Following suit with the rest of the country, economy and job creation remain at the top of Chicagoans' list as President Barack begins four more years in the White House.
With the president officially sworn in Sunday, his second term has begun, and his administration already has laid out possibilities for his agenda including education, immigration reform and gun laws.
"Four years ago we had no idea really what we were getting into, and it was the novelty of it," White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said. "Now with four years under our belts, I think we have a good sense of what the opportunities and the challenges are."
Obama has indicated he's looking directly to American citizens to help dictate the agenda. Last week, it was reported his political organization will even be turned into a nonprofit group to mobilize support behind the president's second-term agenda.
Democratic officials familiar with the plan told the Associated Press the tax-exempt organization will be called Organizing for Action with offices in Chicago meant to harness the energy of the re-election campaign for future legislative fights.
In Chicago, residents said they're looking for the president to change the overall atmosphere in Washington and work to reunite Congress after the big divide over the so-called fiscal cliff.
"Always the economy, and I'd like to see the nation kind of get back together as a single unit and make sure we work toward a common goal," one resident said.
"I would really like to see him just patch up the division in Congress and maybe they can actually get something done."
More clues into the president's agenda are expected during his inauguration speech, although he alluded to it during his re-election speech in Chicago, when he focused on climate change, immigration reform and renewable energy as the country's economy path looms.
"Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over," Obama said. "And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you've made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and about the future and life ahead."
