Critics to Obama's left have alleged that it was not large enough, like Noble-prize winner Paul Krugman, in a New York Times editorial: "[The] modest rise in federal spending was barely enough to offset cutbacks at the state and local level" (Thrush 2010, p.1). Bank bail-out

The Obama Administration's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) brought the economy back from the brink and "there are clear signs that aspects of the financial system are far more stable than they were at the height of the crisis in the fall of 2008" (Orol 2010). But the fact that rates of home foreclosures have continued to rise and ordinary consumers still have trouble borrowing money means that the TARP has also been criticized by liberal Democrat's political opponents. "Because of fears of tending to poor credit risks, and fears of unemployment, participating banks' lending to businesses and consumers, has decreased" (Orol 2010).

Conclusion

While the Obama Administration has made some reasonable progress in improving the economy, feelings that improvements have not been as swift enough and general dissatisfaction with unemployment data...

TARP overseer says bank bailout program has mixed results.
Market Watch. Retrieved November 1, 2010 at http://www.marketwatch.com/story/overseer-bank-bailout-program-has-mixed-results-2010-01-31

Thrush, Glen. (2010, November 1). Was the stimulus Barack Obama's original sin? Politico.

Retrieved November 1, 2010 at http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44469.html

Uchitelle, Louis. (2010, July 7). American Dream is elusive for new generation.

The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2010 at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/economy/07generation.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

Zengerle, Patricia. (2010, September 23).Obama tries to humanize the healthcare debate.

Reuters. Retrieved November 1, 2010 at http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68L1BR20100923