Introduction
There were many problems that President Barrack Obama faced when he entered the Presidency office in his first term. One of the difficulties that the president encountered was slow growth in the economy. The other problem that he had to deal with was inequality in terms of payment of individuals. He decided that he would act through legislation and the first legislation that he had to sign in his first tenure was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He signed the Act to enhance fair pay regardless of race, age or gender in the country. Additionally, Obama had to wrestle with the unfavorable balance of trade both within the US and with the nations all over the world.
The Republican’s Strategy
The Republican strategy during Obama’s tenure was opposition to the government that had won the elections, that is, Obama’s government. The opposition strategy of the Republicans was to monitor the behavior of President Obama from the start of his term (Kirk et al., 2013). Their job and strategy were to be loyal to the president’s opposition in every manner that they saw fit. They started their opposition right at the time of the inauguration of Obama even though they had known for sure that they had lost.
The Grand Bargain
The Grand Bargain was launched in May of 2016 as a unique agreement between the humanitarian organization and some of the largest donors. The aid organizations aimed to get more means into the hands of those who were in need. Despite the Grand Bargain’s commitments, it eventually failed because of the constant oppositions that it faced. It faced opponents when it could not meet some of the responsibilities laid down to the people at its conception.
Bipartisan Difficulties
In most case, bipartisan issues pose challenges to those who are supposed to be implementing them when it comes to achieving them. One of the reasons why it is difficult to achieve is that it requires two parties. The two parties are supposed to work together and share common goals in every endeavor that they undertake as parties. The goals that these two parties share is supposed to lead them to an agreement and solution of the hinderances that they are supposed to be solving. In most cases, different parties have their self-centered agendas and this makes it challenging to have a common ground whenever two parties come together.
Obama’s Deal
Healthcare Reform
Many parties were involved in the healthcare reform and the outcome that was intended at the beginning. The parties that had concerns here ranged from the Congress and the President, the interest groups, and the People. I believe that the President had the most to say with regards to the outcome of the reforms. He had the most to say because he had health as one of his top priority agendas in his tenure. It was the idea of the President that health would reform to a great extent in the country even before the other parties had it as a serious issue (Kirk et al., 2010). People knew that they needed improvements concerning their health but not many of them were willing to take any action concerning its implementation. It was, however, the President himself who took the initiative of making heath his top priority agenda both in his campaigns and the whole of time he was in office.
Obama and Clinton
There are many things that Obama did better than President Clinton while he was in office. His approach in leadership has been known to be one of the most effective approaches that the world has ever known. Obama adopted the policy approach just when he went to the office and tried as much as he could to use it all the time. One of the reasons for his success that stands out so clear is that he was a man of implementation. He had great success in areas such as healthcare because of the instant policies that he would implement. The approach proved to be more effective since it made it possible for him and his counterparts to implement what they would agree upon quickly.
Deals
To get a bill passed, various deals had to be cut and this is not just in the United States but in most countries of the world. For instance, to get the healthcare reforms bill to pass, Obama had to compromise with other arrangements. He had to cut private deals to favor his agenda of promoting healthcare reforms in the country. He had to strike the necessary contracts with insurers, doctors, hospitals, and drug companies. All the deals that he cut with these parties ensured that his overall aim of universal healthcare coverage and other healthcare reforms were achieved without fail.
The Congress Procedure and Legislation
The structure and procedure of the American congress would influence the enactment of legislation in various ways. It helped in the passage of bills because of the clarity of the process that have to be undergone for every account to pass. The structures ensured that every legislation goes through a similar procedure and hence enhancing fairness and effectiveness. Additionally, the procedures would sometimes have negative impacts as they slow decision-making because of the lengthy processes that are sometimes not very necessary.
References
Kirk, M., Gilmore, J., & Wiser, M. (2010). Obama’s Deal. FRONTLINE. Web.
Kirk, M., Gilmore, J., & Wiser, M. (2013). Inside Obama’s Presidency. FRONTLINE. Web.