This book offers an examination of the signature weapon of Barack Obama’s presidency: his speeches. It provides an in-depth, analytical look at the words of Barack Obama through the social and cultural contexts that made the content of his speeches timeless. The book draws on the oral tradition of the Black church in order to help explain aspects of the president’s speaking style and to establish a direct link between the president’s words and actions.

Before Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States, he was a community organizer, civil rights lawyer, and senator. Readers trace his groundbreaking path to the White House and his unique position as the first African American president as they explore main text enhanced with annotated quotes from Obama and those closest to him. Full-color photographs, sidebars, and a comprehensive timeline chronicle the legacy of this American newsmaker. Much is known about who Obama was before and during his presidency, but what has his life been like since leaving the White House? Curious readers learn the answer.

From Bill Clinton playing his saxophone on The Arsenio Hall Show to Barack Obama referencing Jay-Z’s song “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” politicians have used music not only to construct their personal presidential identities but to create the broader identity of the American presidency. Through music, candidates can appear relatable, show cultural competency, communicate values and ideas, or connect with a specific constituency. On a less explicit level, episodes such as Clinton’s sax-playing and Obama’s shoulder brush operate as aural and visual articulations of race and racial identity. But why do candidates choose to engage with race in this manner? And why do supporters and detractors on YouTube and the Twittersphere similarly engage with race when they create music videos or remixes in homage to their favorite candidates? With Barack Obama, Ben Carson, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump as case studies, Tracks on the Trail: Popular Music, Race, and the US Presidency sheds light on the factors that motivate candidates and constituents alike to articulate race through music on the campaign trail and shows how the racialization of sound intersects with other markers of difference and ultimately shapes the public discourse surrounding candidates, popular music, and the meanings attached to race in the 21st century. Gorzelany-Mostak explores musical engagement broadly, including official music in the form of candidate playlists and launch event setlists, as well as unofficial music in the form of newly composed campaign songs, mashups, parodies, and remixes.

Historic, intriguing, and important in so many ways, the Obama presidency will be studied by scholars and students for years to come. With the rise in hyperpartisanship, legislative gridlock, political dysfunction, "fake news," and other negative trends, it is imperative that academicians weigh in with a rigorous assessment of Obama's presidency. This volume applies a variety of scholarly approaches to analyze the impact of Obama as a leader and policymaker. Scholars from disciplines such as political science, history, environmental science, economics, and communication come together to provide an interdisciplinary and wide-ranging appraisal of the president. Across the varied chapters, Obama's leadership is central to understanding the success or failure of his policies and initiatives. The president's decisions and actions are also assessed against the constraints and possibilities created by the modern US political system, rapid changes in technology and society, and shifting patterns in international relations. The result is a book that covers executive leadership, administration, domestic issues, foreign and national security policy, and more, to present a comprehensive review of the Obama legacy.

In 2007 and 2008, Barack Obama ran for president with a message of a shared purpose uniting all Americans, and was elected with expectations that he would usher in a new national culture under an approach grounded in public engagement that would transcend partisan divisions. But in an institutional system designed for incremental and contested policy-making governance, enacting these transformational ambitions proved to be far more difficult than anticipated. This innovative volume assesses the legacy of President Obama, with a conceptual focus on the challenge of meeting his goals with the realities of governing. A diverse group of political science, history, and communication studies experts systematically examines Obama’s performance, accomplishments, and shortcomings through the lens of the expectations gap – the tensions and obstacles of translating campaign promises into policies. The wide, representative set of case studies address campaigning and coalition building, party polarization, presidential communication, executive power, leadership and decision-making, and domestic and foreign policy. With original and deep analysis, these scholars make a unique, enduring contribution to understanding the Obama presidency, the office of the president, and indeed American politics. This insightful, accessible book will be of great interest to students and scholars of the presidency, political communication & rhetoric, and broadly across US government and democracy.

This book seeks to analyze the leadership of three presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as to examine the impact of the presidents’ leadership had on the leadership of the advisers they worked with during their presidencies. Transformational leadership, a term first introduced by James MacGregor Burns, describes a process in which “leaders and followers help each other to advance to a higher level of morale and motivation.” In order to measure transformational leadership, Bernard M. Bass’s model - which includes four elements: an idealized influence, inspiring motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual treatment - is applied throughout. It is crucial to conduct an analysis of the relationships between the examined three presidents and their advisers in order to demonstrate if the subordinates excelled in leadership because of the presidents’ leadership skill.

Judicial Politics in the United States examines the role of courts as policymaking institutions and their interactions with the other branches of government and other political actors in the U.S. political system. Not only does this book cover the nuts and bolts of the functions, structures and processes of our courts and legal system, it goes beyond other judicial process books by exploring how the courts interact with executives, legislatures, and state and federal bureaucracies. It also includes a chapter devoted to the courts' interactions with interest groups, the media, and general public opinion and a chapter that looks at how American courts and judges interact with other judiciaries around the world. Judicial Politics in the United States balances coverage of judicial processes with discussions of the courts' interactions with our larger political universe, making it an essential text for students of judicial politics.

Covering specific mouth and dental conditions such as ulcers, halitosis and tooth grinding, this book recognises the link between these conditions and systemic diseases. It provides a review of some aspects of the basic anatomy and physiology of the mouth and teeth, such as biofilms, quorum sensing and cavitations, alongside information from current research. The book also includes discussion of the impact of natural ageing processes, satiety and taste perception as these associate with oral (and systemic) health. Discussing associations to systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the book offers scientifically evidenced protocol possibilities and a balanced viewpoint. With practical guidance and theory, Oral Health and Systemic Disease is the go-to resource for nutritional therapists and functional medicine practitioners who want to deepen their knowledge of mouth and dental health issues.

Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States. In a country with a rich history of racial animosities, Obama represents a notable deviation in the trajectory of America’s presidential history. At the close of his second term in office, a survey of the personalities and events associated with his presidency is fitting. In this walk through recent history we will be keen to point out the president’s successes, failures, and challenges. Governing in a society ripe with ideological and partisan polarization, the Obama Administration was surrounded by controversy, much of it manufactured by his opponents but salient nonetheless. This volume will attempt to provide perspective and clarity on the most important individuals and experiences connected to Obama during his eight years in office, but also his early life. Information included in this volume also includes discussion of his transition out of office and events taking place at the beginning of the Donald Trump Administration. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of the Barack Obama Administration contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 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 an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Barack Obama.