Chapter 1 Introduction: Obama's "Big Bang" Presidency Chapter 2 Historical and Electoral Perspectives Chapter 3 From Reconstruction to Recession: The First Phase of the Obama Presidency in Historical Context Chapter 4 Caught Between Hope and History: Obama, Public Opinion, and the 2010 Elections Chapter 5 Parties as a Resource for Presidential Leadership: The Case of Barack Obama Chapter 6 Obama, Religious Politics, and the Culture Wars Chapter 7 Washington Governance Chapter 8 Accomplishments and Miscalculations of the Obama Presidency Chapter 9 Asymmetric Warfare: Supporters and Opponents of President Obama Chapter 10 Small Ball in the Long Game: Barack Obama and Congress Chapter 11 A Transformative Politics of Judicial Selection? President Obama and the Federal Judiciary Chapter 12 Policy Legacies Chapter 13 Obama and Social Policy: Acclamation or Alienation among Women, Minorities, and Gays? Chapter 14 The Obama Administration and the Great Recession Chapter 15 The Obama Presidency: A Foreign Policy of Change? Chapter 16 Conclusion: How Transformative a Presidency?

This is a marvelous collection of first-rate essays by some of the top scholars in their fields. It clears away a great deal of the underbrush and helps us understand the core strengths and weaknesses of President Obama's efforts to be a transformative president amid enormous challenges.