Obama's 5 Most Far-Reaching Accomplishments to Date

(July 21) -- On Tuesday, President Barack Obama signed a new financial reform bill into law, the culmination of a two-year struggle to fundamentally alter how Wall Street does business in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis.

Surge Desk's Dana Chivvis earlier highlighted the main changes the law will herald for consumers and industry alike, but we are also keeping tabs on where President Obama now stands vis-a-vis the overall change he promised to deliver to the country.

Setting aside the question of whether his legislative accomplishments are positive or negative, Surge Desk has gone back over the list of 200-plus laws the president has signed into being during his first year and a half in office, and we've selected those that, for better or for worse, signal the kind of "change" that candidate Obama espoused on the campaign trail.

1. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Health Care Reform)

Of all of the legislation to pass Obama's desk, no single law engendered as much controversy, nor represented a greater parting with past norms, than health care reform. Signed on March 23, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was meant to expand access to health insurance to millions of Americans. The law mandates that all Americans buy into an insurance pool, and prevents insurers from rejecting patients with pre-existing conditions. Whether the law ultimately has the desired effect of improving overall access and affordability of health care in America, the system itself is poised for an overhaul.

2. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Financial Reform)

As Obama touted Tuesday, the new law signals an end to government bailouts of the financial sector. Now, tighter government oversight will, allegedly, keep a closer eye on Wall Street, and will have the power to simply shut down failing institutions before they threaten to topple the U.S. economy. In addition, new consumer protections that include a cap on fees charged by banks will soon take effect.

3. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package)

The so-called stimulus package that Obama signed into law on Feb. 17, 2009, allocated $113.5 billion for the development of alternative energy sources, new forms of mass transit and the retrofitting of buildings to become more energy efficient. Perhaps more than any other aspect of the $789 billion package, the focus on modernization signaled an attempt at nudging the country to a new economic model. The package also significantly added to the national debt.

4. Credit Card Reform Act

Signed on May 21, 2009, the law signaled the Obama administration's willingness to directly take on banks and credit card companies. It imposed consumer protection restrictions on interest rate and fee hikes. In addition, it limits the kind of marketing credit card companies and banks make to students.

5. Troop Surge in Afghanistan

As he promised as a candidate, Obama has sharply drawn down the number of soldiers fighting in Iraq, while increasing the number sent to Afghanistan. On May 27, Congress voted to fund Obama's surge to the latter country. While the Afghan war has been under increasing criticism from members of both political parties, the shift of focus has brought with it a host of consequences.

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