Portrait of Barack Obama
Center · Leader · From history

Barack Obama

US President, 2009 to 2017

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The first Black US president passed the Affordable Care Act and joined the Paris climate agreement, and also expanded drone strikes.

Barack Obama sits in the left-libertarian part of the Caucus economy and liberty compass: slightly state-led and centered on liberty and authority. The clearest positions are strongly institutional on institutions, leaning progressive on culture and leaning tech-optimist on technology. The profile is close to the middle on liberty and authority and religion.

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Where Barack Obama sits on ten dimensions

Each scale runs from one pole to the other, and the dot shows the overall tendency of this person's record and public life. These are simplified estimates and open to debate.

💰EconomySlightly state-led
State-ledFree market
⚖️Liberty and authorityCentered on liberty and authority
LibertarianAuthoritarian
🎭CultureLeaning progressive
ProgressiveTraditional
🌍NationLeaning globalist
GlobalistNationalist
🌱EnvironmentLeaning nature-first
Growth-firstNature-first
🤖TechnologyLeaning tech-optimist
Tech-cautiousTech-optimist
🕊️War and peaceLeaning strength-first
Peace-firstStrength-first
🏛️InstitutionsStrongly institutional
Anti-establishmentInstitutional
🙏ReligionCentered on religion
SecularReligious
🛡️InterventionismLeaning interventionist
Non-interventionistInterventionist

People most like Barack Obama

Joe Biden US President, 2021 to 202599%Kamala Harris US Vice President, 2021 to 202599%Pete Buttigieg US Secretary of Transportation, 2021 to 202599%Chuck Schumer US Senate Democratic leader, 2017 to present99%Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the US House, 2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 202399%Hillary Clinton US Secretary of State, 2009 to 201399%Bill Clinton US President, 1993 to 200199%Anthony Albanese Prime Minister of Australia, 2022 to present99%

People furthest from Barack Obama

Murray Rothbard American economist, 1926 to 199513%Leo Tolstoy Russian novelist and moral thinker, 1828 to 191015%Jair Bolsonaro President of Brazil, 2019 to 202216%Ron Paul US Representative from Texas, 1997 to 201317%

Political views closest to Barack Obama

Third Way centrismCombines market economics with moderate social policy and pragmatic problem solving.99%Humanitarian interventionismHolds that outside powers may use force to stop genocide and mass atrocities, even…98%Liberal internationalismBacks a rules-based world order of alliances, trade and institutions to keep the peace.97%European federalismWants Europe's states to pool sovereignty into a shared democratic federation.96%

Read more about Barack Obama

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Biographies of Barack ObamaBooks on third Way centrism

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Percentages show how close two profiles are across all ten dimensions. Including a person here is for study and comparison, not approval. Portrait: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; see all photo credits.