This week the President reiterates a theme that has been a hallmark of his career, namely that "old habits and stale thinking" will simply not help us solve the new and immense problems our country faces. Listing off several specific changes he intends to bring, he describes his guiding principle: "To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent."

Bruce Klingner, Senior Research Fellow for Asian Studies at The Heritage Foundation, discusses how President-elect Obama can keep his pledge to stress the need for "sustained, direct, and aggressive diplomacy" with North Korea in order to achieve complete elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.

Brian Walsh, Senior Legal Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, discusses how President-elect Obama can keep his pledge to improve the administration of criminal justice for all Americans, without limitation.

Hans von Spakovsky, a Visiting Legal Scholar at The Heritage Foundation, discusses how President-elect Obama can keep his campaign pledge to make America's civil justice system work for all Americans by promoting a regulatory and business landscape in which businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors can thrive and consumers are protected.

Andrew Grossman, Senior Legal Policy Analyst at The Heritage Foundation, discusses how President-elect Obama can keep his pledge to protect America’s private property rights by preventing governments from seizing private property for commercial gain, and curbing government regulations that reduce the value of property or investments.

Sally McNamara, Senior Policy Analyst for European Affairs at The Heritage Foundation, discusses how President-elect Obama can keep his pledge to strengthen American and global security by gaining additional European commitments for the mission in Afghanistan, maintaining NATO’s commitment to exploring missile defense options, and increasing membership in NATO.