Barack Hussein Obama (August 4, 1961 -), bornU.S.AHawaii，Democratic Party of the United StatesChinese politician, the 44th president of the United States, and the first African American president in American history.
Obama has been in power for eight years,American economyFrom recession to recovery, a large number of jobs were created, and the annual income of American families hit the largest growth in American history in 2016;Carried out medical reform;Diplomatically, he will visit within one year after taking officeChina；Successful promotion andCubaNormalize the relationship andIranReaching a nuclear agreement;The United States has also signed with nearly 200 countriesParis Agreement。[1]
In 1967, Obama went with his mother and stepfatherIndonesiacapitalJakartalife.
In 1971, Obama returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents.Since the fifth grade, he has studied atHonoluluLarge private schools——Punahou School To Grade 12.
In 1979, Obama graduated from middle school;Several years later, his mother divorced his stepfather, and he moved to the United States with his mother;After arriving in the United States, he entered the Western College of Arts and Sciences in California and transferred toColumbia Universitystudy.
In 1983, he received a bachelor's degree in international relations.
In 1985, he came toChicago, engaged in community work.
In 1991, he received an "excellent" (Latin degree honor) Doctor of Law degree from Harvard University, and then returned toChicago, presided over a voter registration campaign, and worked for the civil rights law firm Myler B. G.
In 2002, Obama was elected to the Senate of Illinois.
In 2004, in the congressional elections, Obama was elected as the federalsenator。During his term as a federal senator, he participated in the drafting of bills on conventional weapons control, promoted the strengthening of public supervision over the use of federal funds, and supported a series of bills on lobbying outside the Senate, election fraud, climate change and nuclear terrorism.He also visitedEastern Europe、Middle EastandAfricaSome countries.
In February 2007, Obama officially announced his candidacy for president.In his election campaign, he focused on "change" and emphasized the endIraq WarTo achieve self-sufficiency in energy, stop tax cuts and popularize medical insurance, and commit to achieving party unity, rebuilding alliances in the world and restoring the leadership of the United States.
On August 27, 2008, he was nominated as the presidential candidate at the Democratic National Congress.
On November 4 of the same year, he won the presidential election of the United States, was elected the 44th (56th) President of the United States, and became the first African American president in American history.
On January 20, 2009, Obama was officially sworn in as President;From November 15 to 18, Obama paid a state visit to China.[1]
Second term
Shake hands with Romney in November 2012
On November 6, 2012, Obama defeated the Republican challenger in the general electionRomney, successfully re elected.
On May 15, 2016, Obama attendedRutgers University Graduation ceremony and honorary doctorate[3]。
On January 10, 2017 (local time), President Obama returnedChicago, delivered a farewell speech at the lakeside conference center in McCormick Plaza.[4]
On January 20, 2017, Obama officially stepped down as President of the United States.[5]On February 28, Penguin Random House announced that it won the global copyright of two books published by former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.[6]
On the afternoon of November 28, 2017, former US President Barack Obama visited China again for the first time after leaving officeWorld Expo CenterAnd attended the 3rd Global SME Summit hosted by the Global SME Alliance.At the conference, Obama delivered a keynote speech to more than 2500 Chinese entrepreneurs, expounded his views on the current world situation and Sino US relations, and discussed with experts and scholars the development strategies of global SMEs under the new situation."Cooperation" has always been the key word in his speech.[7]
On May 21, 2018, Netflix, an American online film rental provider, announced that Obama and his wifeMichelle Obama Signed a long-term agreement with the company to produce films and TV series for Netflix.[8]
On August 21, 2019, the first documentary film in which the Obamas acted as producers《American factory》Released to tell about Chinese enterprisesFuyao glassThe story of building a factory in the United States[9]。
On November 17, 2020, Obama's fourth book and his first memoir after leaving office《Promised Land》The first volume of A Promised Land officially went on sale. This 768 page memoir covers many details from his childhood to the killing of bin Laden in 2011.[10]On the same day, Penguin Random House released a statement saying that the first volume of Barack Obama's new book, Promised Land, broke the sales record on the first day of its listing.[11]
According to ABC（abc）On April 4, 2022, it was reported that former US President Barack Obama would return to the White House on April 5 to attend his first public event since he left office in 2017.A White House official said on April 3 that Obama would make a speech with President Biden and Vice President Harris to celebrate the success of the Affordable Medical Treatment Act and Medicaid in providing affordable medical insurance to millions of Americans.[36]
In January 2024, the documentary American Symphony, a musician's biography under the supervision of the Obamas, is expected to appear in the Oscar nomination list announced on January 23.[39]
Measures for politics
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political phase
Gun control measures
Obama
On January 5, 2016, Obama held a press conference at the White House on gun control measures.Obama announced a series of gun control measures in the hope of curbing the frequent violent gun crimes in the United States through administrative means.He also urged the US Congress to do something about gun control.
Obama announced that all gun sellers will be required to obtain business licenses and background checks on gun buyers, otherwise they will be subject to criminal punishment.The U.S. government will hire more inspectors to participate in background review of gun buyers, increase 200 detectives to strengthen the enforcement of gun safety related laws and regulations, and invest 500 million dollars in the treatment of mental illness.[12]
Economic aspects
Financial rescue plan
After Obama took office, he launched his own financial rescue plan, including a commitment to provide temporary tax incentives to American companies that create jobs in the next two years. Every new job provided by the company will get a tax deduction of 3000 dollars;Allow American families to withdraw no more than 10000 dollars from their pension accounts in advance;For those who are in trouble but still trying to repay the loan, the time limit for them to lose the right to redeem their housing mortgage will be extended by 90 days;Call on the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department to provide more economic assistance to state and local governments.
On January 21, 2010, Obama announced that the government will develop effective measures to strengthen the supervision of large financial institutions, limit their size and high-risk transactions, so as to prevent new financial risks.
Export promotion strategy
Inauguration in 2009
On January 27, 2010, Obama announced thatState of the Union AddressPut forward the goal of doubling exports within five years;On March 11, Obama's speech at the annual meeting of the Export Import Bank of the United States showed that the outline of the export promotion strategy of the United States government was gradually clear.
Obama said that every $1 billion increase in exports will create about 6000 jobs in the United States.In terms of promoting growth, we should change the past habit of excessive consumption and use exports to drive the recovery of manufacturing.In terms of international competitiveness, it is necessary to promote the leading position of American products in the global market.Its core goal boils down to one sentence, that is, what Obama said "to ensure that the 21st century is still the century of the United States".
Energy
Energy strategy
On March 31, 2010, at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, Obama announced that he would expand the development of offshore oil and gas fields in the United States to ensure the energy security of the United States.The ban on offshore oil and gas exploitation in the United States, which lasted for more than 20 years from 1990 to 2010, will come to an end. The U.S. energy strategy is undergoing a major turning point, which may shift from high dependence on imports to equal emphasis on imports and production.
Green New Deal
The first State of the Union speech in 2009
Since Obama signed the economic stimulus plan with the development of new energy as an important content, the U.S. government has taken frequent actions: increase investment in new energy, develop strict vehicle exhaust emission standards, and introduce the U.S. Clean Energy Security Act, which is regarded as Obama's“Green New Deal”。
On August 3, 2015, Obama launched the ultimate version in the East Hall of the White HouseClean Power PlanIt is proposed that by 2030, the carbon emissions of power plants will be reduced by 32% on the basis of 2005.[13]
Social aspects
New policy of medical reform
Time Weekly
After Obama came to power, he took medical reform as one of the major projects of the "New Deal" in the United States.In the process of implementing reform, Obama learned from the 1990sClintonThe lessons from the failure of medical reform during the period of administration have taken some new strategies.
Obama's health care reform plan should achieve three goals to provide more security for people who have insurance;Give uninsured people choices within their financial ability to pay;Mitigate the growth in spending on American households, businesses, and government from the healthcare system.
On February 22, 2010, Obama announced the new health care reform plan.The new health care reform plan will enable more than 31 million uninsured Americans to have health insurance.The plan will reduce the US government budget deficit by US $100 billion in the first 10 years after its implementation, and by about US $1 trillion in the second 10 years.On March 3, Obama announced the revised final version of the health care reform proposal.On March 23, Obama signed the Affordable Care Act.
On June 25, 2015,United States Supreme CourtThe ruling in favor of Obama's health care bill was made by 6 votes to 3.After the announcement of the Supreme Court's ruling, Obama said in a speech at the White House that the ruling allowed the health reform bill to continue and would help every ordinary American people to obtain health insurance, rather than making health insurance the privilege of a minority.[14]
According to the data in 2015, 11.7 million people have signed up to participate in Obama's health care reform.The number of people registered to participate in the Medicaid program has soared to 70 million, up 20% since the middle of 2013.The proportion of uninsured Americans dropped to an all-time low of 10%, and the growth of medical insurance prices slowed down, indicating the sustainability of medical reform.[15]
New Policy on Education
Obama Signed "Every Student Succeeds Act"
On February 17, 2009, Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.Among them, education is given priority to development.The bill stipulates that the US federal government will invest $787 billion to rescue the paralyzed economy of the US, of which $115 billion (12.7% of the total) will be invested in education;In November, the US Department of Education issued the Implementation Summary of the Plan, officially announcing the implementation of the Plan.The plan is a response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.The Obama administration has launched a total of 4.35 billion dollars in education reform funding, which is mainly aimed at supporting poor disabled children and promoting the reform of the national education system.The plan was put forward by the Obama administration in response to the problems such as the inadequate implementation of American education policies and the low level of education.The main contents include improving educational standards and standardizing the evaluation system;Improve the teaching database system to increase the effectiveness of teaching;Promote the professional development of teachers and principals;Strengthen government intervention and reform weak schools.
After Obama came to power, the Obama administration launched the 0-5-year-old Plan on the basis of the original preschool education policy. The plan focuses on the education of children from poor families, allocating 10 billion dollars annually to provide free preschool education, ensuring that every child is ready for school, and promoting the popularization of preschool education in all states.
In February 2013, in his State of the Union address, Obama proposed the Plan for Reconstruction of High School, which stipulates that the federal government will invest 300 million dollars in competitive funds to encourage the reform and innovation of high school education and training methods, focusing on the transformation of talent demand in the information age;Promote the establishment of cooperative relations between high schools, universities and enterprises;Create and implement science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses to develop students' quality of entering higher education and employment.
On April 25 of the same year, the United States Department of Education released the Blueprint of Understanding Education Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching."Educational success" mainly means that American teachers are committed to improving students' learning outcomes;"Professional excellence" requires American teachers to pay more attention to the cultivation of educational practical skills, and actively learn from the experience of excellent principals and teachers to promote personal professional development;"Cooperative teaching" requires responsibility sharing and teaching cooperation. Principals and teachers should improve their professional skills in mutual learning and supervision.
On December 10, 2015, Obama signed the "Every Student Success Act" (ESSA) at the White House, replacing the previous "No Child Left Behind Act",No Child Left Behind Act ，NCLB），Establish a new line of responsibility for public schools across the United States.Obama said that the new "Every student succeeds" bill reduces the dependence on standardized examinations and unified tasks, and ensures that the American education system makes every child ready for school or employment when he or she graduates from high school.The new law retains the basic examination requirements, but removes the rewards and penalties that depend on student performance.The new bill is conducive to promoting the progress of the laggards and reducing the degree of "differentiation";Adaptation to different places, communities and schools will be more flexible;English learners will also have more available projects and resources.[16]
New housing policy
The Obama administration launched the housing assistance plan in the first quarter of 2009, aiming at the new home buyers to enjoy a tax preference of $8000, which expired in November;On October 19, the US Department of Finance announced a new policy to stimulate the housing market, supporting low housing mortgage interest rates, and helping low-income people to buy houses or bear the cost of renting houses.
The new policy includes two parts, one is the bond purchase plan to support new loans from housing financial institutions, and the other is a temporary loan and liquidity plan.
New Employment Policy
In December 2009, Obama announced that he would take a package of measures such as tax cuts, incentives and increased investment to create more jobs to address the growing unemployment problem;In March 2010, Obama signed a bill to promote employment through tax cuts and spending increases.
military phase
Withdrawal in Iraq War
Watch the real-time pictures of killing bin Laden in 2011
On February 27, 2009, Obama announced that the United States will withdraw its troops from Iraq.Obama's withdrawal plan includes: withdraw most of the troops from Iraq by August 31, 2010, end the combat mission, and leave 35000-50000 troops to support the military operations of the Iraqi government and its security forces.Then, all remaining troops will be withdrawn by the end of 2011.
On August 31, 2010, Obama made a speech, officially announcing that the withdrawal of US combat troops in Iraq had been completed, and that the United States had shifted its focus to promoting sustained economic recovery, which was his "central task".
Nuclear strategy
In April 2009, ObamaCzech RepubliccapitalBraggHe said that the US government will be committed to promoting the establishment of a nuclear weapon free world.In April 2010, Obama said that the primary threat of the United States is no longer nuclear war between countries, butNuclear terrorismAndnuclear proliferationThe primary goal of the U.S. nuclear strategy is to stop these threats.
Security strategy
On May 27, 2010, the White House of the United States released the《National Security Strategy Report》。In the report, Obama took military as the last resort when diplomatic efforts were ineffective.Compared with his predecessor Bush's security strategy with unilateralism as the keynote, Obama's new strategy has the color of multilateralism.
Strike IS
On September 10, 2014, Obama comprehensively elaborated the strategy of combating the "Islamic State", announced that he would establish an anti "Islamic State" alliance, and expand the scope of air strikes to Syria.[17]
On August 3, 2016, the Obama administration said that the United States and its allies had launched 14235 air strikes against the "Islamic State".In addition, according to US officials, the Iraqi army supported by the United States has recaptured half of its territory from the "Islamic State".
In November 2015, Obama attended the Paris Climate Change Conference, where he tried to achieve substantive results on tackling climate change, so as to fulfill his election commitment seven years ago and make relevant policies his political heritage;On December 13, negotiators from 196 countries approved the《Paris Agreement》, which is considered as the year 1997《Kyoto Protocol 》Later, the most important agreement reached by the international community in the field of tackling global climate change will make arrangements for global action to tackle climate change after 2020.[20]
On March 10, 2009, the US Senate passed a bill on the partial lifting of US sanctions against Cuba, amending the controversial embargo law against Cuba;In April, Obama announced a series of easing restrictions on Cuba.[21]
On December 10, 2013, Obama was in South AfricaJohannesburgAttended Mandela's official memorial service and worked with Cuban leadersRaul Castro Shake hands.This is the second handshake between the leaders of the United States and Cuba since the hostile relations between the two countries lasted more than half a century.[21]
On December 17, 2014, the top leaders of the United States and Cuba delivered speeches respectively, announcing that they would hold consultations on the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
On March 20, 2016, the Obamas and their two daughters arrived in the Cuban capital by special plane accompanied by Secretary of State John Kerry, four ministers, 23 members of Congress and several entrepreneursHavana , began a three-day visit and became the first US president in office to visit Cuba since 1928;On March 16, the United States again relaxed restrictions on travel, trade and finance in Cuba.[22]
We believe in change - Barack Obama reshapes the road of hope for the future of the United States
November 2020
The Promised Land
Source:[33]
social activities
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On July 28, 2021,NBAThe official website announced that former US President Barack Obama has joined the NBA African Union as a strategic partner.Obama will help promote the social responsibility work of the Alliance in the whole African continent. He will own a minority stake in the Alliance, and plans to fund the youth and leadership projects of the Obama Foundation in Africa.[31]
Personal life
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family background
Obama's father is a foreign student from Kenya and his mother is from Kansas.The two met while studying at the University of Hawaii.Since his father went to Harvard University to study, Obama was raised by his mother.When Obama was more than two years old, his parents' marriage broke down.
Emotional experience
In 1992, Obama married Michelle from his classmate's school and later had two daughters.
home education
Although Obama dotes on his daughter, he does not dote on her.He once shared his "father's rule" of educating his two daughters: set rules and love.He said that he would give the children unconditional love, set the general direction and some rules for them, and encourage them to do more housework.
Hold a party
On August 6, 2021, Obama will hold his 60th birthday party, which conforms to the new crown protection rules formulated by the CDC.The birthday party will be held outdoors, and the guests present need to submit a new crown negative certificate.The party will also send special personnel to ensure that the party complies with the new epidemic prevention rules of CDC, state and local.Including famous movie starsGeorge ClooneyAnd talk show hostoprah winfrey A number of celebrities will attend Obama's birthday party.[32]
The White House released a message saying: "Although President Biden could not attend, he looked forward to getting back together with former President Obama as soon as possible, and welcomed him to join the club over 60."[32][35]
Character evaluation
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Positive comments
As President, Obama has created a new atmosphere in international politics.Few people have reached the level of Obama in gaining the attention of the whole world and giving people hope for a better future.（Nobel Prize Committee Official website review)[24]
As the first African American president of the United States, Obama set an example for the American people, and he also brought a new class concept to American politics.During his presidency, the White House had never even witnessed a personal scandal.During most of Obama's presidency, the White House has been showing a mature and stable adult style to the outside world.（Fenghuang.comComment)[25]
Negative comments
Obama is the worst president in American history.(Former President of the United StatesClintonComment)
Obama is the "deadlocked commander in chief".(New York Post Review)
Obama was selected as the "least influential celebrity" for his "failed politician" and "unable to stand his own ground".Experts believe that Obama has promised too much and talked brilliantly, but in fact he has done nothing.Because of unsuccessful health care reform, immigration policy and failure to maintain his position in international politics, especially his mistakes in dealing with the Syrian issue, Obama's administration has become relatively bumpy.[26](Russia《Today's Daily》Comment)
Character influence
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Obama Presidential Library
On April 30, 2015, the library named after US President Barack Obama was founded in the American city of Chicago;In May of the same year,Obama FoundationConfirm“Obama Presidential Library”He settled down at the University of Chicago where he once taught for a long time.[27]
Character controversy
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"Suit door"
On August 28, 2014, Obama talked about Russia and Ukraine and the fight against "Iraq and the Islamic State of Sharm" at the press conference（ISIS）And so on.Public opinion is not only dissatisfied with his views, but even thinks his suit is very funny.People's attention is focused on the president's light yellow suit, rather than his views on Ukraine and Syria.The American media even teased him that he wore a silly hat suit.[28]
Be protested
On September 25, 2014, the US anti war organization“Code Pink ”CODEPINK and ANSWER Coalition held a demonstration at the gate of the White House to protest President Obama's air strikes against Syria and Iraq, and to criticize the U.S. Middle East policy is one of the reasons for the growth of the "Islamic State" and the source of the problem.[29]
Be prosecuted
On July 30, 2014, the House of Representatives of the United States Congress passed the bill with 225 votes in favor and 201 against, formally authorizing Speaker Boehner of the House of Representatives to sue President Obama for his abuse of administrative power.[30]
On November 21 of the same year, Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, announced that the Obama administration had exercised "powers beyond those granted by the Constitution" in the process of implementing the health care reform bill. The House of Representatives has formally filed a lawsuit in this regard to the court.The indictment lists "two crimes", including the provision that employers must purchase medical insurance for employees in the Obama administration's "twice delayed implementation" medical reform bill, and the Obama administration's illegal use of federal account funds to pay $175 billion to insurance companies, both of which are "illegal".Boehner said that the move was to defend the authority of the United States Constitution, not for the selfish interests of one party.One of the sponsors of the bill, the chairman of the House Legislation Committee, said that Obama "has gone too far", ignored the constitutional requirements and selectively implemented the law.
The House Minority Leader PelosiStrong reaction to the prosecution.She said that the American people hoped that Congress would help increase employment and support the middle class, but the Republican Party chose to spend $500 an hour in attorney fees to sue the President, and the lawsuit would encounter an "embarrassing failure".
Russian sanctions
On May 19, 2023 local time, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that 500 US citizens, including former US President Barack Obama, were prohibited from entering the country.[38]
