A Promised Land

Obama wrote his memoir after the election of Donald Trump. How do you think the election of a president with diametrically opposed views inflects Obama’s writing?

What are Obama’s views on family and community? How did these views inform his presidency?

What makes a great debater? Discuss the hard lessons Obama had to learn about this aspect of campaigning.

Compare the Obama campaign’s revolutionary use of technology and social media with the current use of these tools in American politics, taking into account issues of misinformation and fake news.

Obama placed his faith in bipartisanship. What kind of pushback did he receive from congressional Republicans? Should he have anticipated this reaction? What might he have done differently to counteract GOP obstructionism?

Discuss Bush’s 2008 TARP legislation and its impact on Obama’s first term.

Consider Obama’s many accomplishments as president, such as passing the ACA, bolstering the economy, and ordering the killing of bin Laden. How did these accomplishments impact Americans in the short and long terms?

What is the Paris Agreement? Why did it take so long for the US to take meaningful action against climate change?