Institute of Advanced Studies

From Campaigning to Governing: Politics and Policymaking in the new Obama Administration

After recapping the central features of the 2008 campaign and election outcome, Mann will assess Obama’s transition to governing and his first months in office.  

Particular attention will be paid to the organization and staffing of his Administration, the setting of policy priorities and their sequencing, approaches to both parties in Congress, and strategies for maintaining and building public support.  The lecture will conclude by discussing President Obama’s prospects for dealing successfully with the major domestic and foreign policy challenges confronting the country, improving the performance of U.S. political institutions, restoring public confidence in American democracy, and building an enduring Democratic majority.

Biographical details

Thomas E. Mann is the W. Averell Harriman Chair and Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution.