Dan Coats, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, discusses how U.S. foreign policy objectives are affected by the federal budget and ongoing debt concerns.

Dan Coats, member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, discusses how U.S. foreign policy objectives are affected by the federal budget and ongoing debt concerns.

Peter Orszag argues that aggressive action to continue recent slowing in health-care cost growth can help to stabilize the U.S. fiscal trajectory and increase take-home pay.

"What is clear is that there is no shortage of challenges or opportunities beyond America's borders. What may matter most when it comes to this country's national security, though, is whether it can put its own economic and political house in order," says Richard N. Haass.

This CFR Issue Guide provides resources and analysis on President Obama's inauguration and the foreign policy challenges facing his second administration.

President Obama gave his second inaugural speech on January 21, 2013 after being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: U.S. President Barack Obama is sworn in for a second term; Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Asean nations; and Israel and Jordan hold elections.

President Obama and Vice President Biden made these remarks about reducing gun violence on January 16, 2013, before the signing of executive orders which strengthen the background check system, support mental health professionals report threats, and help schools hire more officers and develop emergency preparedness plans.

President Obama held this press conference at the White House on January 14, 2013, to discuss the debt ceiling.

Joseph Biden, Barack Obama's "single most influential foreign policy adviser," is poised surpass Dick Cheney as the most powerful vice president in American history in the president's second term, writes David Rothkopf.

In an interview with ABC News, Richard N. Haass answers eight questions about the "fiscal cliff," Israel, President Obama's recent cabinet nominations, among others.

Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Philip Gordon made these remarks during a Media Roundtable at the U.S. Embassy in London, England, on January 9, 2013, and addressed the possibility of Britain leaving the EU.

Peter Orszag explains why and how the federal government should encourage more clinical data registries, which can cut health care costs and improve patient outcomes.

Greg Miller and Scott Wilson discuss how President Obama's nominations of Chuck Hagel and John Brennan signal a shift in the administration's national security policies as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan draw to a close.

The 113th Congress continues the trend in a gradual increase in religious diversity that is mirroring trends in the country as a whole.

The founding father of modern Singapore answers the toughest questions that matter most to thoughtful Americans weighing the challenges of the next quarter century.

Julia E. Sweig says the recent "fiscal cliff" deal marks the end of the grand bargain, and "the new normal in Washington is one of hyper partisanship, in which the Republicans have learned that if they wait long enough the Democrats will soften at the end of negotiations."

President Obama signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (also called the "fiscal cliff bill") into law on January 2, 2013.

President Obama signed the annual National Defense Authorization Act for FY13 into law on January 2, 2013.

After coming to a slow crawl on the fiscal deal, this Congress will leave a legacy of the fewest enacted laws than any since 1947; Jonathan Allen writes that the best the 112th Congress has been able to do is "avert the worst."