Obama Presidency Oral History
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Peter Orszag
White House Budget Director
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Kate Orff
Landscape Architect
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Arun Majumdar
ARPA-E Director
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Robert Trapp
Newspaper Publisher and Correspondent
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Carol Browner
Energy and Climate Policy Director
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Carolyn Britton
National Medical Association President
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Steven Chu
Secretary of Energy
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Art and Helen Tanderup
Farmers
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Tom Harkin
US Senator from Iowa
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Aneesh Chopra
US Chief Technology Officer
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Zeke Emanuel
Health Policy Advisor
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Michael Minor
Pastor and Healthcare Advocate
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Jeanne Lambrew
Health Policy Advisor
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Regina Benjamin
Surgeon General
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Neera Tanden
Health Policy Advisor
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Lisa Jackson
EPA Administrator
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Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary of Health and Human Services
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Nancy Nielsen
American Medical Association President
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Sylvia Burwell
OMB Director and HHS Secretary
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Nancy Sutley
Environmental Policy Official
Interviews released
Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.
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Blackmon -
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Zichal -
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Orszag -
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Del Bosque -
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Stern -
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Tanden -
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Emanuel -
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Britton -
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Harkin -
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Goldfuss
Since 2019, Incite at Columbia University has interviewed hundreds of people to produce the official oral history of the Obama presidency. These in-depth interviews, conducted with those inside and outside of the administration, represent roughly 1,100 hours of audio and video that together form a comprehensive record of the Obama years.
Learn moreStories
Each oral history interview contains dozens of stories. Explore these stories through prepared playlists—or save stories to make your own.
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Advocacy with state government on water issues and passing a water bond Joe Del Bosque03:20
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Reservations about joining the Obama administration due to preference for government over politics Peter Orszag02:39
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Challenges in Senate climate and energy legislation discussions Carol Browner01:03
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Early life and family background of an Indian American immigrant's son Aneesh Chopra02:49
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Development of the climate action plan and the Clean Power Plan during Obama's second term Heather Zichal03:52
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Challenges in implementing new Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards Nancy Sutley03:21
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Setting negotiation boundaries for the Affordable Care Act discussions Sylvia Burwell01:18
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Early influences on interest in nutrition and health in Coldwater, Mississippi Michael Minor03:31
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Involvement in health care reform negotiations and relationship with White House staff Nancy Nielsen01:14
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Lessons from Kyoto Protocol negotiations for Obama-era climate strategy Todd Stern06:44
Topics
From healthcare to the financial crisis to nuclear nonproliferation, each topic explored in this collection is brought to life by narrators from both inside and outside the Obama administration.
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go to the Healthcare
Healthcare
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go to the Climate, Environment, and Energy
Climate, Environment, and Energy
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ImmigrationComing soon
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Republican OppositionComing soon
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Gun ControlComing soon
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Nuclear NonproliferationComing soon
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LaborComing soon
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Native AmericaComing soon
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TransitionComing soon
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Obama in the SenateComing soon
Navigate
Navigate the interconnected events and places that make up this history, narrated by the stories of the people who lived it.
News& Events
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What a New Oral History Reveals About Obama, and the Tradeoffs He Made
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An Expansive View Into Obama’s Transformative Presidency
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read full text:
The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
EventRead more