Presidents with the Greatest First 100 Days

Franklin D. Roosevelt

FDR invented the '100 days' yardstick itself, rushing 15 major bills through Congress to combat the Great Depression, from the Emergency Banking Act to the creation of the CCC. His fireside chats calmed a panicked nation while his New Deal machinery redefined the size and scope o

Major Laws Signed: 15Executive Orders Issued: 99Approval Rating at Day 100: 68 %Inherited Major Crisis: ✓Signature Achievement: Emergency Banking Act & New Deal programsHistorian Ranking: 10/10

added by IJRin 16 rankingsFranklin D. Roosevelt

Lyndon B. Johnson

Thrust into office after Kennedy's assassination, LBJ turned national grief into legislative momentum, pushing a major tax cut and laying groundwork for the Civil Rights Act. His mastery of Congress, honed over decades as Senate Majority Leader, let him move faster than almost an

Major Laws Signed: 5Executive Orders Issued: 10Approval Rating at Day 100: 75 %Inherited Major Crisis: ✓Signature Achievement: Tax cut passage & Civil Rights Act groundworkHistorian Ranking: 8.5/10

added by IJRin 9 rankingsLyndon B. Johnson

Harry Truman

Truman inherited the presidency in the final chaotic weeks of WWII and within his first 100 days saw Germany surrender and made the fateful decision to use the atomic bomb. He also helped found the United Nations, embedding America at the center of a new world order. Few presiden

Major Laws Signed: 2Executive Orders Issued: 10Approval Rating at Day 100: 87 %Inherited Major Crisis: ✓Signature Achievement: End of WWII in Europe & UN foundingHistorian Ranking: 8/10

added by IJRin 7 rankingsHarry Truman

Woodrow Wilson

Wilson broke a half-century of presidential silence by personally addressing Congress to push the Underwood Tariff Act, slashing rates and introducing a federal income tax. His activist, hands-on style set a new template for presidential leadership that FDR would later perfect. I

Major Laws Signed: 3Executive Orders Issued: 5Approval Rating at Day 100: —Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Underwood Tariff ActHistorian Ranking: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 11 rankings

Ronald Reagan

Reagan survived an assassination attempt just 69 days into office and turned his recovery into a powerful symbol of resilience that boosted his political capital. He used that goodwill to push his sweeping tax-cut and deregulation agenda through a divided Congress. His optimism r

Major Laws Signed: 2Executive Orders Issued: 13Approval Rating at Day 100: 68 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Economic Recovery Tax Act groundworkHistorian Ranking: 7.5/10

added by IJRin 12 rankingsRonald Reagan

Barack Obama

Taking office amid the worst financial crisis since the Depression, Obama signed the $800 billion Recovery Act within weeks to stem economic collapse. He also moved quickly on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and children's health insurance expansion. His calm, methodical approac

Major Laws Signed: 4Executive Orders Issued: 19Approval Rating at Day 100: 65 %Inherited Major Crisis: ✓Signature Achievement: American Recovery and Reinvestment ActHistorian Ranking: 7/10

added by IJRin 12 rankingsBarack Obama

John F. Kennedy

Kennedy's youthful energy launched the Peace Corps and set an ambitious space race agenda, capturing global imagination even as the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion exposed early foreign policy missteps. His inaugural 'ask not' rhetoric carried into a first 100 days defined more b

Major Laws Signed: 3Executive Orders Issued: 24Approval Rating at Day 100: 83 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Creation of the Peace CorpsHistorian Ranking: 6.5/10

added by IJRin 7 rankings

Joe Biden

Biden entered office in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately pushed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan through Congress, alongside a rapid vaccine rollout. His flurry of executive orders reversed dozens of Trump-era policies within days. It was one of the most

Major Laws Signed: 2Executive Orders Issued: 40Approval Rating at Day 100: 53 %Inherited Major Crisis: ✓Signature Achievement: American Rescue Plan ActHistorian Ranking: 6.5/10

added by IJRin 2 rankings

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower brought his five-star general's discipline to the White House, using his first 100 days to push toward ending the stalemated Korean War through quiet diplomacy and pressure. His steady, low-drama style contrasted with the turbulence of the preceding Truman years. Voter

Major Laws Signed: 1Executive Orders Issued: 8Approval Rating at Day 100: 69 %Inherited Major Crisis: ✓Signature Achievement: Korean War armistice groundworkHistorian Ranking: 6/10

added by IJRin 12 rankingsDwight D. Eisenhower

Bill Clinton

Clinton's first 100 days were rockier than expected, marked by the failed 'gays in the military' controversy and a stumble on his economic stimulus package that got filibustered. Still, he managed to sign the Family and Medical Leave Act, a lasting achievement for American worker

Major Laws Signed: 3Executive Orders Issued: 13Approval Rating at Day 100: 55 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Family and Medical Leave ActHistorian Ranking: 5.5/10

added by IJRin 11 rankingsBill Clinton

Jimmy Carter

Carter opened his term with a symbolic walk down Pennsylvania Avenue instead of riding in a limo, signaling a folksy, anti-establishment tone. He pardoned Vietnam draft evaders and pushed early energy conservation measures amid the ongoing oil crisis. His sincerity was evident, b

Major Laws Signed: 2Executive Orders Issued: 10Approval Rating at Day 100: 63 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Vietnam draft evader pardon & energy planHistorian Ranking: 5/10

added by IJRin 6 rankings

Richard Nixon

Nixon used his first 100 days for a methodical foreign policy review, quietly signaling openness to eventual Vietnam War de-escalation while avoiding bold domestic moves. His cautious, controlled style reflected a president more comfortable with strategy than spectacle. It was a

Major Laws Signed: 1Executive Orders Issued: 12Approval Rating at Day 100: 62 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Vietnam policy reviewHistorian Ranking: 5/10

added by IJRin 13 rankings

George H. W. Bush

Bush 41 leaned into a gentler, 'kinder and gentler' governing style, launching his Points of Light volunteerism initiative rather than sweeping legislation. His first 100 days were more about tone-setting after the Reagan era than dramatic policy shifts. Foreign policy triumphs w

Major Laws Signed: 1Executive Orders Issued: 8Approval Rating at Day 100: 58 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Points of Light volunteerism initiativeHistorian Ranking: 5/10

added by IJRin 3 rankingsGeorge H. W. Bush

George W. Bush

Bush 43 spent his first 100 days pushing his signature tax cut plan and laying the groundwork for the No Child Left Behind education reform. It was a conventional, policy-focused start overshadowed in retrospect by the crises that would define the rest of his presidency. Nothing

Major Laws Signed: 1Executive Orders Issued: 11Approval Rating at Day 100: 55 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Tax cut and education reform proposalsHistorian Ranking: 4.5/10

added by IJRin 8 rankingsGeorge W. Bush

Donald Trump

Trump's first 100 days were defined by executive action rather than legislation, most notably his controversial travel ban that sparked immediate legal battles and mass protests. His outsider approach and rapid-fire orders signaled a break from Washington norms but also produced

Major Laws Signed: 1Executive Orders Issued: 30Approval Rating at Day 100: 42 %Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Travel ban executive orderHistorian Ranking: 4/10

added by IJRin 10 rankings

Andrew Jackson

Jackson predates the modern '100 days' framework, but his early presidency is often cited for introducing the controversial spoils system, rewarding political allies with government jobs. His combative, populist style set a precedent for presidents who saw themselves as tribunes

Major Laws Signed: —Executive Orders Issued: —Approval Rating at Day 100: —Inherited Major Crisis: —Signature Achievement: Introduction of the spoils systemHistorian Ranking: 4/10

added by IJRin 9 rankings