What will President Barak Obama’s national agenda be for the next four years, and will it be successful?

As the president starts his second term, we can see that taxes did not go down for the middle class, even as they were raised for the wealthy. Gas prices, which were below $2 a gallon is 2008, have been propelled upward, along with the cost of living. Health insurance has skyrocketed in costs, although the Affordable Care Act hopes to rein those costs in.

Real estate values are still way down, and home foreclosures are still a major problem. Small businesses still face problems getting bank loans. Unemployment is about 7.6 percent, the same as in 2009. President Obama made a lot of promises those first four years of his term that he did not keep.

It is true that Congressional Republicans regularly blocked Obama’s initiatives, but the president seems to have the upper hand in his relations with Congress now, as he starts his second four years. He has survived the fiscal cliff, and won the battle to increase taxes on the wealthy. Yet he has only two years grace time to deliver on his campaign promises, because half-way through his second term, the 2014 congressional elections will take place. That could put his agenda at risk, if it is not acted on soon enough, or not enough Democrats get re-elected.

The president’s main job is to reboot our economy and reduce unemployment. Three things are critical to accomplishing this. First, he needs to reduce the huge deficit by cutting government spending. Second, the goals he wants to accomplish must be announced loud and clear. Third, the president’s apparent attitude toward working with others in the political community must change.

It will take cutting many popular programs to reduce our more than $16 trillion deficit. Many federal government supported, community-based programs will have to be re-evaluated. Some will need to be reduced and others eliminated. The military budget should be cut back, too, as the war in Afghanistan is winding down in 2014. Foreign aid, agricultural funding (to pay farmers for not growing certain crops), and other pork barrel loaded projects, should be eliminated in many instances.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid revisions must be undertaken quickly to preserve as much as possible of these entitlements. Fewer new workers will be paying into these systems in the future, and retired people will live longer and draw more money out than they originally put into the programs, threatening sustainability.

President Obama has lately been accused by critics and supporters on both sides of the aisle, as being aloof in his dealings with people. If this is true, he needs to change his attitude and work at getting along with both friends and foes on the Hill. He needs to work on his negotiating skills, especially in dealing with members of the opposite political party. Washington is polarized by the president by not reaching out personally to talk to representatives and senators of both parties.

As the president enters the next four years, he is smarter politically and more confident. But he needs to be wiser in finding ways to get both sides working together. He needs to get out and meet with congressional members, rather than just holding secret, closed-door meetings for a select few. Transparency promotes trust in working with others.

Good negotiators know that a good compromise leaves each side feeling satisfied that they got most of what they bargained for, even if neither side gets every thing that they want in an agreement. Such compromises lead to mutual respect and greater collaboration on future negotiated deals.

The president has many issues on his agenda, starting with building the economy. He needs to create jobs by making investments in education, manufacturing, technology and a cleaner energy environment. He needs to see our tax codes reformed, so that we can pay down the deficit and rebuild our economy.

President Obama has gun control legislation pending that will be tough to pass in its entirety. Illegal immigration concerns need to be addressed. The Affordable Care Act has unanswered questions on assessing costs to patients, doctors, hospitals and businesses, with total coverage yet to be determined.

The president has a full plate of policy with which he needs to deal. He won’t be able to deliver them all, but he needs to make some rapid progress to keep our nation moving ahead.

— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist for the Journal Tribune and former president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.