Comparison of the policy of the two presidents

Comparison of the policy of the two presidents

Introduction

president obama medvedev politic

It is known, that United States of America and Russia are among the largest countries in the world. USA is the most developed countries, where socio-economic indicators are high. Russia - a country with vast natural resources. However, it has not yet reached such results, but it is on the right way. Relatively recently in these countries changed of presidents. Barack Hussein Obama replaced George Walker Bush, Dmitry Medvedev replaced Vladimir Putin.my report Id like to tell you about the policy of these two presidents before and after they have held the post.my opinion. this topic is actual now. Obama and Medvedev have become presidents recently. Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States took his post with the January 20, 2009. As for Dmitry Medvedev the 3rd President of Russia took his post the May 7, 2008. Many years USA and Russia were in a state of cold war, but after its completion the relationship between the two countries were strained. However, they started to establish the last time. In many respects, this is due to the policy of these two presidents of the two countries. April 8, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama in Prague signed the treaty on reducing strategic offensive weapons for 10 years. It is a big step in the further development of relations between the U.S. and Russia.was interested in which political program led to this result? What are the main objectives these presidents set for themselves? Which public opinion in the policy they held before becoming presidents? What they promised in his election campaign and what satisfied? I will try to answer in my report on these and many other questions.

1.Barack Hussein Obama

.1 Childhood years and family

Childhood years and background.

Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents met in 1960 while studying at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.- Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (1936-1982) - Kenyan, the son of the sorcerer of the Luo people. Raised in the traditions of Islam, later became an atheist. [Citation needed 23 days] missionary school paid for him to study in Nairobi and sent to study the course in Econometrics at the University of Hawaii, where he organized the Association of Foreign Students and became a best-of-issue. Stanley Ann was studying anthropology at the University of Hawaii when she met Obama Senior. Grandma Madeline Lee brought up Obama for a long time, they were very attached to each other. Obama interrupted his presidential campaign to visit her in hospital, Madeline Lee Payne Dunham died Nov. 2, 2008.'s father and elder Dunham's parents were against the marriage, but those were married Feb. 2, 1961. Two years later, after the birth of Barack, his father went to continue his studies at Harvard, but Dunham and Obama, Jr. will soon return to Hawaii. Barak's parents' divorce took place in January 1964.his studies at Harvard University, Obama Sr. met with an American teacher Naydsend Ruth (Ruth Nidesand), which after finishing his education in the U.S. went to Kenya. It was his third marriage, which had two children. Upon returning to Kenya, he worked in the oil company and after received an economist in the government. He saw his son only once, when he was 10 years. In Kenya, Obama Sr. was in a car accident, resulting in lost both legs and later died in another car acciden.shortly after her divorce became acquainted with other foreign students - Indonesian Lolo Sutor, married him, and in 1967 went with him and with a little Barack in Jakarta. From this marriage Barak appeared half-sister Maya. Barack's mother died of ovarian cancer in 1995.Jakarta, Obama Jr. attended a public school from 6 to 10 years. After that he returned to Honolulu, where he lived with mother's parents until the end in 1979, a prestigious private school «Panehou».of his childhood described in his book «Dreams from My Father». As an adult, admitted that the school had smoked marijuana, took cocaine and alcohol, as he told voters on the presidential campaign of the Civil Forum August 16, 2008 and described it as its lowest moral collapse.school for two years at Occidental College in Los Angeles before transferring to Columbia University where he majored in international relations. By the time bachelor's degree in 1983, Obama worked at the International Business Corporations and the New York research center.1985, the move to Chicago, began working as a community organizer in poor areas of the city. In 1988, Obama went to law school at Harvard University, where in 1990 he became the first in its history editor of the African-American university publication «Harvard Law Review».

Personal life.

Since 1992, Barack Obama is married to Michelle Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964), a practicing lawyer.effect of the marriage was to bring Obama closer to other politically influential Chicagoans. One of Michelle's best friends was Jesse Jackson's daughter, Santita, later the godmother of the Obamas' first child. Michelle herself had worked as an aide to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Marty Nesbitt, a young, successful black businessman (who played basketball with Michelle's brother, Craig Robinson), became Obama's best friend and introduced him to other African-American business people. Before the marriage, according to Craig, Obama talked about his political ambitions, even saying that he might run for president someday.Obama

Michelle Obama, née Robinson, the wife of Barack Obama, was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. She is a lawyer and was a University of Chicago Hospital vice-president. She is the First Lady of the United States.Obama and Sasha Obamaand Michelle Obama have two daughters: Malia Ann (pronounced /məˈliːə/), born on July 4, 1998, and Natasha (known as Sasha /ˈsɑːʃə/), born on June 10, 2001. Sasha is the youngest child to reside in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr. arrived as an infant in 1961. Sasha is also the first White House resident born in the 21st century.his inauguration, President Obama published an open letter to his daughters in Parade magazine, describing what he wants for them and every child in America: «to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world.» [15].living in Chicago, they kept busy schedules, as the Associated Press reports: «soccer, dance and drama for Malia, gymnastics and tap for Sasha, piano and tennis for both. "[16]. In July 2008, the family gave an interview to the television series Access Hollywood. Obama later said they regretted allowing the children to be included.and Sasha attend the private Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC, the same school as attended by Chelsea Clinton, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Archibald Roosevelt, and currently the grandchildren of Vice President Joe Biden. The Obama girls began classes there on January 5, 2009. While in Chicago, both attended the private University of Chicago Laboratory School.his victory speech on the night of his election, President Obama repeated his promise to Sasha and Malia to get a puppy to take with them to the White House. The selection was slow because Malia is allergic to animal dander; the president subsequently said that the choice had been narrowed down to either a labradoodle or Portuguese Water Dog, and they hoped to find a shelter animal. On April 12, 2009, it was reported that the Obamas had adopted a six-month-old Portuguese Water Dog given to them as a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, named Bo by Malia and Sasha

1.2 Work in politics before the presidential election and political views

The senator of Illinois.

In 1996 he was elected to the Senate in Illinois.the seat the senator from 1997 to 2004, represented the Democratic Party of the United States: re-elected twice: in 1998 and 2002. As a Senator, has worked with both Democrats and the Republicans: With representatives of both parties worked on programs to support low-income families through tax cuts, spoke as a proponent of early childhood education, has supported measures to tighten control over the work of the investigating authorities.2000, attempted to run for election to the U.S. House of Representatives, but lost the primaries, the current Congressman Bobby Rush Blacks (Bobby Rush).2004 he joined the fight for the nomination for one seat from Illinois in the U.S. Senate. Won a convincing victory over six opponents in the primaries.

U.S. senator in Washington (2005-2008)

He sworn in as U.S. senator on Jan. 4, 2005, becoming the 5 th African-American senator in U.S. history.late August 2005, under the Nunn-Lugar (en: Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction) flew to Russia to inspect nuclear facilities of the Russian Federation, together with Republican Senator Richard Lugar, during his visit on 28 August at departure at the airport in Perm Big Savino incident: Senators were detained for three hours because of the refusal «to meet the requirements of border guards» [17] on the inspection plane, which had diplomatic immunity. Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed regret «in connection with a misunderstanding and inconvenience caused to the senators». [16]. In his book, Obama described the incident as one of the moments during his travels, «which reminded of the days of the Cold War». [7, c. 246]26, 2006 together with his wife visited Kenya.a senator, has repeatedly been in the White House at the invitation of President George W. Bush.partisan Congressional Quarterly publication described him as «loyal Democrat» based on an analysis of all the votes in the Senate in 2005-2007; National Journal introduced himself as his «most liberal» senator based on an assessment of selected votes during 2007.2008, Congress.org has put his 11-th of an influential senator.left office on Nov. 16, 2008

Political views.governance

On April 20, 2007, Obama introduced a bill in the Senate (Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act - S. 1181) requiring public companies to give shareholders an annual nonbinding vote on executive compensation, popularly called «Say on pay.» A companion bill introduced by Rep. Barney Frank passed the House the same day.

Labor rightssupports the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that adds penalties for labor violations and which would circumvent the secret ballot requirement to organize a union. Obama promises to sign the EFCA into law. He is also a cosponsor of the «Re-empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradesworkers» or RESPECT act (S. 969) that aims to overturn the National Labor Relations Board's «Kentucky River» 532 U.S. 706 (2001) decision that redefined many employees lacking the authority to hire, fire, or discipline, as «supervisors» who are not protected by federal labor laws.

Minimum wage

Obama favored the increase in the federal minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25, and he voted to end the filibuster against a bill to accomplish that. He favors raising it to $9.50 an hour by 2011, and then indexing it for inflation afterwards.

Education

In a July 2007 address to the National Education Association, Obama supported merit pay for teachers, to be based on standards to be developed «with teachers.» Obama also called for higher pay for teachers. Obama's plan is estimated to cost $18 billion annually and was originally planned to be partially funded by delaying NASA's Constellation program for five years but he has since reconsidered and stated that he will look for «an entirely different offset.» «We owe it to our children to invest in early-childhood education; and recruit an army of new teachers and give them better pay and more support; and finally decide that, in this global economy, the chance to get a college education should not be a privilege for the few, but a birthright of every American. "[15]. He also is against the teaching of intelligent design as science, but supports teaching theology.has proposed the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which would provide a refundable tax credit for education in exchange for community service.wants 5,000 failing schools to close, and then reopen with new principals and teachers.

Energy policy

In his New Energy For America plan, Obama proposes to reduce overall U.S. oil consumption by at least 35%, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030 in order to offset imports from OPEC nations. Obama voted in favor of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which provided incentives (chiefly tax breaks) to reduce national consumption of energy and to encourage a wide range of alternative energy sources.an interview with NBC's Tim Russert on May 4, 2008, Obama said,»… we've got a serious food problem around the world. We've got rising food prices here in the United States.» «There's no doubt that biofuels may be contributing to it. And what I've said is, my top priority is making sure that people are able to get enough to eat. And if it turns out that we've got to make changes in our ethanol policy to help people get something to eat, then that's got to be the step we take.» [20].and other Senators introduced a bill in 2007 to promote the development of commercially viable plug-in hybrids and other electric-drive vehicles in order to shift away from petroleum fuels and «toward much cleaner - and cheaper - electricity for transportation». [16].Similar legislation is now in effect in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Obama proposes that the U.S. Government invest in such developments using revenue generated from an auction-based cap-and-trade or emissions trading program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.stresses innovation as a means to improve energy efficiency, calling for a 50% improvement by 2030. He has called for a 50 miles per US gallon (4.7 L/100 km; 60 mpg-imp) rule, proposing tax credits to automakers in order to ease the transition.opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.June 22, 2008 Obama proposed tightening regulations on oil speculators in an effort to ease record high prices of oil. «My plan fully closes the Enron loophole and restores common-sense regulation,» Obama said. [17].

Health care

On January 24, 2007 Obama spoke about his position on health care at Families USA, a health care advocacy group. Obama said, «The time has come for universal health care in America […] I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country.» [17]. Obama went on to say that he believed that it was wrong that forty-seven million Americans are uninsured, noting that taxpayers already pay over $15 billion annually to care for the uninsured. Obama cites cost as the reason so many Americans are without health insurance. Obama's health care plan includes implementing guaranteed eligibility for affordable health care for all Americans, paid for by insurance reform, reducing costs, removing patent protection for pharmaceuticals, and required employer contributions. He would provide for mandatory health care insurance for children.July 2008 The New York Times reported that Senator Obama has promised to «bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family.» [15]. His advisers have said that the $2,500 premium reduction includes, in addition to direct premium savings, the average family's share of the reduction in employer paid health insurance premiums and the reduction in the cost of government health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.Associated Press reported in September 2008 that Senator Obama was proposing a National Health Insurance Exchange that would include both private insurance plans and a Medicare-like government run option. Coverage would be guaranteed regardless of health status, and premiums would not vary based on health status either. The plan requires that parents cover their children, but does not require adults to buy insurance.to an October 26, 2008 article in the New York Times, Obama is considering a new payroll tax on large and medium employers who do not already provide their employees with health insurance, and this tax would be used to pay for health care for uninsured people.

Homes, mortgages, mortgage crisis, and real estate industry

Obama voted for the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.introduced the Stop Fraud Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud by mortgage brokers and real estate brokers and to provide more protections for low-income homebuyers.regards to capital gains on house sales, Obama says he favors increasing capital gains tax above the present 15% rate to 20% for families whose income is above $250,000.

NASA

«As president, Obama will support the development of this vital new platform Crew Exploration Vehicle to ensure that the United States' reliance on foreign space capabilities is limited to the minimum possible time period.» Obama advocated a delay of the NASA Constellation Program by at least five years in order to fund educational programs. He has since reversed this position, stating «I know it's still being reported that we were talking about delaying some aspects of the Constellation program to pay for our early-education program… I told my staff we're going to find an entirely different offset, because we've got to make sure that the money going into NASA for basic research and development continues to go there. That has been a top priority for us.»Human Space Flight Plans Committee is reported to have concluded that the budget allocation for NASA would not permit the planned manned Mars mission.

Taxation

Under Obama's plan, middle-class families would see their income taxes cut, with no family making less than $250,000 seeing an increase. However, he did vote for a budget in June 2008, that would raise the taxes on single people with a taxable income of over $32,000 by pushing up their tax bracket from 25% to 28%. Obama has proposed a tax plan which includes tax credits to lower the amount of taxes paid. It is argued that the typical middle-class family would receive over $1,000 in tax relief, with tax payments that are 20% lower than they faced under President Ronald Reagan.s plan is to cut income taxes overall, which he states would reduce revenues to below the levels that prevailed under Ronald Reagan (less than 18.2 percent of GDP). Obama argues that his plan is a net tax cut, and that his tax relief for middle class families is larger than the revenue raised by his tax changes for families over $250,000. Obama plans to pay for the tax changes while bringing down the budget deficit by cutting unnecessary spending.an October 13, 2008 speech at Toledo, Ohio, Obama said that for the next two years, he favors a $3,000 tax credit to businesses for each new full time employee whom they hire above the number in their current work force.people with incomes above $250,000, Obama wants to reduce their charitable tax deduction from 35 cents for each dollar donated to 28 cents for each dollar donated, to match the level of deductions for people making less than $250,000. In a press conference on March 24, 2009, Obama stated that he wanted to return to the rate that existed in the Reagan administration. «There's very little evidence that this has a significant impact on charitable giving,» said Obama. «I'll tell you what has a significant impact on charitable giving, is a financial crisis and an economy that's contracting. And so the most important thing that I can do for charitable giving is to fix the economy, to get banks lending again, to get businesses opening their doors again, to get people back to work again.» Obama said he wanted to «look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.»

Lobbying and campaign finance reform

Оn February 28, 2008, he wrote that he planned to «aggressively pursue» a publicly financed campaign, later promising to sit down with John McCain to ensure «a public system» of campaign financing is preserved. However, on June 19, 2008, he opted out of public campaign financing and declared, «I support a robust system of public financing of elections (…) but the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken.» [15]. Furthermore he has maintained that he will not take contributions from federal lobbyists and special interests during his 2008 presidential campaign.

Trade

Barack Obama made critical statements about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during the Democratic primaries, calling the trade agreement «devastating» and «a big mistake».In February 2008, a Canadian diplomatic memo surfaced, which alleged that Obama's economic advisor Austan Goolsbee had met with Canadian consular officials in Chicago and told them to disregard Obama's campaign rhetoric regarding NAFTA, a charge the Obama campaign later denied (see Barack Obama presidential primary campaign, 2008#NAFTA controversy). Obama also noted that free trade comes with its own costs: he believes the displacement of Mexican farmers by more efficient American counterparts has led to increased immigration to the United States from that country.

Вarack Obama foreign policy

His first major speech on foreign policy was delivered on April 23, 2007 to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He identified the problems that he believes the current foreign policy has caused, and the five ways the United States can lead again, focused on «common security», «common humanity», and remaining «a beacon of freedom and justice for the world»:

·«Bringing a responsible end» to the war in Iraq and refocusing on the broader region.

·«Building the first truly 21st century military and showing wisdom in how we deploy it.»

·«Marshalling a global effort» to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

·«Rebuild and construct the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges and confront common threats,» including global warming.

·«Invest in our common humanity» through foreign aid and supporting the «pillars of a sustainable democracy - a strong legislature, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, a free press, and an honest police force.» [16].the speech Obama called for an expansion of the United States Armed Forces «by adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines», an idea previously introduced by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.a Washington, DC speech entitled «A New Strategy for a New World» delivered July 15, 2008 Obama stated five main foreign policy goals:

·ending the war in Iraq responsibly;

·finishing the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban;

·securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states;

·achieving true energy security; and,

·rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century. [17].

Foreign policy advisors

Barack Obama is currently advised on foreign policy by a support group of approximately 300 people organized into 20 teams based upon subject. A core group of advisors, led by Susan E. Rice and Anthony Lake, filters hundreds of papers and messages daily to provide the President with more concise positions on foreign policy and more specific reactions to international developments. Obama's foreign policy advisers have included Richard Danzig, Mark Lippert, Gregory Craig, Denis McDonough, Daniel Shapiro, Scott Gration, Sarah Sewall, Ivo Daalder, Jeffrey Bader, Mark Brzezinski, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Richard Clarke, Roger Cressey, Philip Gordon, Lawrence Korb, James Ludes, Robert Malley, Bruce Riedel, Dennis Ross, Mona Sutphen, and Samantha Power (resigned March 7, 2008).

Barack Obama social policy

Disability rights

Obama was the only Democratic presidential candidate to issue an unsolicited statement expressing his views on disability community issues. For example, he stated his intention to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and expressed his support of the ADA Restoration Act.

Environmental policy and record

Addressing global warming, Obama stated:issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe.has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 by creating a market-based cap-and-trade system. Obama also has plans for improving air and water quality through reduced carbon emissions.the presidential campaign Obama rejected John McCain's proposed suspension of federal gas taxes claiming it would hurt consumers, hinder highway construction, and endanger jobs. Obama criticized the idea of a gas tax «holiday» as a ploy by his rivals «designed to get them through an election» and not actually help «struggling consumers».

Racial issues

Obama opposes offering reparations to the descendants of slaves. «I have said in the past - and I'll repeat again - that the best reparations we can provide are good schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed,» Obama said. An apology for slavery would be appropriate but not particularly helpful in improving the lives of African Americans, he said. Reparations could also be a distraction, Obama said. «I consistently believe that when it comes to whether it's Native Americans or African-American issues or reparations, the most important thing for the U.S. government to do is not just offer words, but offer deeds,» Obama told a meeting in Chicago in July 2008. [16].'s administration offered a brief in support of affirmative action in March 2010 vis a vis a court case seeking to challenge Grutter v. Bollinger and the legality of «race-conscious» college admissions.

Death penalty

Obama has said that the death penalty is used too frequently and inconsistently. However, he favors it for cases in which «the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.» In his own words, «While the evidence tells me that the death penalty does little to deter crime, I believe there are some crimes - mass murder, the rape and murder of a child - so heinous that the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate punishment. On the other hand, the way capital cases were tried in Illinois at the time was so rife with error, questionable police tactics, racial bias, and shoddy lawyering, that 13 death row inmates had been exonerated.» [17].June 25, 2008, Obama condemned United States Supreme Court decision Kennedy v. Louisiana, which outlawed the death penalty for a child rapist when the victim was not killed. He said that states have the right to consider capital punishment, but cited concern about the possibility of unfairness in some sentences.

Religion

Obama has encouraged Democrats to reach out to evangelicals and other church-going people, saying, «if we truly hope to speak to people where theyre at - to communicate our hopes and values in a way thats relevant to their own - we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse.» [15].He supports separation of church and state and contends that: «I also think that we are under obligation in public life to translate our religious values into moral terms that all people can share, including those who are not believers. And that is how our democracys functioning, will continue to function. Thats what the founding fathers intended. "( In July 2008, Obama said that if elected president he would expand the delivery of social services through churches and other religious organizations, vowing to achieve what he said President Bush had fallen short on. His 2008 campaign web site contains his Faith Statement.

1.3 The election, the campaign and presidency

Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election. He is the first African American in history to run on a major party ticket. On August 23, 2008, Barack Obama's campaign announced that Senator Joe Biden of Delaware would be the Vice Presidential nominee.

End of the primaries

On June 3, 2008, after the Montana and South Dakota primaries, Barack Obama secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination of the Democratic party for President of the United States. His opponent in the general election, Republican John McCain, passed the delegate threshold to become the presumptive nominee of his party on March 4. On June 7, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's remaining opponent in the quest for the Democratic nomination, conceded defeat at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado and urged her supporters to back Obama. After a June 26 dinner at which Obama encouraged his fundraisers to donate to Clinton's debt-saddled campaign, Obama and Clinton ran their first post-primary event together in Unity, New Hampshire on June 27. Over the first two weeks of July, the campaign ran a heavier schedule of fundraising events, drawing from former donors to Clinton's campaign. Obama strategically had pictures made with financial experts Warren Buffett and Paul Volcker so the public would portray him having inside knowledge of Wall Street.

Middle Eastern and European tour

In July 2008 Obama traveled to Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, the West Bank, Israel, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. During the course of this trip he met with assorted international leaders, including President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, as well as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Conservative opposition leader David Cameron.July 24, 2008 he gave a speech at the Victory Column in Berlin before a crowd of estimated 200,000 to 240,000 people.

Vice Presidential selection

Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate had been a subject of speculation since the end of the primaries. As of August 2008, some of the most popular choices for VP included, but were not limited to, Clinton, Biden, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, retired General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and retired General Wesley Clark.) When Sarah Palin announced she would be McCains vice president, Obamas supporters of Democrats and independents vastly grew.of November 3, 2008, one day before the election, the RealClearPolitics electoral map excluding toss up states shows 278 electoral votes for Obama/Biden, an electoral majority, and 132 electoral votes for opponents McCain/Palin. Including toss up states, the Obama/Biden ticket leads with 338 votes.

Inauguration

Policies

Economy

Upon entering office, Obama planned to center his attention on handling the global financial crisis. Even before his inauguration he lobbied Congress to pass an economic stimulus bill, which became the top priority during his first month in office. On February 17, 2009, Obama signed into law a $787 billion plan that included spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals. The tax provisions of the law reduced taxes for 98 per cent of taxpayers, bringing tax rates to their lowest levels in 60 years.

As part of the 2010 budget proposal, the Obama administration has proposed additional measures to attempt to stabilize the economy, including a $2-3 trillion measure aimed at stabilizing the financial system and freeing up credit. The program includes up to $1 trillion to buy toxic bank assets, an additional $1 trillion to expand a federal consumer loan program, and the $350 billion left in the Troubled Assets Relief Program. The plan also includes $50 billion intended to slow the wave of mortgage foreclosures. The 2011 Budget includes a three-year freeze on discretionary spending, proposes several program cancellations, and raises taxes on high income earners to bring down deficits during the economic recovery.October 2009, the national unemployment reached 10.1%, the highest since 1983. However by March 2010 the employment rate had decreased to 9.7% and 162,000 jobs were added in a single month, the most in three years. The White House indicates that 2 million jobs were created or saved due to the stimulus package in 2009 and self reporting by recipients of the grants, loans, and contracts portion of the package report that the package saved or created 608,317 jobs in the final three months of 2009.wanted to extend the tax cuts for taxpayers making less than $250,000 a year. Congressional Republicans agreed but also wanted to extend the tax cuts for those making over that amount, and refused to support any bill that did not do so. All the Republicans in the Senate also joined in saying that, until the tax dispute was resolved, they would filibuster to prevent consideration of any other legislation, except for bills to fund the U.S. government. On 7 December, Obama strongly defended a compromise agreement he had reached with the Republican congressional leadership that included a two-year extension of all the tax cuts, a 13-month extension of unemployment insurance, a one-year reduction in the FICA payroll tax, and other measures.

Foreign policy

In his inaugural address, Obama suggested that he plans to begin the process of withdrawing from Iraq and continuing to focus on the war in Afghanistan. He also mentioned lessening the nuclear threat through «working tirelessly with old friends and former foes». He spoke about America's determination to combat terrorism, proclaiming America's spirit is «stronger and cannot be broken - you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.» [17]. To the Muslim world, Obama extended an invite to «a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect». He also said the USA would «extend a hand» to those «who cling to power through corruption and deceit» if they «are willing to unclench» [16] their fists. Shortly after his inauguration President Obama first called President Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Calls were also made to President Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Olmert of Israel and King Abdullah of Jordan. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East peace and Richard Holbrooke as special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan on January 23, 2009. At the same time, Obama called on Israel to open the borders of Gaza, detailing early plans on his administration's peace plans for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.February 18, 2009, Obama announced that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan would be bolstered by 17,000 new troops by summer. The announcement followed the recommendation of several experts including Defense Secretary Robert Gates that additional troops be deployed to the war-torn nation.declared his plan for ending the Iraq War on February 27, 2009, in a speech at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, before an audience of Marines stationed there. According to the president, combat troops will be withdrawn from Iraq by August 2010, leaving a contingent of up to 50,000 servicemen and servicewomen to continue training, advisory, and counterterrorism operations until as late as the end of 2011.characteristics of the Obama administration on foreign policy include a tough stance on tax havens, continuing military operation in Pakistan, and avowed focus on diplomacy to prevent nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea.April 1, 2009, Obama and China's President, Hu Jintao, announced the establishment of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue and agreed to work together to build a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive U.S.-China relationship for the 21st century.that same month, Obama requested that Congress approve $83.4 billion of supplemental military funding, mostly for the war in Iraq and to increase troop levels in Afghanistan. The request also includes $2.2 billion to increase the size of the US military, $350 million to upgrade security along the US-Mexico border, and $400 million in counterinsurgency aid for Pakistan.May 2009, it was reported that Obama plans to expand the military by 20,000 employees.June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt. The wide ranging speech called for a «new beginning» in relations between the Islamic world and the United States. The speech received both praise and criticism from leaders in the region. In March 2010, Secretary of State Clinton criticized the Israeli government for approving expansion of settlements in East Jerusalem.April 8, 2010, President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the latest Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), a «major» nuclear arms control agreement that reduces the nuclear weapons stockpiles of both countries.

Overseas Contingency Operation

President Obama discontinued use of the term «War on Terror» and instead uses the term «Overseas Contingency Operation». However, Obama has stated that the U.S. is at war with Al-Qaeda saying «Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.» [16].April 2010, the Obama administration took the extraordinary step of authorizing the targeted killing of an American citizen, the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks on the United States to directly participating in them.

Gun control

During the presidential campaign, Obama announced that he favors measures that respect Second Amendment rights, while at the same time keeping guns away from children and criminals. On February 25, 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Obama administration would seek a new assault weapons ban across the United States, claiming that it would have a positive impact on the drug-related violence in Mexico. After the statement drew criticism from the NRA and some House Democrats, the Administration reportedly ordered the Justice Department to end public discussion of the issue. Obama has signed into law two bills containing amendments reducing restrictions on gun owners, one which permits guns to be transported in checked baggage on Amtrak trains and another which allows carrying loaded firearms in national parks located in states allowing concealed carry.

Environment

On January 27, 2009, Obama issued two presidential memoranda concerning energy policy. One directed the Department of Transportation to raise fuel efficiency standards incrementally to 35 miles per US gallon (15 km/L) by 2020, and the other directed the Environmental Protection Agency to allow individual states to set stricter tailpipe emissions regulations than the federal standard.Secretary Ken Salazar has been quoted as saying, «To establish an orderly process that allows us to make wise decisions based on sound information, we need to set aside» the plan «and create our own timeline». [16].May 19, 2009, Obama announced a plan to increase the CAFE national standards for gasoline mileage, by creating a single new national standard that will create a car and light truck fleet in the United States that is almost 40 percent cleaner and more fuel-efficient by 2016 than it is today, with an average of 35.5 miles per gallon. Environmental advocates and industry officials welcomed the new program.March 30, 2010, Obama partially reinstated Bush administration proposals to open certain offshore areas along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling. The proposals had earlier been set aside by President Obama after they were challenged in court on environmental grounds.May 27, 2010, Obama extended a moratorium on offshore drilling permits after the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill which is considered to be the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Although British Petroleum took responsibility for the disaster and its ongoing after effects, Obama began a federal investigation along with forming a bipartisan commission to review the incident and methods to avoid it in the future. Obama visited the Gulf Coast on May 2 and May 28 and expressed his frustration on the June 8 NBC Today Show, by saying «I don't sit around just talking to experts because this is a college seminar. We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick.» Obama's response to the disaster has drawn confusion and criticism within segments of the media and public.

NASA

Obama set up the Augustine panel to review the Constellation program in 2009, and announced in February 2010 that he was cutting the program from the 2011 United States federal budget, describing it as «over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation.» After the decision drew criticism in the United States, a new «Flexible path to Mars» plan was unveiled at a space conference in April 2010. It included new technology programs, increased R&D spending, a focus on the International Space Station and contracting out flying crew to space to commercial providers. The new plan also increased NASA's 2011 budget to $19 billion from $18.3 billion in 2010.

Social policy

On October 19, 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a directive to federal prosecutors in states with medical marijuana laws not to investigate or prosecute cases of marijuana use or production done in compliance with those laws.December 16, 2009, President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, which repealed a 21-year-old ban on federal funding of needle exchange programs.

Health care reform

Once the stimulus bill was enacted, health care reform became Obama's top domestic priority. On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,000 page plan for overhauling the US health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of the year.mid-July 2009, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the CBO, testified that the proposals under consideration would significantly increase federal spending and did not include the «fundamental changes» needed to control the rapid growth in health care spending. However after reviewing the final version of the bill introduced after 14 months of debate the CBO estimated that it would reduce federal budget deficits by $143 billion over 10 years and by more than a trillion in the next decade.much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over his administration's proposals. In March 2010, Obama gave several speeches across the country to argue for the passage of health care reform. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the bill into law.

Education reform

On March 30, 2010, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which ended the role of private banks in lending out federally-insured student loans. By directly lending to students, the government is projected to save taxpayers $68 billion dollars over the next several years. Starting in 2014, the law permits borrowers to cap the amount they spend on student loans each year to 10% of their discretionary income and have their balance forgiven if they have faithfully paid the balance of their loan over 20 years.

Wall Street reform

On July 21, 2010 President Obama signed the Wall Street reform bill considered to be the largest financial system overhaul since the New Deal. The law recognizes complex financial derivatives and makes rules to protect consumers from unfair practices in loans and credit cards by establishing a new consumer protection agency. At the signing ceremony in the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington D.C. Obama proclaimed, «There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Period.» Obama also mentioned that «These reforms represent the strongest consumer financial protections in history. "[17]. At the ceremony were Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the two committee chairmen who sponsored the bill.

2.Dmitry Medvedev

.1 Childhood years and family

Early life and background

The father - Anatoly Afanasyevich Medvedev (born 19 November 1926-2004), professor at the Leningrad Technological Institute of the Leningrad City Council (now St. Petersburg State Technological Institute). A descendant of peasants Kursk province- Julia Veniaminovna (born November 21, 1939), daughter of Benjamin Sergeyevich Shaposhnikov and Melanie Vasilevny Kovaleva; scholar, taught at the Pedagogical Institute named after AI Herzen, and later worked as a guide in Pavlovsk. Her ancestors - Sergei and Ekaterina Nikitichna Shaposhnikov, Vasiliy and Anfiya Filippovna Kovalev - came from Alexeevka Belgorod region. Living in Stary Oskol also believe Mr Medvedev his countryman for historical reasons: Residents Alexeevka mainly came from Oskol during the colonization of the Wild Field.Medvedev was born Sept. 14, 1965 in Leningrad. Was the only child in a family that lived in the area Kupchino, «sleeping area» of Leningrad (St. Bela Kun, 6).Medvedev maintains contact with his former school. Teacher Vera Smirnova recalled: «He tried very hard all the time devoted tuition. It is rarely possible to catch it on the street with the kids. He was like a little old man»was an A student in secondary school. He was a member of Komsomol from 1979 until 1991. His future wife, Svetlana Linnik, was his classmate. During his studies at the University he joined the Communist Party. Medvedev was fond of sports, in particular weightlifting. He was a fan of the English rock bands Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987 (together with Ilya Yeliseyev, Anton Ivanov, Nikolay Vinnichenko and Konstantin Chuychenko) and in 1990, received his Candidate of Sciences degree in private law from the graduate school of the same university. Anatoly Sobchak, an early democratic politician of the 1980s and 1990s, was one of his professors. In 1988, Medvedev joined Sobchak's team of democrats and served as the de facto head of Sobchak's successful campaign for a seat in the new Soviet parliament, the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.1991 and 1999, Medvedev in addition to his business activities and participation in the Saint Petersburg City Administration, held a position of docent at his alma mater university, now renamed to Saint Petersburg State University.

Teaching and Research Activities with 1988 (from 1988 to 1990 as a postgraduate practice) He taught civil and Roman law at the Law Faculty of Leningrad State University, then St. Petersburg State University. Topic of Ph.D. thesis: «The problems of implementation of the civil capacity of the state enterprise», PhD in Law (L., 1990). One of the authors repeatedly reprinted three-volume textbook «Civil Law» edited by AP Sergeev, and Yu Tolstoy, wrote to him four chapters (on state and municipal enterprises, credit and settlement obligations, transport law, alimony obligations). Stopped teaching in 1999 due to moving to Moscow.September 2006, heads the International Board of Trustees SKOLKOVO.

Personal life

Medvedev is married and has a son named Ilya (born 1995). His wife, Svetlana Vladimirovna Medvedeva, was both his childhood friend and school sweetheart. They married several years after their graduation from secondary school in 1982.is a devoted fan of English hard rock, listing Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Deep Purple as his favorite bands. He is a collector of their original vinyl records and has previously said that he has collected all of the recordings of Deep Purple. As a youth, he was making copies of their records, although these bands were then on the official state-issued blacklist. In February 2008, Medvedev and Sergei Ivanov attended a Deep Purple concert in Moscow together.a visit to Serbia, Medvedev received the Order of St. Sava for «his contribution to the unity of the world Orthodoxy and his love to the Serbian people», it is the highest award of the Serbian Orthodox church.a busy schedule, Medvedev always reserves an hour each morning and again each evening to swim and weight trains. He swims 1,500 meters (approximately one mile), twice a day. He also jogs, plays chess, and practices yoga. Among his hobbies are reading the works of Mikhail Bulgakov and he is also a fan of the Harry Potter books after asking JK Rowling for her autograph when they met during the G-20 London Summit in April 2009. He is also a fan of football and follows his hometown professional football team, FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. And since he has been living in Moscow he supports PFC CSKA Moscow as well.is an avid amateur photographer. In January 2010, one of his photographs was sold at a charity auction for 51 million rubles (US$1,750,000), making it one of the most expensive ever sold.keeps an aquarium in his office and cares for his fish himself. Medvedev owns a Neva Masquerade male cat named Dorofei. Dorofei used to fight with a cat belonging to Mikhail Gorbachev-who was Medvedev's neighbor-so the Medvedevs had to have Dorofei neutered.'s reported 2007 annual income is $80,000, and he reported approximately the same amount as bank savings. Medvedev's wife reported no savings or income. They live in an upscale apartment house «Zolotye Klyuchi» in Moscowthe Runet, Medvedev is sometimes associated with the Medved meme, linked to padonki slang, which resulted in many ironical and satirical writings and cartoons that blend Medvedev with a bear. (The word medved means «bear» in Russian and the surname «Medvedev» is a patronymic which means «bear's»). Medvedev is familiar with this phenomenon and takes no offence, stating that the web meme has the right to exist.is competent in English, but due in part to protocol, he only speaks Russian in interviews.

2.2 Work in politics before the presidential election and political views

1990 and 1997 - Lectured at St Petersburg State University. Simultaneously, in 1990-1995 - Advisor to the Chairman of the Leningrad city council Anatoly Sobchak, an expert of the Committee on Foreign Relations, St. Petersburg Mayor. In Smolny Medvedev was engaged in development and execution of transactions, contracts, and various investment projects. Was on probation in Sweden by the local government. According to some accounts, while many took him for Secretary of Putin and not taken seriously. President of the National Strategy Institute Stanislav Belkovsky characterizes Dmitry Medvedev as malleable, soft, and psychologically dependent - always absolutely psychologically comfortable for Vladimir Putin. According to other people, Medvedev «is not soft, but very powerful, even».to political analyst Alexei Mukhin, Medvedev made a great contribution to the defense of Putin's accusations on the basis of investigations of the Committee, Mayor's Office of External Relations in 1992 and threatened to Putin loss positions.1997-1998, Dmitry Medvedev worked as the head of legal services corporation Ilim Pulp Interprise»November 1999 he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak, to work in Moscow invited him become Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.1999-2000, after the departure of B.H. Yeltsin - Deputy Head of Presidential Administration of Russian Federation led campaign headquarters Vladimir Putin formerly belonging to A. Smolenski «Alexander House», where then was the center for Strategic Studies, German Gref, in June 2000 after the victory of Vladimir Putin's presidential election Medvedev has served as first deputy head of presidential administration. According to the political expert Stanislav Belkovsky, Alexander Voloshin and Roman Abramovich at the moment ourselves proposed the candidature of Medvedev. After the departure of Voloshin Medvedev took his place. In 2000-2001 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OAO Gazprom, in 2001 - Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of OAO Gazprom, from June 2002 to May 2008 - Chairman of the Board of Directors of OAO Gazprom.October 2003 to November 2005 - head of Russian President's Administration. 12 November 2003, Medvedev was appointed a member of the Russian Security Council. In April 2004, he received a permanent Security Council members Russia.October 21, 2005 on July 10, 2008 - first deputy of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation on the Implementation of Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy, actually began to oversee the national projects.

November 2005 was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister (reassigned to the post September 24, 2007).July 13, 2006 to July 10, 2008, Dmitry Medvedev - President of the Presidium of the Council on the implementation of priority national projects.5, 2007 held Internet-conference on the portal Yandex.October 2007, Dmitry Medvedev, announced the completion of the project for connecting to the Internet of all Russian schools (59,000)

Political views.

Demographic problem

In October 2007, Medvedev said that if we do not lay the foundation for solving the demographic problem, then in 20-25 years we will get another country which, unfortunately, will not be able to reproduce itself. If we do not deal with demographic problems, almost half of births has no chance to survive until retirement. By June 5, 2007 The volume of financing of social programs in a relatively short period of time were very substantially increased. We can say for the whole period of modern Russian history - an unprecedented.

«It is obvious that a key role in population policy should be played by regional and local authorities. The task of federal authorities, in addition to providing adequate resources - is the establishment of common rules, standards and safeguards that will be able to earn if they receive appropriate support in the regions» [13].

Speaking to the deputies in the Duma with information on the topic «On the implementation of priority national projects»24, 2007

Last year, 3.8 billion rubles was spent by parents in the form of compensation, we isolated them from the federal budget for part payment to be deposited in the manner of parental fees in kindergartens. This is quite palpable, and for federal, and even more so for family budgets of parental fees for child support.

«We have today's task - to make just two years the family could really invest capital in the parent education of children, improving housing conditions in retirement savings» [18].

Speech at the meeting of the presidium of the Presidential Council for Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy, Government House26, 2007

In 2007, Medvedev said that the transition to a knowledge economy requires us to respond adequately to the challenges faced by the education system and society as a whole. We must learn to adjust the actual content and teaching methods, providing opportunities for retraining.to give teachers opportunities to choose the form, models and professional development. Public funds should follow the future student at the university, which this student chose. Thus be stimulated by the competition of universities, who will be forced to fight for the most powerful alumni. This approach is a common logic with the principles with which we come and to general education. revenue growth of teachers, decent pay for their work in relation to the quality of work - one of the key aspects of the modernization of the modern school. Now the main thing - to change the attitude towards work of teachers, create a new system of financing education, including a system that motivates teachers to improve the quality of work.

«Our position was and is that a free, educated, healthy people - it's the main thing that determines the development of the country and its prospects. We're on the verge of a complete modernization of financial and economic model in education, and healthcare. It is our goal. And this we do in the future». [19].

Speech at the meeting of the presidium of the Presidential Council for Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy, Government House26, 2007

Нealth

Тo January 24, 2007, as reported by Medvedev, the work of general practitioners, pediatricians, general practitioners once again become a prestigious and already in the past year, she was selected thousands of graduates of medical schools and medical school. He urged to free medical services at the same time would mean that the service quality.26, 2007 at Government House Medvedev said that there should be a system in which each person accurately and clearly understands the direction in which the clinic and when he was invited for admission to hospital. Even the most modern diagnostic facilities will have no effect if you do not hold true full clinical examination, including those who work in the private sector.

Affordable Housing

June 26, 2007, Medvedev said that the main, benchmarks - go eventually to the construction of not less than one square meter of housing per year for each inhabitant of our country. In Russia a lot of land, but uses it irrationally. So irrational, that sometimes you wonder. When you come into a city, one wonders: like and places abound, such as built near the tears welling in her eyes. And people do nowhere to go, and I want to demolish it, but do not know how.

«Obviously, all those projects that we do need to rely on the development of urban transport routes, the formation of a normal road street network, landscaped areas, a set of social facilities: clinics, schools and kindergartens. All of this should go in parallel with the construction of housing. It is now obvious and indisputable fakt. Stabilizatsiya prices on building products - one of our priorities, one of the basic issues. And it can only be solved quite understandably - by increasing the capacity of the industry itself, due to the active reconstruction of existing enterprises, establishment of new modern facilities». [10].

Speech at the meeting of the presidium of the Presidential Council for Priority National Projects and Demographic Policy, Government House26, 2007solution of social problems of servicemen

Over the past few years taken concrete steps to reduce the number waiting in the Army. Only during 2006-2007, they became smaller by almost 20 percent. The program «15 15», which was initiated by the President, financed the construction of additional housing in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions in the most complex and troubled by this part. In these regions, the military has already received more than 13,000 apartments. For two years the total number of settlers will be 18500.

«Accumulated in the Armed Forces of the social problems in principle does not dissolvable with the problems that exist in the «citizen». Nobody can abolish the common goals that have been designated by the President: Up to 2010 to provide permanent housing for the military, and by 2012 - official. And within a specified time to select the order of 208,000 flats». [14].

Chatting with the media representatives of the North-West Federal District11, 2008

24 January 2008 Mr. President said that within the parameters of the budget of the Ministry of Defense and the federal budget as a whole, we can not only maintain growth rates of housing for militaryWho have been recruited in recent years, but also to increase these rates in order to solve the problem posed by the President - and on housing for permanent use, and the service housing.

2.3 The election, the campaign and presidency

The President in our country is responsible for everything. And with that thought to live. Need to be prepared to work round the clock. Decisions. And I'll do it. [9].Medvedev

Following his appointment as First Deputy Prime Minister, many political observers expected Medvedev to be nominated as Putin's successor for the 2008 presidential elections. There were other potential candidates, such as Sergey Ivanov and Viktor Zubkov, but on 10 December 2007, President Putin announced that Medvedev was his preferred successor. The announcement was staged on TV with four parties suggesting Medvedev's candidature to Putin, and Putin then giving his endorsement. The four pro-Kremlin parties were United Russia, Fair Russia, Agrarian Party of Russia and Civilian Power. United Russia held its party congress on 17 December 2007 where by secret ballot of the delegates, Medvedev was officially endorsed as their candidate in the 2008 presidential election. He formally registered his candidacy with the Central Election Commission on 20 December 2007 and said he would step down as chairman of Gazprom, since under the current laws, the president is not permitted to hold another post. His registration was formally accepted as valid by the Russian Central Election Commission on 21 January 2008.analysts believed that Putin's choice of a successor would coast to an easy election-day victory, as pre-election opinion polls indicated that a substantial majority of potential voters would back Putin's chosen candidate for president. An opinion poll by Russia's independent polling organization, the Levada Center, conducted over the period 21-24 December 2007 indicated that when presented a list of potential candidates, 79% of Russians were ready to vote for Medvedev if the election were immediately held. In his first speech after being endorsed, Medvedev announced that, as President, he would appoint Vladimir Putin to the post of prime minister to head the Russian government. Although constitutionally barred from a third consecutive presidential term, such a role would allow Putin to continue as an influential figure in Russian politics. The constitution allows him to return to the presidency later. Some analysts have been quick to point out that such a statement shows that Medvedev recognizes that he would only be a figurehead president. Putin pledged that he would accept the position of prime minister should Medvedev be elected president. Although Putin had pledged not to change the distribution of authority between president and prime minister, many analysts expected a shift in the center of power from the presidency to the prime minister post when Putin assumed the latter under a Medvedev presidency. Election posters have portrayed the pair side-by-side with the slogan «Together We Win»January 2008, Medvedev launched his presidential campaign with stops in the oblasts. With preliminary results showing he would probably win the 2 March 2008 presidential election by a landslide, Medvedev vowed to work closely with the man who chose him for the job, Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Churov, Chairman of the Presidential Election Committee, was the friend of both Putin and Medvedev with whom they started to work back in the 1990s in Sobchak's administration in St. Petersburg. The Committee denied participation in elections to the opposition leaders Kasparov and Kasyanov using technical formalities in the election law previously adjusted to hinder the opposition election campaign. The three candidates that were allowed to participate were not considered dangerous for Medvedev and did virtually nothing to challenge him. Medvedev declined to participate in political debates with the other candidates.a campaign speech, Medvedev advocated private property, economic deregulation, low taxes, an independent judiciary, anti-corruption, and defending personal freedoms. His phrase «Freedom is better than non-freedom» said in Krasnoyarsk during his election campaign, was widely cited as a sign of liberal changes by some and ironically by others.was seen as generally more liberal than his predecessor, Vladimir Putin

Inauguration

Medvedev was elected President of Russia on 2 March 2008. According to the final election results, he won 70.28% of votes with a turnout of over 69.78% of registered voters.fairness of the election was disputed by many western observers and officials. Andreas Gross, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) mission, stated that the elections were «neither free nor fair». Moreover, the few western vote monitors bemoaned the inequality of candidate registration and the abuse of administrative resources by Medvedev allowing blanket television coverage.programmer Shpilkin, analyzed the results of Medvedev's election and came to the conclusion that the results were falsified by the election committees. However, after the correction for the alleged falsification factor, Medvedev still came out as the winner, although with 63% of the vote instead of 70%7 May 2008, Dmitry Medvedev took an oath as the third President of the Russian Federation in a ceremony held in Kremlin Palace. After taking the oath of office and receiving a gold chain of double-headed eagles symbolizing the presidency, he stated: «I believe my most important aims will be to protect civil and economic freedoms….We must fight for a true respect of the law and overcome legal nihilism, which seriously hampers modern development. "[12]. As his inauguration coincided with the celebration of the Victory Day on 9 May, he attended the military parade at Red Square and signed a decree to provide housing to war veterans.

Five-Day War

On the night of 7 to 8 August 2008 the Georgian army began an intense artillery bombardment of South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali and surrounding areas, after a few hours followed by storming the city by Georgian armored vehicles and infantry. As a result of the attack for more than ten Russian peacekeeping troops were killed and several dozen - were wounded. The official reason for the attack on Tskhinvali, according to the Georgian side had violated the ceasefire on the part of South Ossetia, which, in turn, argues that the first fire was opened by Georgia.the course of military conflict, both sides accused each other of various crimes.8, 2008 President Medvedev said: «Tonight in South Ossetia, Georgian troops, in fact, committed an act of aggression against Russian peacekeepers and civilians. (…) We will not let death of our compatriots go unpunished. Those responsible will be punished.» [12].Medvedev noted: «Ultimately, up to a pore, we still had hope that it's still kind of provocation, which will not be communicated to the end. But at the moment actually earned rocket guns, tanks began firing, and I was informed about the death of our citizens, including peacekeepers, I did not hesitate and gave the order to kill and Response. «[12].12, Medvedev announced that he has decided to complete the operation «forced the Georgian authorities to peace». The same day, Medvedev met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, culminating in the adoption of the plan, the armed conflict in Georgia (Medvedev - Sarkozy plan). Medvedev described the actions of the Georgian army in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict as genocide and ethnic cleansing.14 ​​August (at the end of active hostilities in Georgia) Medvedev met in the Kremlin in a formal setting with the President of the Republic of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh and South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity. During the meeting, Kokoity and Bagapsh signed the six principles of settling the Georgian-South Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the previously developed Medvedev and Sarkozy, president of the unrecognized republics, it was reported that Russia will support any decision on the status of South Ossetia and AbkhaziaBy the peoples of these republics

Domestic policy

On 8 May 2008, Dmitry Medvedev appointed Vladimir Putin Prime Minister of Russia. In September, the country was hit by the 2008 Russian financial crisis. Dmitry Medvedev attributed the decline in the Russian stock market to the impact of the liquidity crisis in the United States and contended that the crisis in Russia had little if anything to do with internal problems in its economy and government policies. He ordered the injection of large funds from the state budget into the markets to stabilize the situation.his first address to the Russian parliament on 5 November 2008, Medvedev proposed to change the Constitution of Russia in order to increase the terms of the President and State Duma from four to six and five years respectively (see 2008 Amendments to the Constitution of Russia).10 March 2009, Medvedev signed the presidential decree to reform the civil service system between 2009-2013 as part of his drive against corruption. The main direction of reforms include establishing a new system to manage the civil service, introducing effective technology and modern methods of human resources operations, and increasing the efficiency and professionalism of civil servants.on 8 May 2009, proposed to the legislature and on 2 June signed into law an amendment whereby the chairperson of the Constitutional Court and his deputies would be proposed to the parliament by the president rather than elected by the judges, as was the case before.May 2009, Medvedev set up the Presidential Commission of the Russian Federation to Counter Attempts to Falsify History to the Detriment of Russia's Interests.[55]has named technological innovation one of the key priorities of his presidency. In May, 2009, Medvedev established the Presidential Commission on Innovation, which he will personally chair every month. The commission comprises almost the entire Russian government and some of the best minds from academia and business. Medvedev has also said that giant state corporations will inevitably be privatized, and although the state had increased its role in the economy in recent years, this should remain a temporary move.7 August 2009, Dmitry Medvedev instructed Prosecutor General Yury Chayka and Chief of the Audit Directorate of the Presidential Administration of Russia Konstantin Chuychenko to probe state corporations, a new highly privileged form of organizations earlier promoted by President Putin, to question their appropriateness. Just like Prime Minister Putin few days earlier, on 15 September Medvedev announced that he might stand for presidency again in 2012, but stressed that he would not challenge the former and that they would have to find an agreement. During the same speech he approved of the 2004 abolition of direct popular elections of regional leaders, effectively in favor of their appointment by the Kremlin, and added that he didn't see a possibility of a return to direct elections even in 100 years.August 2009, Medvedev promised to break the near-monopoly of ruling party United Russia over the political system, stating that «New democratic times are beginning». On 11 October 2009, regional elections were won by United Russia with 66% of the vote. Medvedev stated that this proved the party's moral and legal right to run the regions. But according to Liliya Shibanova, head of independent poll watchdog GOLOS Association, «political competition is practically zero». Pro-Western opposition parties claimed the playing fields were uneven. On 26 October 2009, the First Deputy Chief of Staff Vladislav Surkov, warned that democratic experiments could result in more instability and that more instability «could rip Russia apart».On November 6, 2010, Medvedev vetoed a recently passed bill which restricted antigovernment demonstrations. The bill, passed on October 22, notably prohibited anyone who had previously been convicted of organizing an illegal mass rally from seeking permission to stage a demonstration. In late November 2010, Medvedev made a public statement about the damage being done to Russia's politics by the dominance of the United Russia party. He claimed that the country faced political stagnation if the ruling party would «degrade» if not challenged; «this stagnation is equally damaging to both the ruling party and the opposition forces.» In the same speech, he said Russian democracy was «imperfect» but improving. BBC Russian correspondents reported that this came on the heels of discontent in political circles and opposition that the authorities, in their view, had too much control over the political process.

Medvedev modernisation programme

Go Russia!

Medvedev set out his programme in his policy article titled Go Russia!, published online in September 2009. In the article, Medvedev formulated his strategic objective of modernising Russia. He criticised Russia's economic «backwardness» and what he called Russia's «humiliating» dependency on oil and raw materials. He described the Russian society as «archaic» and «paternalistic» and said that the country can no longer rely on the achievements of the past to secure a prosperous future. In Medvedev's view, Russia should aim for a modern, diversified economy based on high technology and innovation. Medvedev criticised the previous attempts to modernize Russia-those by initiated by Peter I the Great and the Soviet Union - saying that the results they brought came at a too high cost, and this time modernization must come not through coercion but via the development of the creative potential of every individual, through private enterpreneurship and initiative. Medvedev identified five key areas for economic modernization, in which breakthroughs must be achieved:

1.energy efficiency and new fuels

2.medical technologies and pharmaceuticals

.nuclear power engineering

.information technologies

.space and telecommunications. [3].

Programme structure

Currently the energy intensity of the Russian economy is estimated to be about 2.5 times more than the world average. The government has set an aim of 40% decrease of the energy intensity by 2020. It is estimated that the main potential of achieving this aim lies within the housing sector and the budget organisations. The following state projects are initiated to increase the energy efficiency

·Count, save and pay - establishing and propagation of the thrifty model of energy resources use; governmental coordination of mass installation and production of counters and economizers.

·New light - gradual replacement of traditional incandescent light bulbs with more efficient types of lamps; development of the national production of energy saving devices.

·Energetically efficient city block - pilot project aimed into creation of efficient energy distribution and saving systems in urban blocks of several Russian cities.

·Energetically efficient social sector - realisation of the energy efficiency programmes in schools and hospitals, with subsequent enlargement of the project scope to all social services.

·Local energy systems) - developing of the local systems of electricity generation and central heating, where such small-scale systems can be more effective than large centralized systems; development of the production of equipment for local energy generation and supply.

·Innovative energy supply - stimulation of new innovative developments in energy sector; nation-wide technological contests in the area of energy efficiency.

Nuclear technology

Russia was the first country to develop civilian nuclear power and to construct the world's first nuclear power plant. Currently the country is the 4th largest nuclear energy producer. Russia has a strong industrial and scientific base in the area of nuclear technology, but much needs to be done for the full use of the technological potential that had been amassed in the Soviet era. Nuclear power in Russia is managed by Rosatom State Corporation. The sector is rapidly developing, with an aim of increasing the total share of nuclear energy from current 16.9% to 23% by 2020. The Russian government plans to allocate 127 billion rubles ($5.42 billion) to a federal program dedicated to the next generation of nuclear energy technology. About 1 trillion rubles ($42.7 billion) is to be allocated from the federal budget to nuclear power and industry development before 2015. The programme aims to establish secure, cheap and long-term nuclear energy supply in Russia as well as increase Russian exports of nuclear energy and technology abroad. Besides construction of the new nuclear power plants in Russia and elsewhere, the following major state projects have been initiated in the area of nuclear technology

Information technology

The recent decade saw a rapid spread of information technology in Russia. Over 42% of population in Russia have personal access to the Internet, and all schools and universities were provided Internet connection by 2007 as a part of the National Priority Project in Education supervized personally by Dmitry Medvedev, then vice-Prime Minister. Russia is a leading developer of softwareand the country enjoys a large amount of IT talent. Russian youth dominate international technology competitions like the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, where Russian universities have won five of the last 10 contests. Despite this, Russia faces a shortage of IT specialists due to high demand. In 2009, Russian companies employed more than 1 million IT specialists, making up 1.34% of the country's workforce. However, the figure is lower than in some other major economies, such as the United States (3.74%), United Kingdom (3.16%) and Germany (3.14%).

Space technology and telecommunications

Starting from the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, and the first cosmonaut, Yury Gagarin, Russia always was one of the leaders in space technology. Currently the country is the largest satellite launcher and the only provider of transport for space tourism services. However, much of the potential achieved in this area still awaits large-scale commercialization. This can be achieved by the combination of space technology and telecommunications. The following state projects have been initiated in this area

Medical technology and pharmaceuticals

Despite a number of achievements, Russia is significantly behind the world leaders in medical technology and pharmaceutical production. The country produces only 20% of the drugs used domestically, while 80% is imported. President Medvedev has said he is confident that Russia can overcome the problem, and has called for a restoration of Russia's pharmaceutical industry, through the principles of mixed financing, both government and private. He has stressed the need for serious investment, saying that hundreds millions of dollars are needed, as well as investment into personnel., the specific major state projects in the area of medical technology and pharmaceuticals are not yet defined or announced. The government aims to achieve the primarily domestical production of the most needed types of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, as well as support the development and commercialization of new innovative products, especially those related to biotechnology, cell and nuclear medicine, and nanotechnology

Education

President Medvedev initiated new policy called «Our New School» and instructed the government to present a review on the implementation of the initiative every year

Foreign Policy

Russian-Venezuelan military cooperation

On November 25, 2008, a Russian naval fleet arrived in Venezuela, a country the United States considers to be part of its sphere of influence. Russian war ships - including «Peter the Great», which is equipped with missiles - arrived in the port of La Guaira to conduct joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan navy. The incident is seen by many as an echo of the Cuban Missile Crisis of the Cold War Era, and has heightened tensions between Russia and the United States. While Russia maintains that the exercises are nothing more than a method of strengthening ties with Venezuela, the United States believes that the placing of Russian war ships into the American sphere of influence is blatant provocation and a direct retaliation for both the American missile plan in Eastern Europe and interference with the Russia-Georgia situation of August 2008.

North Korean nuclear threat

On May 25, 2009, North Korea's new nuclear test has shocked North Korea's bilateral relations with China and Russia. Russia responded to this new nuclear program by condemning North Korea's move and that it could lead to a nuclear war. North Korea later threatened to attack its neighboring rival South Korea after it joined a U.S. led plan to check vessels suspected of carrying equipment for weapons of mass destruction. Due to this, ambassadors from five permanent veto-wielding council members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States) were ready to have a meeting to make a new resolution to this nuclear strike. On June 15, 2009, China and Russia have both supported the new UN sanctions on North Korea.

«Reset» of relations under Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev

Despite U.S.-Russia relations becoming strained during the Bush administration, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama struck a warm tone at the 2009 G20 summit in London and released a joint statement that promised a «fresh start» in U.S.-Russia relations. The statement also called on Iran to abandon its nuclear program and to permit foreign inspectors into the country.March, 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov symbolically pressed a «reset» button. The gag fell short as the Russian text on the button was wrongly translated by the State Department as «overload» instead of «reset». After making a few jokes, they decided to press the button anyway.March 24, 2010 the United States and Russia reached an agreement to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. The new nuclear arms reduction treaty (called New START) was signed by President Obama and President Medvedev on April 8, 2010 in Prague. The agreement cut the number of long-range nuclear weapons held by each side to about 1,500, down from the current 1,700 to 2,200 set by the Moscow Treaty of 2002. The New START replaced the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which expired in December 2009.2010, it was acknowledged that the «rapprochement» with Russia was one of the biggest foreign policy achievements of Barack Obama's presidency so far. Obama's approach to Russia has been described as «pragmatic», and «he refuses to cast Russia as an enemy».[15]

Vigilant Eagle 2010

In August 2010, the United States and Russia conducted a joint anti-hijacking exercise.

Obama-Medvedev Commission

The Obama-Medvedev Commission, officially known as the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, was announced on July 6, 2009 by President of the United States Barack Obama and President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev during President Obama's visit to Moscow, as a way to improve communication and cooperation between the governments of Russia and the United States. The two Presidents announced that the work of the Commission would be coordinated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Purpose of the Commission

According to the Mission Statement of the Commission, agreed between the two sides in October 2009, the purpose of the Commission is «identifying areas of cooperation and pursuing joint projects and actions that strengthen strategic stability, international security, economic well-being, and the development of ties between the Russian and American people….the foundation for the work of the commission is based on the core principles of friendship, cooperation, openness, and predictability, and we are resolved to address disagreements openly and honestly in a spirit of mutual respect and acknowledgement of each other's perspective.»

Composition of the Commission

Presidents Obama and Medvedev agreed that the Commission would have thirteen working groups. In October 2009, during the visit to Moscow of Secretary of State Clinton, three additional working groups were added; on Counterterrorism, Environment, and Military to Military. In addition, Sports was added as a sub-group of the Working Group on Education and Cultural Exchanges, and a Policy Steering Group was created, headed by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns. The working groups are:

·Policy Steering Group

·Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Security

·Arms Control and International Security

·Drug Trafficking.

·Business Development and Economic Relations.

·Energy and Environment

·Agriculture

·Science and Technologies

·Space Cooperation

·Health

·Cooperation in Prevention and Handling of Emergency Situations

·Civil Society

·Educational and Cultural Exchanges

·Counterterrorism. (Chairmen not named.)

·Environment. (Chairman not named.)

·Military to Military. (Chairmen not named)

Relations with China

In June 2009, between Dmitry Medvedev and President Hu Jintao held talks, after which Medvedev announced the signing of Russian-Chinese agreement in the energy sector by about $ 100 billion [8]. This is the biggest deal in the history of relations between Russia and China.

Relations with the EU

In November 2010 Dmitry Medvedev said that one of the goals in Russia's relations with the European Union is to introduce a visa-free regime

Conclusion

To sum up, I have studied politics of Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, and reached the following conclusions:

1.Before the presidential election Barack Obama has worked in areas such as labor rights, education, energy policy, health care, disability rights, religion. November 18, 2008, he reiterated his commitment to work to achieve significant goals to combat global climate change. He was an early opponent of Iraq policy of President Bush. However, according to Nikolai Zlobin, the closer was the day of the transfer of authority from Bush the new president of the country, the more favorably and positively Barack Obama spoke of his predecessor.

After Obama became president, he is 22 January 2009 signed an executive order to close within a year in prison for terrorism suspects at the U.S. military base at Guantanamo, as promised in the campaign. Also, he managed to reform the health care system, just as he promised February 17, 2009 he signed the anti-recessionary plan at $ 787 billion passed by U.S. Congress. On February, 17th Barack Obama has directed to Afghanistan in addition 17 thousand military men. July 6-8, 2009 Barack Obama made an official working visit to Moscow. During the visit, bilateral agreements were signed, including the transit of U.S. military goods to Afghanistan through Russian territory.

.Before the presidential election Dmitry Medvedev has worked in areas such as the demographic problem, quality education, modern health care, affordable housing, the solution of social problems of servicemen. In October 2007, Dmitry Medvedev, announced the completion of the project for connecting to the Internet of all Russian schools (59,000). He said in the campaign that the main task of the new post «further development of civil and economic freedoms, the creation of new civilian capabilities.»confirmed the signing of the course of his first decrees that directly relate to the social sphere (the decree «On measures to promote housing construction, the Law on free housing for veterans). September 10, 2009, he published articles on the Internet «Forward Russia», which set out his views on Russia's future and outlined the priorities for technological upgrading. April 8, 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. President Barack Obama in Prague signed the treaty on reducing strategic offensive weapons for 10 years, and June 2010, Medvedev visited the United States.

.Thanks to the policy for new presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, Russia and the U.S. succeeded in warming relations. There was «Reset» of relations between the two countries11, 2011 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev offered his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, gradually switch to visa-free travel between Russia and the U.S.

References

1.Додалев Евгений статья «Барак Горбачев», 2008 г.

2.Зенькович Николай Александрович «Дмитрий Медведев. Третий президент. Энциклопедия» Изд. «Олма Медиа Групп», 2009 г.

3.Медведев Дмитрий. Статья «Россия, вперёд!», 2009 г.

.Медведев Рой «Дмитрий Медведев - Президент», Изд. «Время», 2008 г.

5.Мендел Дэвид «Барак Обама» = «Obama: From Promise to Power». Изд. «Амфора», 2008 г.

6.Нир Боб «Барак Обама для начинающих. Всё о новом президенте США» = «Barack Obama For Beginners: An Essential Guide», Изд. «Европа», 2009

7.Обама, Барак «Дерзость надежды: Мысли о возрождении американской мечты» = Barack Obama «The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream» / Пер. Т. Камышниковой, А. Митрофанова, Изд. Азбука-классика, 2008 г.

8.Ордовский-Танаевский Ростислав «Мечта о России», Изд. «Известия», 2008 г.