As the media focus on Barack Obama’s daily announcements concerning political appointees, less attention has been directed at how the new White House plans to rebuild the country. In this video, Nation Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel discusses the oft-overlooked policies the president needs to implement as the country faces a deepening recession, such as investing in public infrastructure and rethinking the stimulus so Wall Street isn’t the only recipient. “If there are real smarts in this new White House,” Vanden Heuvel says, “Come January 21 have Obama sign a bold stimulus package, but understand that the work just begins.”

–Erica Landau