ODI On... Inauguration of Barack Obama as US President

20 January 2009 00:00 - 23:59

20 January 2009 marks an historic moment in American history, as the nation inaugurates its first African American President, Barack Obama. But what will this mean for the rest of the world? A series of blogs by ODI researchers set out key challenges for the incoming US President.

Outputs

Overview

Outputs

Will the US lead on international development?

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 25 January 2009

20 January 2009 marked an historic moment in American history, as the nation inaugurated its first African American President, Barack Obama.

But what does this mean for the rest of the world, and particularly for developing countries?

Read and comment

Obama and the Millennium Development Goals

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 20 January 2009

Mr. President

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world’s major framework against absolute poverty and deprivation. They were set in 2000/1 based on trends to 1990, and so should not have been too hard to achieve. Nearly 20 years on, they are proving challenging – with some large countries doing well, and others struggling; with more progress on some goals than others. Achieving the goals would represent a very basic level of wellbeing.

Read and comment

Obama and Latin America: Change we can believe in?

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 20 January 2009

President-elect Barack Obama is taking office facing an extraordinary list of international challenges, ranging from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to relations with North Korea and Iran to the global financial meltdown. Expectations for change are enormous, and clearly Obama will need to make some hard choices about what issues to prioritise. Yet, he cannot afford to lose sight of Latin America as his predecessor did.

Read and comment

Obama and childhood poverty: Learning across the north-south divide is critical to tackle childhood poverty

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 20 January 2009

With the loss of thousands of jobs in the US and a marked downturn in the country’s economic security in the wake of the current global financial crisis, there will be a strong temptation for the Obama administration to turn inwards and focus on domestic issues. A domestic focus is obviously important in areas of social protection and basic social services which were not only subject to serious cuts during the Bush administration, but which will also be in heightened demand as household livelihoods decline in the wake of the crisis.

Read and comment

Obama and USAID: the need for genuine evaluation

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 19 January 2009

What comes first for USAID – evidence or policy?

Read and comment

Obama and trade policy: ‘speak softly and carry a big…vision’

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 19 January 2009

If Barack Obama’s trade policy is to avoid following Theodore Roosevelt’s advice to the letter, which of his multiple personas would best serve – tough Chicago politician or president of the Harvard Law Review? A no-brainer, you might think. Everyone knows that the Great Depression was exacerbated by competitive protectionism championed by populist politicians.

Read and comment

Obama and climate change

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 19 January 2009

One of President Obama’s most immediate challenges will be to formulate his domestic climate change policy – a challenge that will demand all the political skills the new administration can muster. This should not, however, distract him from the pressing needs on the international climate front, where action may have a lower political cost and generate greater goodwill.

Read and comment

Obama and the global development agenda

Opinion - Articles and blogs - 19 January 2009

Like everyone else, I am inspired by the oratory of Barack Obama. I had tears in my eyes during his speech at the Democratic Convention, and again in Chicago the night of the election.

Read and comment

Overview

20 January 2009 marks an historic moment in American history, as the nation inaugurates its first African American President, Barack Obama.

But what will this mean for the rest of the world?

The expectations of the Obama Presidency across the North and South are huge. There is great hope for a renewed multilateral approach to climate change, foreign policy and international development. But during a global economic downturn, with the stated primary aim of the new administration to get the American economy back on track and secure American jobs, how will the new President respond to the wishes of the world and the leadership role it wants to place on his shoulders?

These blogs by ODI researchers set out key challenges for the incoming US President – challenges that are critical to the reduction of poverty and the alleviation of suffering in the developing world.