Mandates, Honeymoons, and the Obama Administration

Abstract

This paper considers whether President Obama won a mandate during the 2008 election, and whether he is experiencing the expected honeymoon with the press, public, and Congress in 2009. It finds that the electorate did instruct him to "fix" the economy, but that given his relatively narrow victory and the electorate's indecisive rejection of conservative principles, the limited mandate he won is not necessarily going to help him govern. This paper also argues that he is experiencing a normal first-year honeymoon with the press and public, while his partisan advantage in Congress overwhelms any Republican reluctance to be deferential to him. Between the limited mandate, high public approval ratings, and large partisan majorities in Congress, prospects for his first year in office look fairly good.

Recommended Citation

Dominguez, Casey B. K. (2009) "Mandates, Honeymoons, and the Obama Administration," The Forum: Vol. 7 : Iss. 1, Article 4.
DOI: 10.2202/1540-8884.1296
Available at: http://www.bepress.com/forum/vol7/iss1/art4