What Now? Obama Leads Polarized Government Into Second Term

Feelings of hope and change have mostly faded.

The country is in better shape than it was when Barack Obama became president four years ago. The economy is no longer in free fall, and the nation has for the most part extricated itself from seemingly endless wars abroad.

Yet as Obama prepares to enter his second term, there seems to be less optimism about his ability to address the nation's problems than was the case when he first entered the White House.

A lot of that has to do with rancorous relations with Congress. Obama scored huge legislative victories during his first two years in office, but since Republicans took control of the House in 2010, he's been lucky just to avoid fiscal calamity through last-minute deals.