By: Mia Buswell, ‘25 International Affairs, Democracy Fellow & Erin Harris, ‘25 Political Science and Communication Studies, Democracy Fellow
The First 100 Days
Think back to your high school U.S. history class. The legacies of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln often stand at the forefront of our minds, but another U.S. president had a lasting impact on our nation’s story. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd president, is known for his unprecedented legislation assisting the U.S. out of the Great Depression, as well as his decisive role during WWII. Many of his actions, however, wouldn’t have been possible without a presidential power that is central to current administrations, but often goes misunderstood. As we finish up the first few weeks of the new administration, it is important to consider how FDR’s legacy influenced the first 100 days of a presidential administration, as well as the increased prominence, and complexities, of executive orders as a policy strategy.
When FDR took office in 1933 during the Great Depression, his main goal was to pull the country out of this major financial crisis. Before this point in history, the term “first 100 days” didn’t have much political weight (History, 2017). That quickly changed when the country saw how active FDR was in that first period of his presidency. He implemented 15 pieces of major legislation under a program called the New Deal. Alongside the New Deal, he used his first 100 days to write over 100 executive orders and to get Congress to pass 76 new laws. The accomplishment of FDR’s first 100 days soon became a standard that all future presidents would be measured against (History, 2017).
Nowadays, while very little has lived up to the feat FDR accomplished, the first 100 days is still an important measure for a presidency. Both the public and the media look to these first 100 days for bold actions, new laws, and shifts in policy. This period is now seen as a way to foreshadow policies and the political agenda for the upcoming term, no matter the president (Brookings, 2021).
Throughout history, presidents have used this duration of their term for a variety of actions, including but not limited to passing legislation, signing executive orders, and making declarations (Brookings, 2021). For example, with FDR, his main goal was to address the unemployment crisis, while also finding other ways to stimulate the economy. Looking back at FDR’s powerful first 100 days, his main goal was to address the unemployment crisis of the Great Depression, while also finding other ways to help stimulate the economy. He used his first 100 days to create programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, which provided jobs to hundreds of thousands unemployed men, and the Tennessee Valley authority, who built dams to help with hydroelectricity that both provided electricity to neighboring regions while also protecting from flooding and deforestation (Britannica, 2025).
Other notable moments from various presidents’ first 100 days include JFK’s authorization of the Bay of Pigs invasion, President Ford’s pardon of President Nixon’s part in Watergate, Reagan’s announcement of the release of American hostages in Iran, and Obama’s passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act following the 2008 recession. In all presidencies, policies can shift and develop throughout a four year term. What is crucial about the first 100 days is the tendency for these actions to set the agenda for the rest of a president’s term (History, 2017).
Overall, a lot can happen during this time frame, and that is specifically seen with the first 100 days in this new presidency under President Trump. We’re only a month into the current presidency, but we’re already seeing President Trump using a large amount of executive orders to set a precedent for the policies of his administration. These executive orders cover a wide range of policy areas, including freezing refugee admissions into the US, leaving the World Health Organization, declaring a national border emergency, pardoning January 6 defendants, and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement (The Guardian, 2025). Like all other presidencies, policies can shift and change in 4 years, but these first 100 days typically set up the agenda for the rest of the term.
Executive Orders
Executive orders are written mandates from the president that guide the actions of the federal government (American Bar, 2021). These orders can be used as both a tool for changing the way the government acts or as a symbolic gesture, signifying a change in the priorities of a president. Executive orders are an implied power of the president, which is a power not directly written in the Constitution, but deemed necessary for the government to properly function by the judicial branch (Campaign Legal Center, 2025; Dictionary). Executive orders are not laws like those written by Congress. Likewise, they do not need approval from Congress, and cannot be overturned like standard bills.
Executive orders have existed since the beginning of United States history. In fact, all but one president -William Henry Harrison- signed at least one executive order during their administration (The American Presidency Project). Today, presidents are much more likely to sign executive orders than the country’s first leaders. George Washington and James Madison signed eight and one, respectively. By comparison, Joe Biden signed 162 executive orders, and Donald Trump signed 220 during his first term alone (The American Presidency Project).
The Constitution does not directly lay out a specific protocol for submitting an executive order (Congressional Research Service, 2021). The 35th U.S. president, John F. Kennedy, actually signed an executive order to outline a procedure. First, draft orders are sent to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Here, the OMB evaluates the purpose and effects of the proposal, as well as its relationship to existing laws. Then, the draft is sent to the U.S. Attorney General, where the legality of the order is evaluated. From there, the draft is sent to the Office of the Federal Register to check for errors, and then sent back to the president for final approval. While this procedure is in place, executive orders can, and have, been signed without following it (Congressional Research Service, 2021).
Checks and Balances are set in place to ensure that the president does not use executive orders to overreach their authority set by the U.S. Constitution. For executive orders to successfully go into effect, they must be within the president’s Constitutional limits, or be made legal by Congressional legislation (Campaign Legal Center, 2025). Congress can pass legislation that makes it difficult for the executive branch to implement an order (Campaign Legal Center, 2025). Further, the judicial branch has the authority to review all executive orders and establish their constitutionality (Federal Judicial Center). If the Supreme Court decides that an executive order is unconstitutional, they have the ability to reject the order. Finally, sitting presidents have the authority to overturn previous orders by signing another executive order (American Bar, 2021).
Executive orders have been used for a wide variety of purposes across party lines. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a number of executive orders between 1933 and 1936 as part of the New Deal, which aided the U.S. in overcoming the Great Depression (Britannica, 2025). In 2001, George W. Bush signed an order “Ordering the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces To Active Duty” (EO 13,223). In 2017, Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13,768, titled, “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States.” In 2021, Joe Biden signed an order titled, “Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask Wearing” (EO 13,991).
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