Moment of Change

Barack Obama's Inauguration has brought with it a re-examination of what the United States stands for, how it appears to the world and how the country is going to move forward from the days of the Bush administration.

In this Moment of Change series we examine the toughest challenges that Barack Obama and his administration will face in the coming months and years.

AMERICA'S REPUTATION

America's prestige around the globe declined during the Bush years. From the war in Iraq to the spectre of extra-rendition flights and the prison camp at Guantanamo bay, the US seems to have been at odds with the rest of the world.

In the first film from our Moment of Change series our correspondent, Jonathan Beale, examines the difficulties Barack Obama and his team will face as he attempts to improve America's reputation.

THE FINANCIAL CRISIS

Barack Obama comes to power during one of the most difficult financial periods in American history. From the first murmurings of the sub-prime mortgage crisis to the recession, it is ordinary American people who are bearing the brunt of the fallout.

In the second of our Moment of Change films, Matt Frei travels south to see how people there are being affected.

THE ENVIRONMENT

More than 50 per cent of the American population expects President Obama to be better at addressing climate change than the Bush administration. The stakes are high.

Facing entrenched corporate interests and many years of industry feeling little pressure to reign in emissions, the new administration has a mountain to climb. In this, the third of our Moment of Change films, Katty Kay went to Maryland to see the effects of climate change on the landscape, and lives there.

ENERGY INNOVATION

In his Inaugural address President Barack Obama said "the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet". Now, the hard work begins - the challenge is to find ways of changing the status quo.

In this fourth film from our Moment of Change series, special contributor Scott Simon of NPR takes us to Iowa where the beginnings of a small clean-energy revolution is laying humble foundations.

AMERICA'S WARS: AFGHANISTAN

President Obama intends to increase US forces in Afghanistan to fight the Taleban. But there's a lack of support among the American public - only one third are in favour of the strategy. More than a quarter believe the US should actually reduce forces there.

So how will the Obama administration fare in achieving its aims? Part of the strategy is bound to include the Afghan National Army, which is currently encouraging locals to take up arms against the Taleban. Labelled the "public Protection force" it is modelled on a traditional tribal group called the Arbaki. From a remote area in Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border, our correspondent, Ian Pannell, brings us the penultimate film in our Moment of Change series.

AMERICA'S WARS: IRAQ

When it comes to America's OTHER war -- in Iraq -- President Obama has promised to withdraw US combat forces within 16 months. Iraqi citizens have been going to the polls for the third time since the US-led invasion. The elections for provincial councils come after a fall in violence over the past year and could be a test of how committed the Iraqi people are to democracy. Our former Baghdad correspondent Andrew North has returned to Iraq and has sent this report.

BBC WORLD NEWS AMERICA: THE HARRIS POLL

The moment of change series is being run in conjunction with results from a joint survey carried out by World News America's new partnership with The Harris Poll - one of the most reputable, recognisable public opinion surveys in the world. You can see some of the results here: