obama

to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney and taught constitutional law at University of Chicago Law School between 1992 and 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000 against Bobby Rush.

In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007 and, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. He then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months after his inauguration, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Contents

1 Early life and career

1.1 Community organizer and Harvard Law School

1.2 University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney

2 Legislative career, 1997–2008

2.1 Illinois State Senator (1997–2004)

2.2 2004 U.S. Senate campaign

2.3 U.S. Senator from Illinois (2005–08)

2.3.1 Legislation

2.3.2 Committees

3 Presidential campaigns

3.1 2008 presidential campaign

3.2 2012 presidential campaign

4 Presidency (2009–present)

4.1 First days

4.2 Domestic policy

4.2.1 LGBT rights

4.2.2 White House advisory and oversight groups

4.2.3 Economic policy

4.2.4 Environmental policy

4.2.5 Health care reform

4.2.6 Energy policy

4.2.7 Gun control

4.2.8 2010 midterm elections

4.2.9 Cybersecurity and Internet policy

4.3 Foreign policy

4.3.1 War in Iraq

4.3.2 War in Afghanistan

4.3.3 Israel

4.3.4 War in Libya

4.3.5 Osama bin Laden

4.3.6 Iran nuclear talks

4.3.7 Relations with Cuba

4.3.8 Africa

5 Cultural and political image

6 Family and personal life

6.1 Religious views