44 ways to judge the Obama era – CNN International
Those eight years saw the nation grapple with the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. The country's response to that crisis helped reshape the economy and the makeup of the political system a few times over. And for every day of those eight years, the nation was at war -- on multiple fronts, against multiple groups for multiple purposes.
All of these momentous changes during Obama's presidency had very real effects on people across the country and the globe. And for each of these real-world impacts, there is a number.
The recession cost many people their livelihood. The following years saw many of those same people gain it back. While part of the drop in unemployment came from people leaving the workforce, enough people have jobs now that, statistically speaking, employment has recovered from the darkest days of the economic crisis.
Due in part to a revolution in domestic fossil fuels and massive oil production overseas, oil and gas have been pretty cheap for some of Obama's presidency.
Here's what the situation looks like.
Following years of upward climb and a rally after President-elect Donald Trump's electoral victory, stocks are near record highs.
Here's stock market performance as of January 3, 2017:
Obama's election coincided with Democratic victories across the nation and the strong 2008 showing built on the party's successes in 2006. But as the years went on, the situation virtually reversed itself. Obama will exit office with the Republican Party resurgent on the state and federal levels.
Deaths from opioid-related overdose deaths have been on the rise. More people are dying from overdoses on heroin and prescription pain medicine like oxycodone and fentanyl.
States with legal marijuana or cannabis products have blossomed under Obama. When he took office, recreational marijuana wasn't legal in any state.
The Affordable Care Act set aside funding for states to expand Medicaid -- a government health care program for the poorest Americans. But the process became something of a tussle with state governments and many of their Republican leaders. By the end of Obama's presidency, only the slim majority of states had opted to expand Medicaid.
As the economy recovered and the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, reformed the health care market, more people had health insurance coverage.
Here's the total percentage of people without insurance, according to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey:
By the end of Obama's presidency, government debt had nearly doubled to about $20 trillion.
Trump said during his campaign that he'd create a special force to deport undocumented immigrants. Although Obama criticized Trump's immigration proposals, he detained and deported millions of men, women and children. Obama's administration deported the people -- 434,015 -- in 2013.
The US has grown more unequal over the past few decades, including the past eight years.
One commonly cited measure is the Gini index. The number ranges from zero to 1, and the higher the Gini index is, the more unequal the distribution of income is.
According to the Census, it was .469 in 2009 and .4817 in 2017.
The bottom half of earners have seen their pre-tax incomes fall while the highest earners have seen a fairly steady rise.
Debate abounds over how and why incomes vary by gender and whether the wage gap can fairly be said to exist. However, men and women, as well as people of different races, all have much different pay.
Following the dips in growth that marked the recession, the economy slowly and steadily rebounded. Many, including Trump, have said observed rates of growth are far too low.
Hate crime incidents in the US neared 6,000 in both 2013 and 2015.
The Obama administration created 11.3 million jobs in eight years, and the economy added jobs for 75 straight months, a record that totals 6 years.
More jobs were created under Obama than under George W. Bush, who only created 2.1 million jobs. However, Obama fell short of Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, who saw 22.9 million and 15.9 million jobs created, respectively, under their presidencies.
The countries he hosted include:
When he was elected in 2008, 28,223,000 people were receiving food stamps.
In 2016, 44,219,000 people received food stamps -- an increase of nearly 16 million people.
Although Obama has vastly reduced the number of troops in Afghanistan during his time in office, he has failed to withdraw all American troops from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.
As of December 2016, there were still 9,800 troops left.
As of January 2017, 45 prisoners remain and 171 have been released under Obama.
Nine of the 171 have been "confirmed" to have returned to terrorist activities, according to a government report.
Obama had pledged to close the controversial center within one year in an executive order he signed shortly after his inauguration in January 2009.
Obama hit the links 333 times since assuming the presidency, according to CBS News' Mark Knoller, the unofficial White House statistician who pledged to track each and every round played by the commander in chief.
While his critics have said this is too many rounds to play, his figure doesn't come close to the amount played by Woodrow Wilson, who is said to have played 1,200 rounds while President.
In 2015, the median was $56,516, which was a 5.2% increase from 2014. This was also the first increase in median income since 2007, before the economic crash.
In December 2016, the index was a high 113.7 -- a stark difference to when fell as low as 25 during the recession, when Obama took office.
The poverty rate in the United States in 2015 was 13.5%. This is down 1.2 percentage points from 14.8% in 2014. In 2015, there were 43.1 million people in poverty, 3.5 million fewer than in 2014.
The birth rate fell to 59.8 births per 1,000 women in 2016 under Obama.
The price of milk decreased under Obama from $3.58/gallon when he took office in January 2009 to $3.28/gallon as of November 2016.
CNN's Kevin Liptak, a White House reporter, has kept a running tally of Obama's acts of clemency -- the president's decisions to pardon or commute criminal sentences.
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44 ways to judge the Obama era - CNN International
- After Kirks Killing, Obama Says the Nation Is in a Political Crisis - The New York Times - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Obama tackles 'controversial topics' in visit to Erie with nation at inflection point - Buffalo Toronto Public Media - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Obama condemns Charlie Kirk's killing, says tragedy being used to 'silence discussion' - Erie Times-News - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Royal Expert Reveals Why a "Serious Row" Erupted When Queen Elizabeth Offered to Personally Greet Barack Obama in Windsor During U.K. Visit... - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Former President Barack Obama will make trip to Erie for JES Global Summit - yourerie.com - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- WATCH: Sean Lafferty live at the Erie Insurance Arena awaiting Obama appearance - yourerie.com - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Joe Manchin makes a triumphant return and wastes no time targeting Obama, Biden - NJ.com - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Authorities seize truckload of alcohol from Obama Valero gas station after license revoked - WLTX - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Eoin Hayes admits wearing brown makeup to dress up as Barack Obama - MSN - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Irish politician that dressed as Barack Obama in brown makeup apologizes - Daily Express US - September 17th, 2025 [September 17th, 2025]
- Opinion | Obama makes an about-face on red and blue America - The Washington Post - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- Artists including Jenny Holzer, Alison Saar and Kiki Smith creating commissions for Obama Presidential Center - The Art Newspaper - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- T.J. Wilkins and Shanice Will Be Barack and Michelle Obama in New Musical 44 Off-Broadway - Playbill - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- Why did the Queen's offer to 'pop out and pick up' Barack Obama spark a 'serious row' between Buckingham Palace and the Secret Service? - Daily Mail - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- This Bavarian Hideaway Has Hosted Obama, Zadie Smith And A Guest List Of Icons Heres What Its Like - SUITCASE Magazine | - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- SNL wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - The Philadelphia Sunday Sun - September 15th, 2025 [September 15th, 2025]
- The Obama Presidential Center Announces a Wave of New Commissions, and Other News - surfacemag.com - September 13th, 2025 [September 13th, 2025]
- Dr. Chris Burton of Union Presbyterian Seminary is announced as a 2025-2026 Obama Foundation Leader - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - September 13th, 2025 [September 13th, 2025]
- Soccer Recap: Barack Obama School for Social Justice Starts Season with Defeat on the Road - MaxPreps.com - September 13th, 2025 [September 13th, 2025]
- Barack Obama Wins Third Emmy for Our Oceans at 2025 Creative Arts Emmys - Blex Media - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Barack Obama condemns 'despicable violence' in the shooting of Charlie Kirk - USA Today - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Meet the Democratic kingmakers who anoint the next Obama - MSNBC News - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- IRS issues termination notice to top aide linked to Obama-era Tea Party targeting scandal - Fox News - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- The Obama Foundation Introduces 2025-2026 Class of More Than 200 Global Leaders - Obama Foundation - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Grassley Slams Obama and Biden Administrations for Decade of Taxpayer-Funded Government Weaponization - Senate Committee on the Judiciary (.gov) - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Joe Biden, Barak Obama, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and More Democrats React to the Death of Charlie Kirk - Latin Times - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- From Bernie Sanders to Theo Von: These Democratic Kingmakers Will Anoint the Next Obama - Vanity Fair - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Biden and Obama react after the murder of Trump ally Charlie Kirk: This violence has no place in the US, we pray for his family - Gazeta Express - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Obama, Kamala Harris, other Democrats condemn the killing of Trump ally Charlie Kirk - Face2Face Africa - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Meet the Democratic kingmakers who anoint the next Obama - MSN - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - KOB.com - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Charlie Kirk, 31, dead after Utah shooting: Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris and more pay tribute - HELLO! Magazine - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- SNL, Obama and Kendrick Lamar among winners at the Creative Arts Emmys - The Independent - September 11th, 2025 [September 11th, 2025]
- Obama center construction tab reaches $615M as opening nears - Chicago Tribune - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Barack Obama gets an Emmy: List of winners for the awards first round - The Mercury News - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- In new book, former Obama speechwriter calls on Jews to stand proud for their values - Jewish Insider - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - AP News - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Barack Obama wins third Emmy for Netflix documentary Our Oceans at 2025 Creative Arts Emmys - Mint - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- President Barack Obama Wins His Third Emmy - Deadline - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Barack Obama Scores His Third Emmy, Wins for Narrating Our Oceans at 2025 Creative Arts Emmys - People.com - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Kendrick Lamar, 2025 Grammys, Barack Obama Win on Night 2 of 2025 Creative Arts Emmys - Billboard - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- "That's what I do" - When Barack Obama hit a 3-pointer while on the campaign trail for Joe Biden - Basketball Network - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- SNL, Obama and Kendrick Lamar among winners at the Creative Arts Emmys - Yahoo News Canada - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Barack Obama Wins Third Emmy - V103 - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Obama Judge Who Blocked Planned Parenthood Defunding Takes Aim at Laken Riley Act - The Daily Signal - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - WSLS - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- ICYMI: A Reagan Appointee Assesses Reagan, Obama, Biden, and Trump - TAPinto - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- ESPN Acquires U.S. Rights To Feature Doc Origin: The Story Of The Basketball Africa League Starring Barack Obama & Steph Curry TIFF - Deadline - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - The Sun Chronicle - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - Toronto Star - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- 'SNL' wins big for season 50 at the Creative Arts Emmys. Obama, Kimmel and Lamar also take trophies - yoursun.com - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- Kendrick Lamar, Barack Obama and 'SNL 50' win at the Creative Arts Emmys - The Sun Chronicle - September 9th, 2025 [September 9th, 2025]
- St. Petersburgs Obama Main Library is reopening this month - TBNweekly - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- Pritzker urged to avoid playing politics on crime issue by former Obama advisor - Fox News - September 6th, 2025 [September 6th, 2025]
- White House adds Trump photo to LinkedIn profile. It shows up on Obama's page - Axios - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- Navy reverses demotion of Rep. Ronny Jackson, former White House doctor under Trump and Obama - CBS News - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- Eighteen students selected as 2025-26 University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars - The University of Chicago - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- Country music singer claims he was blacklisted from radio because of his thoughts on Obama - PennLive.com - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- Trump White House Pulls Off Online Troll Of Ex-Employees. Even Obama. - HuffPost - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- White House Childishly Trolls Obama on LinkedIn - The Daily Beast - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- AMAC Action Mobilizes Thousands in Support of Reversing Harmful Obama-Era Home Care Rule - AMAC - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- St. Petersburgs Obama Main Library is reopening this month - Tampa Bay Times - September 5th, 2025 [September 5th, 2025]
- PM Modi's 'car diplomacy': From Putin to Obama, when Indian PM rode in same car with world leaders - WION - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- NYC woman busted for threatening to kill President Trump is quietly released by Obama-appointed judge - New York Post - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- 'Proof we live in best timeline': Why is Trump's face showing up on Obama's LinkdIn profile? White House - The Times of India - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- Obama Bro clashes with LA Dem over California housing crisis | RISING - The Hill - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- Why did the Democratic Party lose so many Biden and Obama voters? - KALW - September 3rd, 2025 [September 3rd, 2025]
- Obama warns all Americans are at risk after Trump threatens to clamp down on Chicago - the-independent.com - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Queen Elizabeth Ordered Barack Obama to Go To Bed on His State Visit - The Daily Beast - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Trump furious over 7-4 tariff ruling, thanks Obama-appointed judge for saving the country - Mint - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Michelle Obama, 61, Convinced Me to Buy the Effortlessly Cool $20 Pants Taylor Swift Is Also a Fan Of - instyle.com - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- 'Our country would be completely destroyed': Trump defends tariffs after US court setback; thanks Obama- - The Times of India - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Barack Obama Shares His 10 Favorite Summer Books Just in Time for Labor Day Weekend Reading - Town & Country Magazine - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Anthony Bourdain And Barack Obama Bonded Over Their Love Of This Vibrant Cuisine - Tasting Table - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Who deported more migrants? Obama or Trump? We checked the numbers - The Fulcrum - September 1st, 2025 [September 1st, 2025]
- Obama warns all Americans are at risk after Trump threatens to clamp down on Chicago - The Independent - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- Obama calls Texas Dem as he continues rallying the party against Trump - Politico - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- Barack Obama warns against Trumps militarization of American police and cities - TheGrio - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]
- Barack Obama's Favorite Books of the Summer - Publishers Weekly - August 29th, 2025 [August 29th, 2025]