Grading Obama’s First 100 Days

April 21 event features law, politics and business scholars

—By Gilien Silsby

As the Obama administration reaches the milestone of 100 days in office later this month, several key questions will be asked: What has Obama done to improve the economy? Has his leadership style been effective? Have his picks for judges, especially on the U.S. circuit courts, been accepted on both sides of the aisle?

These questions and many others will be discussed and debated at a special lunchtime program, “Grading Obama’s First 100 Days in Office,” sponsored by the USC Gould School of Law and USC Marshall School of Business. The lunchtime event will be held Tuesday, April 21, from 12:15 to 1:10 p.m. and take place in Room 7 of USC Law.

Profs. Kareem Crayton, a law and politics expert; Rebecca Brown, a constitutional law scholar; and John Matsusaka, who covers the economy and California politics at Marshall School of Business, will discuss the first several months of Obama’s tenure.

“Given all of the new and surprising developments on the national agenda since Election Day, there should be a lively discussion about what President Obama has accomplished so far and what challenges remain ahead,” Crayton said. “He has many supporters, but also many critics who will be carefully scrutinizing his first 100 days.”

Many believe the key to Obama’s success or failure is the economy, or, more specifically, aiding economic recovery.

“We’ll look what the administration has been able to put in place and what it hasn’t, in the context of the current economic and political situation,” Matsusaka said.

Although changes on the U.S. Supreme Court are much anticipated, Obama will be making a variety of other court appointments, most notably on the U.S. circuit courts. “His selections to the intermediate court will give us a good sense of the judicial philosophy that he values, and may even offer a glimpse of the kind of person he may eventually nominate to the Supreme Court if he should have the opportunity,” Brown said.

“Grading Obama’s First 100 Days in Office” will be held Tuesday, April 21, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:10 p.m., in the Musick Law Building, Room 7. For more information, please contact Gilien Silsby of the USC Gould School of Law at (213) 740-9690 or via e-mail, or Evy Jacobson of the Marshall School at (213) 740-5552 or via e-mail.