status = live |access-date = March 1, 2009 }}
* {{cite news |last = Howlett |first = Debbie |date = March 19, 2004 |title = Dems see a rising star in Illinois Senate candidate |newspaper = USA Today |page = A04 |url = https://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-03-18-obama-usat_x.htm |access-date = March 1, 2009 }}
* {{cite news |last = Scheiber |first = Noam |date = May 31, 2004 |title = Race against history. Barack Obama's miraculous campaign |magazine = The New Republic |volume = 230 |issue = 20 |pages = 21–22, 24–26 (cover story) |url = http://www.tnr.com/article/race-against-history-0 |access-date = March 24, 2009 }}
* {{cite news |last = Finnegan |first = William |date = May 31, 2004 |title = The Candidate. How far can Barack Obama go? |magazine = [[The New Yorker]] |volume = 20 |issue = 14 |pages = 32–38 |url = https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/31/040531fa_fact1?currentPage=all |access-date = March 24, 2009 }}
* {{cite news |last = Dionne |first = E.J. Jr. |date = June 25, 2004 |title = In Illinois, a star prepares |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = A29 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4062-2004Jun24.html |access-date = March 24, 2009 }}
* {{cite news |last = Scott |first = Janny |date = May 18, 2008 |title = The story of Obama, written by Obama |newspaper = The New York Times |page = A1 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/us/politics/18memoirs.html |access-date = January 9, 2010 }}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=235–259}}</ref>
<ref name="status">{{cite news |date=August 2, 2004 |title=Star Power. Showtime: Some are on the rise; others have long been fixtures in the firmament. A galaxy of bright Democratic lights |work=Newsweek |pages=48–51 |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/54728/output/print |access-date=November 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218014146/http://www.newsweek.com/id/54728/output/print |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last=Samuel |first=Terence |date=August 2, 2004 |title=A shining star named Obama. How a most unlikely politician became a darling of the Democrats |work=U.S. News & World Report |page=25 |url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/040802/2obama.htm |access-date=November 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206100640/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/040802/2obama.htm |archive-date=December 6, 2008 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite news |last=Lizza |first=Ryan |date=September 2004 |title=Why is Barack Obama generating more excitement among Democrats than John Kerry? |work=The Atlantic Monthly |pages=30, 33 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200409/lizza |access-date=November 15, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last=Davey |first=Monica |date=July 26, 2004 |title=A surprise Senate contender reaches his biggest stage yet |newspaper=The New York Times |page=A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/us/the-speaker-a-surprise-senate-contender-reaches-his-biggest-stage-yet.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507095649/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/us/the-speaker-a-surprise-senate-contender-reaches-his-biggest-stage-yet.html |archive-date=May 7, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |access-date=November 25, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |last=Leibovich |first=Mark |date=July 27, 2004 |title=The other man of the hour |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=C1 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16606-2004Jul26.html |access-date=November 15, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last=Milligan |first=Susan |date=July 27, 2004 |title=In Obama, Democrats see their future |work=The Boston Globe |page=B8 |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/07/27/in_obama_democrats_see_their_future/ |access-date=November 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218181835/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/07/27/in_obama_democrats_see_their_future/ |archive-date=December 18, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last=Seelye |first=Katharine Q. |date=July 28, 2004 |title=Illinois Senate nominee speaks of encompassing unity |newspaper=The New York Times |page=A1 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/28/politics/campaign/28blacks.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624052131/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/28/politics/campaign/28blacks.html |archive-date=June 24, 2006}}
* {{cite news |last=Broder |first=David S. |date=July 28, 2004 |title=Democrats focus on healing divisions; Addressing convention, newcomers set themes |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=A1 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17865-2004Jul27.html |access-date=November 15, 2008}}
* {{cite news |last1=Bing |first1=Jonathan |last2=McClintock |first2=Pamela |date=July 29, 2004 |title=Auds resist charms of Dem stars |work=Variety |page=1 |url=https://variety.com/2004/biz/markets-festivals/auds-resist-charms-of-dem-stars-1117908388/ |access-date=November 15, 2008}}
* {{harvnb|Mendell|2007|pp=272–285}}</ref>
<ref name="margin">{{cite news |year = 2005 |title = America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate / Illinois |publisher = CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416061340/http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004//pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html |archive-date = April 16, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |last = Slevin |first = Peter |date = November 13, 2007 |title = For Obama, a handsome payoff in political gambles |newspaper = The Washington Post |page = A3 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201945.html |access-date = April 13, 2008 }}
* {{cite news |last1 = Chase |first1 = John |last2 = Mendell |first2 = David |date = November 3, 2004 |title = Obama scores a record landslide |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |page = 1 |url=http://www.noticiasdot.com/publicaciones/2004/1104/0311/noticias031104/presidenciales-usa/images/usa/chicago_tribune/chicago_tribune_031104.pdf |access-date = April 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513095857/http://www.noticiasdot.com/publicaciones/2004/1104/0311/noticias031104/presidenciales-usa/images/usa/chicago_tribune/chicago_tribune_031104.pdf |archive-date = May 13, 2011 }}
* {{cite news |last = Fornek |first = Scott |date = November 3, 2004 |title = Obama takes Senate seat in a landslide |newspaper = Chicago Sun-Times |page = 6 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1553596.html |access-date = April 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510061848/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1553596.html |archive-date = May 10, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* {{cite news |first = Tom |last = Curry |title = What Obama's Senate Votes Reveal |date = February 21, 2008 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/23276453 |work = NBC News |access-date = June 25, 2008 }}
* {{cite news|url=http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/ |title=Obama: Most Liberal Senator In 2007 |work=National Journal |date=January 31, 2008 |access-date=June 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627040734/http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/ |archive-date=June 27, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
<ref name="transition period">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AF1MJ20081116 |title = Obama resigns Senate seat, thanks Illinois |access-date = March 10, 2009 |date = November 16, 2008 |work = [[Reuters]] |last = Mason |first = Jeff }}</ref>
* {{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1859020,00.html |title=Obama to Resign Senate Seat on Sunday |access-date=November 22, 2008 |date=November 13, 2008 |magazine=Time |last=Sidoti |first=Liz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122143031/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0%2C8599%2C1859020%2C00.html |archive-date=November 22, 2008 |url-status=dead}}
<ref name="nuclear terrorism">{{cite press release |title = Obama, Schiff Provision to Create Nuclear Threat Reduction Plan Approved |date = December 20, 2007 |url=http://obama.senate.gov/press/071220-obama_schiff_pr/ |publisher = Barack Obama U.S. Senate Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154751/http://obama.senate.gov/press/071220-obama_schiff_pr/ |archive-date = December 18, 2008 }}</ref>
<ref name="Kenyan">{{cite news |first=Christina |last=Larson |title=Hoosier Daddy: What Rising Democratic Star Barack Obama Can Learn from an Old Lion of the GOP |date=September 2006 |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0609.larson.html |work=Washington Monthly |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430232404/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0609.larson.html |archive-date=April 30, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |first=Chuck |last=Goudie |title=Obama Meets with Arafat's Successor |date=January 12, 2006 |url=http://a.abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=3806933 |publisher=[[WLS-TV]] |location=Chicago |access-date=April 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103231711/http://a.abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=3806933 |archive-date=November 3, 2014 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |title=Obama Slates Kenya for Fraud |date=August 28, 2006 |url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1989646,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605213213/http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0%2C%2C2-11-1447_1989646%2C00.html |archive-date=June 5, 2008 |publisher=News24 |location=Cape Town |access-date=April 27, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |first=Chris |last=Wamalwa |title=Envoy Hits at Obama Over Graft Remark |date=September 2, 2006 |url=http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957666 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010050740/http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957666 |archive-date=October 10, 2007 |work=The Standard (Nairobi) |access-date=April 27, 2008}}
* {{cite news |first1=Vincent |last1=Moracha |first2=Mangoa |last2=Mosota |title=Leaders Support Obama on Graft Claims |date=September 4, 2006 |url=http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957752 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007115436/http://www.eastandard.net/archives/cl/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143957752 |archive-date=October 7, 2007 |work=The Standard |location=Nairobi }}</ref>
<ref name="allocation">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1738331,00.html |title=The Five Mistakes Clinton Made |last=Tumulty |first = Karen |author-link=Karen Tumulty |magazine=Time |date=May 8, 2008 |access-date=November 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211125310/http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0%2C8599%2C1738331%2C00.html |archive-date=December 11, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08recon.html |title=The Long Road to a Clinton Exit |first1=Peter |last1=Baker |first2=Jim |last2=Rutenberg |work=The New York Times |date=June 8, 2008 |access-date=November 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209030041/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/us/politics/08recon.html |archive-date=December 9, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="acceptance">{{cite news |title = Obama accepts Democrat nomination |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7586375.stm |publisher= BBC News |date = August 29, 2008 |access-date = August 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828234350/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7586375.stm |archive-date = August 28, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2008/0829/soaring-speech-from-obama-plus-some-specifics |title = Soaring speech from Obama, plus some specifics |work = The Christian Science Monitor |last = Marks |first = Alexandra |date = August 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314121702/http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2008/0829/soaring-speech-from-obama-plus-some-specifics |archive-date = March 14, 2010 }}</ref>
<ref name="small donations">{{cite news|first=Jim |last=Malone |title=Obama Fundraising Suggests Close Race for Party Nomination |date=July 2, 2007 |url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-07/2007-07-02-voa52.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914032004/http://voanews.com/english/archive/2007-07/2007-07-02-voa52.cfm |archive-date=September 14, 2007 |publisher=Voice of America }}
* {{cite news|first=Jeanne |last=Cummings |title=Small Donors Rewrite Fundraising Handbook |date=September 26, 2007 |url=http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3ECB3515-3048-5C12-004D622CB6F4E214 |work=Politico |access-date=January 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201140941/http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=3ECB3515-3048-5C12-004D622CB6F4E214 |archive-date=February 1, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news|first=Emily |last=Cadei |title=Obama Outshines Other Candidates in January Fundraising |date=February 21, 2008 |url=http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002674309 |publisher=CQ Politics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613213513/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002674309 |archive-date=June 13, 2008 }}</ref>
<ref name="presidential debates">{{cite press release |url=http://www.debates.org/pages/news_111907.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706070658/http://www.debates.org/pages/news_111907.html |archive-date = July 6, 2008 |title = Commission on Presidential Debates Announces Sites, Dates, Formats and Candidate Selection Criteria for 2008 General Election |publisher = [[Commission on Presidential Debates]] |date = November 19, 2007 }}
* {{cite news |access-date = July 6, 2008 |url=http://www.courant.com/topic/ |title = Gun Ruling Reverberates |work = [[Hartford Courant]] |date = June 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705225819/http://www.courant.com/topic/ |archive-date = July 5, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="electoral votes">{{cite news |work = NBC News |access-date = February 20, 2009 |date = November 4, 2008 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/27531033 |title = Barack Obama elected 44th president |last = Johnson |first = Alex }}
* {{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ |title = CNN Electoral Map Calculator—Election Center 2008 |publisher = CNN |year = 2008 |access-date = December 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212014309/http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/ |archive-date = December 12, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="direct assistance">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/17/obama.stimulus.remarks/ |title = Obama's remarks on signing the stimulus plan |access-date = February 17, 2009 |publisher = CNN |date = February 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220074825/http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/17/obama.stimulus.remarks/ |archive-date = February 20, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="markets opened">{{cite news |title = U.S. Expands Plan to Buy Banks' Troubled Assets |date = March 23, 2009 |work = The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/business/economy/24bailout.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325043723/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/business/economy/24bailout.html |archive-date=March 25, 2009 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |first1 = Edmund L. |last1 = Andrews |first2 = Eric |last2 = Dash |access-date = April 12, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |title = Wall Street soars 7% on bank plan debut |date = March 23, 2009 |work = Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE52H2FA20090323 }}</ref>
<ref name="preceding administration">{{cite news|title=Biden vows break with Bush era foreign policy |url=http://www.canada.com/news/unveils+changes+foreign+policy/1265065/story.html |access-date=January 31, 2013 |first1=Ross |last1=Colvin |first2=Noah |last2=Barkin |publisher=Canada.com |location=Toronto |date=February 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106164443/http://www.canada.com/news/unveils%2Bchanges%2Bforeign%2Bpolicy/1265065/story.html |archive-date=November 6, 2012 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news|first=Kim |last=Ghattas |title=Clinton's gaffes and gains on tour |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7931699.stm |access-date=June 15, 2009 |work=BBC News |date=March 8, 2009 }}</ref>
<ref name="middleeast">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/04/egypt.obama.speech |title = Obama in Egypt reaches out to Muslim world |date = June 4, 2009 |publisher = CNN |access-date = January 30, 2011 }}</ref>
* {{cite news |first1 = Jeff |last1 = Zeleny |first2 = Alan |last2 = Cowell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/world/middleeast/05prexy.html |title = Addressing Muslims, Obama Pushes Mideast Peace |work = The New York Times |date = June 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110331161401/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/world/middleeast/05prexy.html|archive-date=March 31, 2011 }}
<ref name="counterinsurgency tactics">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/11/AR2009051101864.html |title = Top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Is Fired |date = May 12, 2009 |newspaper = The Washington Post }}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-u-s-commander-brings-counterinsurgency-experience-to-afghanistan |title = New U.S. Commander Brings Counterinsurgency Experience to Afghanistan |date = May 13, 2009 |publisher = Fox News |access-date = May 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216024227/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/13/new-commander-brings-counterinsurgency-experience-afghanistan/ |archive-date = February 16, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="exceptional orator">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/a-classic-orator-obama-learnt-from-the-masters-20081129-6nf1.html |title = Obama: Oratory and originality |last = Holmes |first = Stephanie |date = November 30, 2008 |access-date = December 11, 2008 |work = The Age |location = Melbourne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218154747/http://www.theage.com.au/world/a-classic-orator-obama-learnt-from-the-masters-20081129-6nf1.html |archive-date = December 18, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |url=http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2008/sb2008033_156351.htm |title = How to Inspire People Like Obama Does |last = Gallo |first = Carmine |date = March 3, 2008 |access-date = February 21, 2009 |work = Bloomberg BusinessWeek |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226003326/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2008/sb2008033_156351.htm |archive-date = February 26, 2009 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/living/article/551538 |title = New emotion dubbed 'elevation' |date = December 11, 2008 |work = Toronto Star |access-date = December 11, 2008 |first = Diana |last = Zlomislic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212193736/http://www.thestar.com/living/article/551538 |archive-date = December 12, 2008 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |title = Obama Is America's Third Greatest Presidential Orator in Modern Era |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greene/obama-is-americas-3rd-gre_b_813868.html |date = January 25, 2011 |first = Richard |last = Greene |work = [[The Huffington Post]] |access-date = July 2, 2011 }}</ref>
<ref name="in Jakarta">{{cite web |title = Obama's Indonesian Redux |url=http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1025 |last = Zimmer |first = Benjamin |year = 2009 |access-date = March 12, 2009 |publisher = Language Log |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303094040/http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1025 |archive-date = March 3, 2009 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite news |url=http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/11/26/00223862/obama.saya.kangen.nasi.goreng.bakso.dan.rambutan |title = Obama: Saya Kangen Nasi Goreng, Bakso, dan Rambutan |work = [[Kompas]] |date = November 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203010718/http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2008/11/26/00223862/obama.saya.kangen.nasi.goreng.bakso.dan.rambutan |archive-date = December 3, 2008 |language = id }}</ref>
<ref name="corruption charges">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/16/AR2006121600729.html |title = Obama says he regrets land deal with fundraiser |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = December 17, 2006 |access-date = June 10, 2008 |last = Slevin |first = Peter }}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/24973282 |title = Rezko found guilty in corruption case |access-date = June 24, 2008 |date = June 4, 2008 |agency = Associated Press |publisher = NBC News |last = Robinson |first = Mike }}</ref>
<ref name="social change">{{harvnb|Obama|2006a|pp=202–208}} Portions excerpted in: {{cite news|first=Barack |last=Obama |title=My Spiritual Journey |date=October 16, 2006 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546579,00.html |magazine=Time |access-date=April 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430051154/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1546579%2C00.html |archive-date=April 30, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web|url=http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/ |title='Call to Renewal' Keynote Address |access-date=June 16, 2008 |last=Obama |first=Barack |date=June 28, 2006 |publisher=Barack Obama: U.S. Senator for Illinois |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104231501/http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/ |archive-date=January 4, 2009 }}</ref>
<ref name="Trinity">{{cite news |last1 = Garrett |first1 = Major |last2 = Obama |first2 = Barack |date = March 14, 2008 |title = Obama talks to Major Garrett on 'Hannity & Colmes' |publisher = RealClearPolitics |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/obama_talks_to_major_garrett_o.html |access-date = November 10, 2012 |quote = Major Garrett, Fox News correspondent: So the first question, how long have you been a member in good standing of that church? Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), presidential candidate: You know, I've been a member since 1991 or '92. And—but I have known Trinity even before then when I was a community organizer on the South Side, helping steel workers find jobs{{spaces}}... Garrett: As a member in good standing, were you a regular attendee of Sunday services? Obama: You know, I won't say that I was a perfect attendee. I was regular in spurts, because there was times when, for example, our child had just been born, our first child. And so we didn't go as regularly then. }}
* {{cite news |agency = Associated Press |date = April 29, 2008 |title = Obama strongly denounces former pastor |publisher = NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/24371827 |access-date = November 10, 2012 |quote = I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992, and have known Reverend Wright for 20 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person [whom] I met 20 years ago. }}
* {{cite news |last = Miller |first = Lisa |date = July 11, 2008 |title = Finding his faith |work = Newsweek |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/07/11/finding-his-faith.html |access-date = November 10, 2012 |quote = He is now a Christian, having been baptized in the early 1990s at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130720055213/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/07/11/finding-his-faith.html |archive-date = July 20, 2013 |url-status=dead }}
* {{harvnb|Remnick|2010|p=177}}: "In late October 1987, his third year as an organizer, Obama went with Kellman to a conference on the black church and social justice at the Harvard Divinity School."
* {{harvnb|Maraniss|2012|p=557}}: "It would take time for Obama to join and become fully engaged in Wright's church, a place where he would be baptized and married; that would not happen until later, during his second time around in Chicago, but the process started then, in October 1987{{spaces}}... Jerry Kellman: 'He wasn't a member of the church during those first three years, but he was drawn to Jeremiah.'"
* {{Cite book |first=Baker |last=Peter |author-link=Peter Baker (author) |year=2017 |title=Obama: The Call of History |location=New York |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]]/Callaway |isbn=978-0-935112-90-0 |oclc=1002264033}}</ref>
}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |last = Jacobs |first = Sally H. |year = 2011a<!--used because there are two sources by the same person published in 2011. see [[:Template:Sfn#More than one work in a year]]--> |title = The Other Barack: The Bold and Reckless Life of President Obama's Father |title-link = The Other Barack: The Bold and Reckless Life of President Obama's Father |location = New York |publisher = [[PublicAffairs]] |isbn = 978-1-58648-793-5}}
* {{cite book |last = Maraniss |first = David |author-link = David Maraniss |year = 2012 |title = Barack Obama: The Story |title-link = Barack Obama: The Story |location = New York |publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] |isbn = 978-1-4391-6040-4 }}
* {{cite book |last = Mendell |first = David |year = 2007 |title = Obama: From Promise to Power |location = New York |publisher = Amistad/[[HarperCollins]] |isbn = 978-0-06-085820-9 |title-link = Obama: From Promise to Power |author-link = David Mendell }}
* {{cite book |last = Obama |first = Barack |orig-date = 1st pub. 1995 |year = 2004 |title = Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance |title-link = Dreams from My Father |location = New York |publisher = [[Three Rivers Press]] |isbn = 978-1-4000-8277-3 }}
* {{cite book |last = Obama |first = Barack |year = 2006a<!--used because there are two sources by the same person published in 2011. see [[:Template:Sfn#More than one work in a year]]--> |title = The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream |title-link = The Audacity of Hope |location = New York |publisher = [[Crown Publishing Group]] |isbn = 978-0-307-23769-9 }}
* {{cite book |last = Remnick |first = David |year = 2010 |title = The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama |place = New York |publisher = Alfred A. Knopf  |isbn = 978-1-4000-4360-6 |title-link = The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama }}
* {{cite book |last = Scott |first = Janny |year = 2011 |title = A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother |title-link = A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother |location = New York |publisher = [[Riverhead Books]] |isbn = 978-1-59448-797-2 }}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{cite news |last = De Zutter |first = Hank |date = December 8, 1995 |title = What Makes Obama Run? |url = http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/what-makes-obama-run/Content?oid=889221 |newspaper = Chicago Reader |access-date = April 25, 2015 |archive-date = November 4, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131104012216/http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/what-makes-obama-run/Content?oid=889221 |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite magazine |last=Graff |first=Garrett M. |date=November 1, 2006 |title=The Legend of Barack Obama |url=http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1836.html |magazine=[[Washingtonian (magazine)|Washingtonian]] |access-date=January 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214141924/http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1836.html |archive-date=February 14, 2008 }}
* {{cite book |last = Koltun |first = Dave |editor-last1 = Ahuja |editor-first1 = Sunil |editor-last2 = Dewhirst |editor-first2 = Robert |year = 2005 |title = The Road to Congress 2004 |chapter = The 2004 Illinois Senate Race: Obama Wins Open Seat and Becomes National Political 'Star' |location = Hauppauge, New York |publisher = Nova Science Publishers |isbn = 978-1-59454-360-9 }}
* {{cite magazine |last = Lizza |first = Ryan |date = September 2007 |title = Above the Fray |url = https://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200708/obama-barack-election-president |magazine = GQ |access-date = October 27, 2010 |archive-date = May 14, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110514072641/http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200708/obama-barack-election-president |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite magazine |first = Larissa |last = MacFarquhar |date = May 7, 2007 |title = The Conciliator: Where is Barack Obama Coming From? |url = https://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar |magazine = The New Yorker |access-date = January 14, 2008 |author-link = Larissa MacFarquhar }}
* {{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Roy L. |title=[[Racial Justice in the Age of Obama]] |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2009 |location=United States |pages=234 |isbn=978-0-691-14198-5 |language=English}}
* {{cite book |last = McClelland |first = Edward |year = 2010 |title = Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President |location = New York |publisher = Bloomsbury Press |isbn = 978-1-60819-060-7 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/youngmrobamachic0000mccl }}
* Parmar, Inderjeet, and Mark Ledwidge. [https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/12563/1/ "...'a foundation-hatched black': Obama, the US establishment, and foreign policy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627230342/https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/12563/1/ |date=June 27, 2023 }}. ''International Politics'' 54.3 (2017): 373–388.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box|by=yes|onlinebooks=yes|viaf=52010985}}
{{Sister project links|commons = y|n = y|q = y|s = y|d = y|wikt=no|v=no|b=no}}
<!--
Please keep this section brief and simple to navigate. Specific pages already referenced within the article should not be repeated here.
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===Official===
* {{Official website|https://www.obama.org/}} of The Obama Foundation
* {{Official website|https://www.obamalibrary.gov/}} of the Barack Obama Presidential Library
* {{Official website|https://www.ofa.us/}} of [[Organizing for Action]]
* [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/president-obama White House biography]
<!--
Do not add YouTube, MySpace, Twitter et al. There are MANY and all are linked from the campaign site.
-->

===Other===
* [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/barack-obama Column archive] at ''[[The Huffington Post]]''
* {{Twitter}}{{CongBio|O000167}}
* {{C-SPAN|55625}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1682433}}
* {{NYT topic|people/o/barack_obama}}
* {{ChicagoTribuneKeyword}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=32943| name=Barack Obama}}
* {{Internet Archive author | name=Barack Obama}}
* {{Librivox author |id=11252}}
* {{Nobelprize}}
* [https://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/ Barack Obama] at [[Politifact]]

{{Barack Obama}}
{{Navboxes top|title = Offices and distinctions}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Carol Moseley Braun]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[U.S. Senator]] from [[Illinois]]<br>([[Classes of United States senators|Class 3]])|years=[[2004 United States Senate election in Illinois|2004]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Alexi Giannoulias]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Harold Ford Jr.]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Keynote Speaker of the [[Democratic National Convention]]|years=[[2004 Democratic National Convention|2004]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mark Warner]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[John Kerry]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[List of United States Democratic Party presidential tickets|nominee]] for President of the United States|years=[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]], [[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Hillary Clinton]]}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Peter Fitzgerald (politician)|Peter Fitzgerald]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States senators from Illinois|United States Senator (Class 3) from Illinois]]|years=2005–2008|alongside=[[Dick Durbin]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Roland Burris]]}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[George W. Bush]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of the United States]]|years=2009–2017}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Martti Ahtisaari]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Nobel Peace Prize]] Laureate|years=2009}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Liu Xiaobo]]}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[George W. Bush]]|as=Former President}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''Former President''|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Joe Biden]]|as=Former President}}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Gordon Brown]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Group of 20]]|years=2009}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Stephen Harper]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Naoto Kan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]]|years=2011}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Vladimir Putin]]}}

{{s-bef|before=[[Nicolas Sarkozy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chair of the [[Group of Eight]]|years=2012}}
{{s-aft|after=[[David Cameron]]}}
{{s-end}}
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{{Navboxes top|title = Articles related to Barack Obama}}
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{{Michelle Obama}}
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{{NAACP Image Award&nbsp;– Chairman's Award}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack}}
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