Obama Presidency Oral History
Interviews released
Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.
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Chopra -
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Fowler -
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Hight -
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Goldfuss -
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Holway -
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Lambrew -
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Browner -
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Majumdar -
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McCarthy -
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Sutley
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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Exploring the origins of everyday items and understanding American society's dependence on global systems Bill McKibben02:04
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Concerns about using reconciliation for the public option and preserving the filibuster Max Baucus02:37
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Transition from individual legal work to policy-making and law implementation Carol Browner01:54
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Preparation for ARPA-E confirmation hearings and understanding congressional relations Arun Majumdar03:45
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Adjusting to a public-facing role and media outreach as surgeon general Regina Benjamin02:30
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Observations on the success of the Affordable Care Act post-government service Bob Kocher01:05
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Experience with student loan forgiveness due to terminal illness Destiny Blackmon01:18
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Reflections on education and No Child Left Behind before the 2008 election Sarah Holway02:24
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Reflections on President Obama's leadership and charisma from a former White House staff member Christy Goldfuss05:27
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Preparations and expectations for the Copenhagen Climate Conference Todd Stern08:01
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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Healthcare
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Climate, Environment, and Energy
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Elections and CampaignsComing soon
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Public HealthComing soon
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LaborComing soon
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Latin AmericaComing soon
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East WingComing soon
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Inherited WarsComing soon
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Human RightsComing soon
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HawaiiComing 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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The Obama Presidency Inside-Out: A Conversation About Climate
EventRead more