doi:10.7916/20ma-b357Oral history interview with Peter M. Rouse, 2021Rouse, Peteroral historiesmixed materialPresidents--United StatesPresidents--Transition periods--United StatesOrganizational effectivenessOrganizational changeClimatic changes--Law and legislation--United StatesRouse, PeterObama, BarackUnited StatesAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009Patient Protection and Affordable Care ActPete Rouse reflects on his contributions to Barack Obama's political career, which he supported in a variety of roles from 2005 to 2014, including chief of staff to Senator Obama from 2005 to 2009, co-chair of the 2008 Obama-Biden Transition Project, senior advisor to the president from 2009 to 2010, acting White House chief of staff from 2010 to 2011, and counselor to the president from 2011 to 2014. Rouse is an expert in organizational design and management, and he outlines the process by which he helped develop the structure of Obama's Senate office and White House, and describes how these structures operated and evolved throughout the period of his service. Rouse details major legislative and policy initiatives with which he was closely involved, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Affordable Care Act, proposed energy and climate legislation, and negotiations with the Republican caucus over several federal budgets. Rouse also discusses Obama's strategic approach to his U.S. Senate tenure, the 2008 Democratic Party primary and general election campaign, Republican opposition to the Obama administration's legislative initiatives, the importance of President Obama's written correspondence with ordinary people, and his long career mentoring public servants in Washington