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In 2009 - 2010 in America, a Democratic president and congress attempted two rounds of reforms. They succeeded in reforming health, finance, and education, but failed to reform energy, immigration, and budget. Many Americans supported most of Obama's reforms taken one-by-one, but became alarmed at the extent of government activism and government spending taken as a whole. That alarm largely explains Democratic losses in the November 2010 election. But what explains the success or failure of Obama's attempts at reform? General explanations include Obama's political timing, America' s political institutions, and America' s political -- economic structure. Particular explanations involve the particular technical and political demands of each reform. The policy processes surrounding these reforms shows a great deal about American democracy in the early 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]