Barack Obama Biography

Barack Obama
I. Introduction
Obama “Barack Hussein Obam” is the first African-American president of the United State. His biography has some very interesting which makes him so popular among American people; as a result, he is elected as the America president two terms.
II. Background
Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on August 4, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr., a Kenyan national of Lou Muslim ethnicity, and mother is Ann Dunham, a Christian American citizen of British descent. His parents were married on 1961. In 1964 his parents divorced while he was 5 years old. His father returned to Kenya and died in automobile accident in 1982. His mother later re-married with Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian college student in Hawaii in the year same was divorce happened. Then they left to Indonesia in 1967 with Obama. Between the ages of 6 to 10, Obama attended in the local Jakarta Catholic School. And, then he and his mother moved back to Honolulu, Hawaii where he was looked after by grandparents. In 1979, he graduated with his high school at Punahou Academy in Honolulu. Obama continued in two years at the Occidental College in Los Angeles then be transferred to New York’s Columbia University where he graduated with his political science degree in 1983. He moved and worked in Chicago as a community organizer with a low salary. He went to visit Kenya two times, 1988 and 2006.
From this period, Obama have obtained many significant outcomes. He started to continue his study at Harvard Law School in 1988. While he was at Harvard, he was elected as the first Aftrican American editor of the Harvard Law Review and graduated with his Juris Doctor in 1991. Obama married with Michelle Robinson 1992 since they had met each other from 1988. The following years, his first daughter, Malia was born in 1998 and 2001 he has another daughter, Sasha. Also, 1992 he started teaching at the University of Chicago Law School until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004. During his working as a lecturer, he runs and wins for the Illinois Senate Seat from the 13th District in the Illinois General Assembly in 1995. In 2000, Obama started continuously running in primary for U.S House of Representatives against four-time incumbent Bobby Rush but he lost. In 2002, he won re-election in Illinois General Assembly again. And, the following 2004 he won another Democratic primary which was 52% of the vote and defeated Illinois Comptroller, Daniel and Blair Hull, a multi-millionaire businessman.
After he has succeeded many good results, therefore, Obama continued for another step. He declared the announcement for his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic President for United State, and the significant chapter in his biography of Barack Obama was took place. As a result, he was elected as the president for U.S., the first African American president of this very powerful country. More amazingly, he is re-elected as his second term in 2012.
III. Barack Obama’s Personality Traits, Strengths and Weaknesses
Obama Personality Trait
+ General Personality Trait
Obama possesses the following great personality traits:
- Loving Kindness and compassion: Obama embraces a quality of caring for the minority and for those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Since he holds the president position, he tried to help the middle-class American by coming up with the progressive tax system on the pro-poor basis, and he supported same-sex marriage and abortion through the federal legislation.
- Warmth: Obama takes good care for this colleagues and subordinates. Though he holds the highest position in the country, he tried to create rapport within this working environment and being a charismatic leader through demonstrating sense of care for people.

"In general, Obama is well liked and that's a strength," said Karlyn Bowman, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. (Rusling, 2012)

- Enthusiasm and inspiration: According to Dan Mahaffee, an Analyst at the Center for the Study of the presidency and Congress, Obama is an inspirational speaker and visionary leader (Rusling, 2012). Obama has a strong motive and confidence in his ideas in which give him a tremendous motivation and drive for success.
- Self-confidence: being a great leader, he possesses strong self-confidence at any time. By nature and the gift from god, his facial expression always demonstrates confidence and with this quality, he also instills this confidence to his colleagues.
Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics has carried a study of a psychological profile of Obama during his election campaign in 2008 and 2012. The result shows that he is an ambitious-confident person with the personality of moderately accommodating. He has been regarded as a ‘confident conciliator’. (Immelman, 2012)

(Source: http://www.immelman.us/news/barack-obamas-presidential-leadership-style/)

+ Work-related Personality Trait
- Passion for the work: Obama is a workaholic. Since he was young, he has tried hard with his study and work. This has brought him into a prestigious Harvard Law School. Due to his hard working, within several years in the work, he has pushed himself forward and has accelerated his career path in law and politics. The global geopolitical has shaped and pushed him to work harder as he came to the president during the toughest time to resolve the effect of global financial and economic crisis.
- Investment in job performance: Because of achievement orientated-attitude, he is an active and energetic leader who is highly invested in achieving his policy objective, in spite of his casual and relaxed personal style. (Immelman, 2012)
- Flexibility and adaptability: being raised up in a multicultural environment, Obama has a flexible and adaptable personality. When dealing with the legislation branch of the government, depending on the circumstance and his perception on the effectiveness of his strategy, Obama can greatly utilize both accommodating and competing strategy and attitude with the congress. However, Obama is a conflict aversion person. (Immelman, 2012)
- Task-oriented and internal locus of control: in the task-related personality trait, Obama ranks an average score on task-oriented leadership factor. In pushing the success of the group agenda and toward achieving the goal, he is not fear to run the risk that sacrificing the group morale for getting the task done effectively (Huffington Post, 2012). However, according to PEW Research Center, the degree of getting things done scores an average of 57%. (People-Press, 2013)

Obama’s strengths and weaknesses
- Cognitive Intelligence: Obama is acknowledged as the leader who has exceptional IQ. He scores 130, that is in the 2nd rank (exceptional) following genius level, scoring from 145 up. (Stephen, 2013)

Obama: Personality traits, strengths and weaknesses
Barack Obama’s confidence and cool-headedness are partly why he was elected president of the United States. But if that confidence curdles into arrogance, it will be his downfall.
One of Obama’s most positive traits is his determination to get a job done well, however, if he is not careful this trait can also present itself as stubbornness that result in a loss of objectivity.
Barack Obama's main characteristic is being a great public speaker. He also is one of the best leaders the world has ever seen.
Barak Obama, born on August 4th, is a regal Leo, was destined to rule an empire. He takes up the Presidential position at the White House with panache and leadership. Everyone is watching what his next move is. He continually hits road blocks but keeps on going. He is determined and single minded on his mission. Operating in a large field is something that comes easily to a Leo, and he is able to conduct himself with a high level of confidence. He can think on his feet and support an argument with unwavering certainty.
This compelling man has the charisma to carry off the top job, and with heavy duty planets, Mars and Saturn, both placed in strong positions in his personal chart, he also has the dedication and razor beam focus of someone who can lead others to fulfill his vision. One of Obama’s most positive traits is his determination to get a job done well, however, if he is not careful this trait can also present itself as stubbornness that result in a loss of objectivity to see another way.
Profile Overview: Date of Birth: Aug 04 1961 Star sign: Leo
Leo’s love the attention of the camera, but don’t mind doing the hard work to receive it. Having the confidence to think on his feet, the American people would feel in good hands with Mr. Obama’s presentation of himself and policies. This candidate’s star sign is blessed with an ease of expression. As the President of the United States of America, his job naturally has a lot of opposition, which challenges him every day.
He was born on the fourth and as a number four born; he is able to work through confrontation to achieve his goals. The number four gives him to ability of approach, analyze and affectively put into place a restructure on a grand scale to gain a better situation and life for the American people. To do this, great vision is needed as well as perseverance, which fortunately he has available to him.
RELATED: LEO - RISE TO FAME: JENNIFER LOPEZ
President Obama’s astrological strengths and weaknesses are:
Strengths: Barack Obama’s strengths appear to be his compassion for underdogs and those who are socio-economically disadvantaged, his compassion for minorities, his ability to help middle-income Americans, his ability to benefit the interests of women, his approach to social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, a likable personality, his ability to understand the problems of average Americans, and foreign policy experience. He has a strong sense of responsibility when it concerns business, and would most likely be considered by psychologists as a workaholic. Obama’s most likely plan of attack in the debates will be to continue to emphasize his strengths and blunt. In the debates, we would thus expect Obama to continue to emphasize his compassion and understanding of the issues and problems of the disadvantaged, those who are struggling, and those in the middle class.
Weaknesses: Planetary placements indicate that the financial reins could be tightened so much that it may be detrimental to areas of great importance.
Leadership Qualities: Shares inspiring ideas, but, if challenged, an assertive nature can turn aggressive, with a “do as I say” attitude.
Decision Making: A team player, but one who will use every trick in the book to influence others to his way of thinking, usually with great success.
Integrity level: Time is money, and money is power. Those who are most useful are kept in the loop, while others will take a back seat. That’s politics!
Charismatic Appeal: Female attraction is high with certain mysteriousness in this zodiac chart. There’s a nurturing presence that’s appealing to females.
Visionary Insight: Planetary placements ensure future plans are sort with good intent; however, there may also be an unspoken secret desire.
Family Values: All aspects of children are of great significance and the continuing welfare and education of tomorrow’s leaders is all-important.
War or Peace: Before engaging with war, every scenario would be analyzed and examined. If combat was unavoidable it would be with a reluctant heart.
Barack Obama's strengths and weaknesses as the Democratic candidate for the president
Barack Obama would receive my vote if I was eligible to vote! He would receive my vote because his strengths stand out to me more than his weaknesses do and he's an overall better candidate for president then John McCain.
His strengths are:
1. He pulls the republicans and democrats closer together! Although Obama is running for the Democratic side of the presidential election he makes Republicans think on subjects they would have never thought on before without him bringing them up! He brings Democrats and Republicans closer so that they can view each other's point of view.
2. He is a very smart man who knows what he's doing for someone who's very limited in experience (we'll get back to that). He takes his time when making a decision and knows how to make one without having to question himself about it!
3. The way he wants to change certain things in America. He knows what Americans want help with and is willing to help them. He is very focused on cleaning up America and America's image and is ready to begin doing that now!
4. He is a very strong man and I believe would be an even better leader as the president. He knows what needs to be done and how it needs to be done, and is preparing to do it if he is elected president of the United States.
5. His age compared to John McCain! Barack Obama is much younger than John McCain! Would you rather have a president who can remember how many houses he has or one who can't? I would rather have the one who can! Plus it's less likely for anything involving health to go wrong for Barack Obama while he's in office. With McCain it's a different story because he's almost 30 years older than the 47 year old Barack Obama.
His weaknesses are:
1. His lack of experience. Most people would say that McCain has way more experience than Obama! Which is true? But at the same time Barack Obama knows just as much about America as John McCain does and makes better decisions at mostly everything!
2. His race. We all know that there has never been a black president. And so does Barack Obama. It will be hard for him to become the first black president since others have tried before him and failed. His race also makes him a likelier candidate for being assassinated.
3. His middle name. Barack Hussein Obama! The first thing people think of when they see that middle name is that he is in some way associated with terrorists because of Saddam Hussein.
Barack Obama would still get my vote. Like I said before his strengths stand out to me more than his weaknesses do and plus he is still a better candidate to me than John McCain. http://criticsandbuilders.typepad.com

IV. Achievements
- Before Presidency
He is the first African American President of the United States, and the fifth-youngest person to become President. As the leader of the most powerful nation on earth, Barack Obama has inspired billions of people across the globe to take part in their political community, especially the youth populations.

When studying for his law degree, he was elected President of Harvard Law Review a difficult and impressive accomplishment, he was the first black man to hold that office.
He also graduated from Harvard with academic honors, in the top 10% of his class.
In 1992, Obama became the director of Project Vote, an Illinois initiative meant to encourage minorities to vote in larger numbers. Over the next three years, he served on the board of directors of several community development projects and organizations. In the mid 1990s, Barack Obama ran for the state senate of Illinois. In 1996, he was elected the state senator of the state's 13th district.
Obama's work as a state senator was representative of the type of work he has performed throughout his entire career. He reformed healthcare, welfare, racial profiling and mortgage lending regulations in his area. He was also a primary sponsor of a law that increased tax credits for low-income workers in the district. In 2000, he ran for Congress and lost in the democratic primary. In total, he served three terms in the state senate before successfully running for a U.S. Senate seat in 2004.
-
Obama's short term in the Senate consisted mostly of acts and sponsorships that never became law; however, he did successfully add a provision to the Defense Authorization Act that aids military personnel who are discharged due to personality disorders. He also helped Indiana senator Dick Lugar on several initiatives that reduce the threat of dangerous weapons. Obama introduced the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which improves public transparency regarding how the U.S. government is spending its money.
He has helped pass major measures designed to combat the international trafficking of nuclear weapons, promote the use of alternative fuels, and open up the budget process to greater public scrutiny. Barack Obama wrote two best-selling books: Dreams from my Father, and The Audacity of Hope.....(still working on it)

- During Presidency
As the first African-American president of the United States of America, Barack Obama’s reputation is being intensified across the globe. It is anticipated and being examined a lot by the public of how he will handle the biggest superpower. Upon his oath of office and inauguration into the White House, there are a lot of expectations about his presidency and what he will be able to achieve for this huge nation. A whole range of challenges in the field of economic, politics, environment, technology, trade, to name a few are already in place, waiting for him to come up with solutions to tackle. In fact, during his presidency Barack Obama has made tremendous achievements for the United States. He has put great effort in solving economic, political, environmental, energy, trade, education, health care problem and the list goes on. With his second term, it can be perceived of his presidency that he has done a very good job for the prosperity and development for America.
 Economic Policy Achievement
Under Obama’s administration, there can be seen many achievement in the economic field, particularly financial and macroeconomic policies. There was a proposal and implementation of large number of macroeconomic and financial initiatives. To be specific, Obama’s administration has made huge contribution to the dramatic improvement and change in five key areas: 1) short-term macroeconomic stimulus program, including monetary and fiscal policy, housing policy and international efforts at leadership and coordination; 2) Making a transition to a green economy; 3) Health care reform; 4) Ending Poverty and extreme Inequality.
1) short-term macroeconomic stimulus program, including monetary and fiscal policy, housing policy and international efforts at leadership and coordination
Within a month of taking office, President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress passed a major fiscal stimulus plan, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”, which involved spending $787 billion over ten and a half years, including $501 billion in increased spending and $285 billion in tax cuts. (Committee for A Responsible Federal Budget: CARB, 2009) The key concern for the spending is on infrastructures, green initiatives and tax cuts.
In addition, the address of the home foreclosure crisis was prevalent and was at the heart of economic crisis. More than 2 million Americans have lost their homes since the crisis began and by some estimates, over 8 million foreclosures will take place by 2012 if effective counter-measures are not taken (Credit-Suisse, 2008) The legislation was passed in early March in an attempt to prevent Americans from losing their homes. There are three parts in the legislation. The first part is to make it easy for the nationalized housing banks such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase housing loans; thus, in turns lower down the costs of mortgage and increase the availability to more people. This will allow people to refinance their mortgages even if the value of their loans exceed the value of their homes by five percent. The trouble is that the value of many people’s houses is below the level of their mortgages by even a greater percent. The plan’s second part is to subsidized mortgage services in order to reach an agreement to lower mortgage payments every month for distressed home owners. A third part of the plan allows bankruptcy judges to modify the mortgage loans so that the principle amount can be written down without the threat of lawsuits from bondholders who own CDO’s based on these mortgages.
Likewise, Obama has strengthened coordination with international players at macro level. In early April, the fact can be seen at the G-20 meeting in London is the aggressiveness of Obama’s administration in coordinated expansionary fiscal policy promotion. It also urges the IMF to promote more lending facilities in the hope of improve economic recovery to a faster pace while eliminating the degree of neo-liberal conditionality involved in this loans. Obama has coordinated international response to financial crisis. Obama has managed response at the international level to financial crisis. To keep economy out of recession in 2009 and 2010, help brought from G-20 nations, which accounts for more than $500 billion for the IMF to allocate lines of credit and other provisions to emerging market countries, that is, the purpose is to keep those nations liquid and avert crises with their currencies.

2) Making a transition to a green economy
Obama appealed to get foremost investment in a green energy economy. “Cap and Trade” is the core of the program aimed at selling permits to place manufacturing firms and energy utilities running in the U.S. This will allow them to release ‘greenhouse gases’ and let them trade these permits. By 2012, the US government is estimated to generate a revenue of $78.7 billion, some of which would be allocated to families to reimburse partially for the rising cost of energy that would be brought about by the sales of permits, and to certain extent used to invest in “clean energy”, through direct public investment and subsidies.
3) Healthcare Reform
The Obama administration has also proposed initiatives to move toward a more universal form of health care coverage, while trying to reduce health care costs (Obama, 2009; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 1, 2009). It has been five president in over a century that were not able to produce universal health insurance. Not until 2010 was the Affordable Care Act signed. 32 million uninsured Americans will be covered at the onset of 2014 and authorizes a suite of new measures to reduce health care cost growth which is most leading factor in America’s long-term fiscal problems.
4) Ending Poverty and Extreme Inequality
In 2009, Obama signed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act worth $787 billion in order to stimulate economic growth and greatest downturn since the Great Depression. That stimulus program after weeks into effect caused a subside in unemployment which was a very hot issue to million Americans and so pressing one that Obama was strongly criticized for lack of ability to put Americans back to work. The private sector was able to create more jobs than it was losing after twelve months, and this trend continued for twenty-three straight months. Some 3.7 million new jobs in the private sectors were created. Obama has helped many Americans having trapped into poverty by making health care more reasonably priced and tackling the problem of housing. Assisting people fallen into poverty is one thing, the other is to address the problem of extreme inequality. Main income tax reform will diminish extreme equality. Provisional steps have been taken by Obama’s administration to get to the direction of proposing a number of tax escape used by multi-million dollar corporation and the very rich. However, to certain extent a tremendous change in tax system was not propositioned by the Obama’s administration that this would significantly enhance the relative after-tax, after-transfer position of the poor.
5) Turned Around U.S. Auto Industry:
In 2009, $62 billion from Federal Reserve (on top of $13.4 billion in loans from the Bush administration) were used for enormous restructuring in poorly GM and Chrysler in return for equity stakes and agreement. The auto industry has created more than 100,000 jobs since bottoming out in 2009. For the first time in two decades market shares are allocated among the Big Three automakers in 2011. The government investment in GM is expect to experience a loss of $16 billion, less if the price of GM stock it still owns increases.
 Education President Barack Obama called for American to increase investment in tertiary education during her first speech to a joint session of Congress. He pointed out to every American to devote at least one year or more to get higher education or career training a ‘Responsibility’. They should choose community college or a four-year school; vocational training or apprenticeship. Because the fact that the United States is lagging behind other nations in the number of American getting education in college, Obama needs to address that. Therefore, $4.35 billion program from funds from stimulus are used for competitive grants to act as incentives and encourage to states to reform their education. Obama signed measure to put an end to the useless practice that has been in existence for many decades of subsidizing banks to give loans for college. On the onset of July 2010, all students will get their federal student loans through the federal government. The Treasury Department will allocate $67 billion for the period of ten year, $ 36 billion of which will be used to make Pell Grants to lower-income students larger.
 Peace and Social Problems Addressed
One of the important landmark in Obama’s administration from the Bush’s administration is the gradual drawback of the U.S troops from Afghanistan. There were 101,000 troops in June 2011 but the number gradually was going down to 91,000, with 23,000 are schedules to leave by the end of summer 2012. The Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the mission in Afghanistan will finish by next year.
Likewise, his achievement can be seen in the neighboring countries which is Pakistan. After years of searching of Osama Bin Laden after 9/11 the attack of the world trade center, he ordered a special forces raid of secret compound in Pakistan. The force was able to killed Bin Laden and retrieved many al-Qaeda documents.
War in Iraq caused a controversy in the U.S since Bush’s administration. However, under Obama’s administration there was a big achievement that pleased millions of Americans who had longed for an end of war in Iraq. In fact, Obama had ordered all U.S military forces to be out of the country. By December 18, 2011, there were no American troops in Iraqi territory.
In addition to that, the topple of longer serving dictator Moammar Gaddafi was perceived as a great landmark for Obama too. In March 2011, joined a coalition of European and Arab governments in military action, including air power and naval blockade, against Gaddafi regime to defend Libyan civilians and support rebel troops. Gaddafi’s forty-two-year rule ended when the dictator was overthrown and killed by rebels on October 20, 2011. No American lives were lost.
This victory followed suit to long-term dictator who had been ruling Egypt for more than 30 years. Obama has made a public call for Hosani Mubarak to accept for reform or step down. This ended thirty-year rule of this dictator on February 11, 2011. With all of this achievement in searching for solutions for peace and trying to bring peace to many other nations other than America, Barack Obama had received Noble Prize for Peace for his contribution to the world peace.
 Foreign Policy
In 2011, reoriented American military and diplomatic priorities and focus from the Middle East and Europe to the Asian-Pacific region. Executed multipronged strategy of positively engaging China while reasserting U.S. leadership in the region by increasing American military presence and crafting new commercial, diplomatic, and military alliances with neighboring countries made uncomfortable by recent Chinese behavior. In effort to deter Iran’s nuclear program, signed Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (2010) to punish firms and individuals who aid Iran’s petroleum sector. In late 2011 and early 2012, coordinated with other major Western powers to impose sanctions aimed at Iran’s banks and with Japan, South Korea, and China to shift their oil purchases away from Iran.
V. Leadership Style
From the observation of his two-term presidency, we can see that Obama’s leadership style is a transformational one. It would be important to know the very basic idea of what a transformational leader is, then a reflection of how Obama’s leadership style characterized as a transformational one would be clear.
Bass (1990) defines a transformational leader as someone who ‘transforms’ groups or organizations. Followers are the focal point that a transformational leader emphasizes. With this, this type of leader can perform to a very high level by motivating the followers. Another characteristics of a transformation leader is very inspirational and influential, that is, he or she is a role model for the followers, and this in turn will allow him or her to get those people to get motivated and follow his or her orders.

To show that Obama’s leadership style is a transformational one, there are many reasons to support this. It seems that there is strong engagement that Obama try to initiate with his audience. This shows a way that he tries to motivate them to follow him. In terms of his speech, it is unsurprising that he always mentions the working class particularly the middle-class. It is undeniable a transformational leadership style in a way that he focuses on the majority of the American people and tries to make a connection with them, thus, at the same motivate them to follow him. It can be seen since the very early time during his campaign that he really put an emphasis on reforms intended with especially with the middle-class Americans. Northouse (2013) talks a lot about the stages of engagement, to relationship building, to trust, to making a connection and then finally obtaining a follower.
In addition, he shows intelligence that a leader with a transformational style should possess and display to the public. His speech can be seen intelligence, authenticity, and a lack of desire for power. With a calm way to giving speeches, Obama portrays a very good leader with extensive knowledge about particular issues. This clearly exhibits his intelligence. Not only the speeches that were so appealing, but also his whole background before coming into office put him in a position of a transformational leader. That is, he came from a value enrich background in which his tendencies are to bring together quality forward and a country which is separated by class, race, and nationality. With this, it can be proved that he is running for president to fulfil this loopholes.