The intention behind passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has both short term and long term goals. In regards to the short term, the Act is meant to bring hope to an American population that ha sbeen losing faith in its government and in the state of the economy. It's also supposed to begin the process of creating jobs. The critical aspects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act come in the long term. The Act is intended to make the United States far less dependant on foreign fuels and goods and maintain a powerful level of manufacturing in America. To acheive this the Act is putting large amounts of money into the development of clean-energy to make the country as a whole healthier and more efficient. In addition, the Act will strengthen the educational system.
From Obama's point of view the benefits of this Act are primarily long term, and he knew this when he began his fight to get it passed. He is looking at the big picture and knows that this Act will keep America competetive in the world market through green fuels and products. He also believes that the $787 billion spent will be recovered with interest in the future. The name itself sums up Obama's intentions, the Act is meant to be a Recovery tool for the recession and a Reinvestment into America's future.
There is much more I'd need to know to be certain on whether or not this Act is beneficial to the country. The issue is that no one does know, for sure, how this Act will play out because its purpose lies in the future. Regardless, I think Obama made a wise decision and had the right intentions for passing this Act. I think the effort to go green, such as adding insolation in housing, will pay off in the end with profit. Being energy efficient will keep the country a desirable location for businesses and corporations.