This board believes that the citizens of the United States have made the right decision by reelecting President Barack Obama last night. However, President Obama's victory has elicited a much more cautious reaction than the euphoria stemming from his momentous election in 2008. The President had promised hope and change for many Americans, but in 2012, those promises have not all been fulfilled.

Furthermore, because the Democrats have maintained control of the Senate and the Republicans remain in control of the House of Representatives, the nation is at risk of remaining in the status quo.

We hope that the President will continue his vigorous attempts at furthering the cause of same-sex marriage while also expanding federal support for Planned Parenthood.
Social policy remains an important issue for this country and of particular concern to our demographic.

Additionally, the economic recovery has been halting, and room for improvement certainly remains in the fields of foreign relations and environmental reform, as well as in fostering a culture of bipartisanship.

This board hopes that a second Obama administration will spearhead a more proactive effort at economic growth, but also continue its emphasis on college affordability.
The Obama administration took incremental steps in its first term toward economic recovery. The $840-billion stimulus bill created 2.5 million jobs, but yet, progress has been slow. The unemployment rate just recently dropped below eight percent-a figure that has remained stagnant since 2008.

The price of a college education will remain a focal issue for all college students. President Obama must maintain funding for Pell Grants and continue to propel efforts to offset the financial burden for university students.

President Obama, in his strident attempts to defeat Al Qaeda, end the war in Iraq and foster the rise of democracies in third-world countries, has acted commendably in the realm of foreign relations.

However, he must seek to immediately curtail the growing nuclear potential of Iran.
The first Obama administration has made improvements in the environmental field, establishing national safeguards on power-plant emissions as well as setting a historical precedent for the reduction of carbon emissions. His administration will continue to face partisan opposition against the nationalization of climate change initiatives, but in the greater interest of our future well-being, he must continue in this momentous campaign.

There is much concern that a second Obama administration will fail to shake much of the current status quo. However, this board firmly believes that, building on the proactive steps that his first administration has taken, President Obama can make a lasting impact in the aforementioned fields.
*