Obama Gets High Marks for Fulfilling Public-Service Campaign Pledges

President Obama has been more successful at fulfilling his campaign promises to promote public service than he has in almost any other category, according to an analysis by the National Journal.

The publication, which conducted a promise audit to assess the progress the president has made toward completing campaign promises in various categories, awarded Mr. Obama a 71 percent for public service.

It noted that Congress last year passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which will enlarge AmeriCorps; a stimulus package that included money for AmeriCorps and YouthBuild; and measures to increase spending on Senior Corps and provide $50-million for the new Social Innovation Fund.

The “promise audit” gives percentage scores to various steps toward completing campaign promises — for example, 25 percent for action short of legislation or an executive order, 50 percent if legislation has been introduced, and 100 percent once the promise is fulfilled.

The president earned one higher score — 100 percent for “diversity.” But that involved a single campaign promise — to appoint a senior native American policy adviser.