Guest Host: Marc Fisher

Barack Obama came to the White House with strong political capital and an ambitious legislative agenda. But after one year in office, President Obama is encountering resistance to many of his priorities. So how does the first year of the Obama Administration compare to the first years of presidents past? We get an historical perspective.

Guests

  • Stephen Wayne Professor of Government, Georgetown University; co-author "Presidential Leadership: Politics and Policy Making" (Wadsworth)
  • Andrew Kohut President, Pew Research Center
  • Allan Lichtman Professor of History, American University; Author, "White Protestant Nation: The Rise of the American Conservative Movement" (Grove)

Modern Presidents’ First Years


Credit: Pete Souza for whitehouse.gov
Some rights reserved.

President Barack Obama

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (January of second year in office): 51%

Major Issues During Campaign
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
  • The War on Terror
  • Improving America’s image abroad
  • Domestic economic downturn/global financial crisis
  • Health care reform
Major Legislation Passed During First Year
  • Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, 2009
  • Expanded version of State Children’s Health Insurance Program
  • American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
  • Repealed ban on using federal dollars for stem cell research
  • Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Credit: Eric Draper for The White House.

George W. Bush

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (January of second year in office): 84%

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (leaving office): 34%

Major Issues During Campaign
<ul><li>Medicare expansion</li>
<li>Health care reform</li>
<li>Social security policy</li>
<li>Education</li></ul>



<h5>Major Legislation Passed During First Year</h5>



<ul>
<li>No Child Left Behind</li>
<li>Economic Growth and Reconciliation Act 2001</li>
<li>President's Surveillance Program (authorized by executive order, expanded the scope and capabilities of the NSA to monitor suspected terrorist activities, including warrantless wiretapping)</li>
<li>USA Patriot Act</li>
<li>Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act</li>
</ul>

Credit: Bob McNeely for The White House.

Bill Clinton

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (January of second year in office): 55%

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (leaving office): 66%

Major Issues During Campaign
  • Widespread discontent with political gridlock in Washington
  • Tax/financial relief for the middle class
  • Improving the economy
Major Legislation Passed During First Year
  • Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (required large employers to allow employees unpaid leave for pregnancy andyes serious medical conditions)
  • Enacted by Executive Order “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of allowing homosexuals to serve in the military
  • Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (cut taxes for low-income families, raised taxes on wealthiest 1%; offered tax cuts to 90% of small businesses)
  • NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
  • The Brady Bill (mandatory 5-day waiting period on handgun purchases)

Credit: White House Portrait.

George H.W. Bush

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (January of second year in office): 80%

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (leaving office): 56%

Major Issues During Campaign
  • $220 billion deficit
  • Rising unemployment
  • Foreign policy upheavals in Eastern Europe.
Major Legislation Passed During First Year
  • Savings and Loan Rescue Bill (restructured financial industry regulation in the wake of the S&L crisis)
  • Deregulation of natural gas prices
  • Democrats control both houses of Congress, making it difficult for Bush to accomplish agenda items and ultimately forcing him to reverse a campaign pledge and raise taxes.

Credit: White House Portrait.

Ronald Reagan

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (January of second year in office): 48%

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (leaving office): 63%

Major Issues During Campaign
  • Recession
  • Rising unemployment rate (just under 9 % in January 1982)
  • Inflation
  • Growing deficit
  • Economic inequality
Major Legislation Passed During First Year
  • Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981. This bill embodied the deep tax cuts Reagan’s presidency came to be known for. It reduced marginal income tax rates in the United States by 25% over three years (the top rate falling from 70% to 50% while the bottom rate dropped from 14% to 11%). Critics claim the cuts increased the federal deficit; supporters say they’re responsible for spurring economic expansion.

Credit: White House Portrait.

Jimmy Carter

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (January of second year in office): 54%

Gallup Poll Approval Rating (leaving office): 34%

Major Issues During Campaign
  • Energy
  • Middle East conflict
  • Inflation
Major Legislation Passed During First Year
  • Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (created Department of Energy)
  • Panama Canal Treaties (gave Panama control of the canal after 1999)

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