Historical Dictionary of the Barack Obama Administration (Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Politics and Political Eras) - Hardcover

Entries in this dictionary by Pomante and Schraufnagel focus on Barack Obama's first term in office and conclude with the partial government shutdown in October 2013. The 200-plus entries vary in length depending on the importance of the person or topic. . . .Front matter includes a list of relevant acronyms and abbreviations and a chronology of key events in the president's life. Two helpful introductory chapters outline Obama's rise to the presidency and synthesize key issues debated in the 111th, 112th, and early 113th Congresses. Six appendixes cover cabinet members, descriptive data on Obama's two presidential victories, midterm election results, executive orders issued, veto activity, and public approval ratings. The topically arranged bibliography features an introduction that reviews key scholarly literature devoted to Obama and his first term in office. Obama's last day in office as president will be January 20, 2017, and an updated dictionary is planned. Until its publication, this 2014 volume serves as an affordable, detailed guide to the people, events, policies, and issues that have impacted the Obama administration and influenced the president's decisions, actions, and policy aspirations so far. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates; general readers. * CHOICE *

The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States in November 2008 was an instantaneous historic event. Regardless of his legacy as chief executive, President Obama will forever be remembered as the first African-American president. Barack Obama is now serving his second term as president, so this seems a good time for an initial survey of his successes, failures, and challenges. Governing in a society ripe with ideological and partisan polarization, the Obama Administration has been surrounded by controversy, much of it manufactured by his opponents but salient nonetheless. The Historical Dictionary of the Barack Obama Administration covers the history of his life and his presidency through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and a bibliography. The dictionary section has over 200 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, including the president, his advisors, his family, his opponents, and his critics, as well as members of Congress, military leaders, and international leaders. This book is a vital access point for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the presidency of Barack Obama.