A PRESIDENT’S
FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE
Coined in 1933, the President’s first 100 days in office has been used to outline the initial three months of a Presidential term.
During this time, a President’s success is measured and evaluated and sets the tone for the presidency.
HISTORY OF A PRESIDENT’S
FIRST 100 DAYS:
•
Begins once the president is inaugurated
(January 20 each year)
•
Was first recognized during President
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s term in office
Society noticed he used this time to
lay the foundation of what he wanted
to accomplish in his presidency
After this successful period of time
in his presidential term, the term
“first 100 days” came into play
Democratic Party President
PRESIDENT
FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
March 4, 1933 - April 12, 1945
Passed 15 major bills through
Congress (1st term)
Took the nation off the
gold standard (1st term)
Devalued the dollar (1st term)
Ordered the Federal Reserve
System to ease credit (1st term)
Republican Party
Democratic Party
PRESIDENT
RONALD REAGAN
PRESIDENT
BARACK OBAMA
January 20, 1981 - January 20, 1989
January 20, 2009 - January 20, 2017
Lifted the 15 month embargo on grain
shipments to the USSR (1st term)
Signed into law his economic stimulus
package, which contained three core
elements: aid to states, direct federal
spending and tax cuts (1st term)
Presented an economic program that
includes $41.4 billion in budget cuts
and a 30% tax cut over 3 years
(1st term)
Formed an oversight council to combat
government corruption (1st term)
Signed into law the expanded State
Children’s Health Insurance Program
(1st term)
Signed the Ledbetter law requiring
equal pay for women (1st term)
Think it Through
1. What criteria would you use to assess whether a president’s first 100 days are successful?
2. How would you compare and contrast President Reagan’s accomplishments in his
first 100 days with President Obama’s first 100 days accomplishments?
3. Think of a time you started a new job or class. What mechanisms did you use to adjust
to the new role? Do you think starting a presidential term is similar?
STU DE N T GOV ERNMENTAL AF FAIRS PRO GRAM | S GA P.O R G |
www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/bush.100/; www.college.cengage.com/polisci/resources/first_100_days/articles/critical.html; www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtid=2&psid=3439; www.news.harvard.edu/
gazette/story/2009/04/obamas-first-100-days/; www.timetoast.com/timelines/18532