Obama Presidency Oral History
Interviews released
Explore a special preview of interviews related to climate, energy, the environment, and healthcare.
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Goldfuss -
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Harkin -
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Lambrew -
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Mier -
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Minor -
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Fowler
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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Challenges in promoting energy efficiency and clean-energy jobs through home retrofits Nancy Sutley03:01
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Impact of Gingrich and Reagan on public and congressional trust in government and science Carol Browner02:03
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Challenges in advancing the construction of the smart grid and federal agency coordination Nancy Sutley05:52
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Reflecting on disagreements with and respect of Larry Summers Steven Chu02:20
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Contentious issues in healthcare reform negotiations between Democrats and Republicans Elizabeth Fowler03:01
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Early interest in public service and political involvement Nancy-Ann DeParle02:58
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Strategies for unionization and creating a home care authority in California Andrew Stern02:26
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Reflections on confirmation hearing and the formation of ARPA-E success metrics Arun Majumdar03:03
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Challenges in promoting less exciting but impactful energy innovation programs like SunShot Arun Majumdar10:05
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Transition to Obama administration's energy and environment policy work Carol Browner01:03
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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Climate, Environment, and Energy
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Healthcare
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Arts and HumanitiesComing soon
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The People's HouseComing soon
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Republican OppositionComing soon
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LGBTQ PolicyComing soon
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DemocratsComing soon
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Gun ControlComing soon
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Black PoliticsComing soon
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Asia RebalanceComing 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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read full text:
What a New Oral History Reveals About Obama, and the Tradeoffs He Made
NewsRead more
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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