What's the big deal with the First 100 Days" of a presidency?

The "First 100 Days" refer to a new president's first few months in office. Presidents use these first days to set priorities and the tone for the coming 4 years. Presidential observers use the time period to gauge a new president's job performance.

How did the "First 100 Days" become a benchmark?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt coined the term "First 100 Days" to mark his first term's historic legislative productivity. Roosevelt and Congress produced 15 major pieces of legislation to lay the groundwork for the New Deal--a demonstration of speed unheard of then and unmatched since. FDR set a precedent for subsequent presidents to follow.

How did that work out for other presidents?

Unevenly. John F. Kennedy authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion during his first 100 days. Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. Ronald Reagan passed historic tax cuts. Barack Obama pushed Congress to adopt the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The list goes on. You can find more notable episodes from presidents' "First 100 days," at iCivics.

What can we expect in Joe Biden's "First 100 Days"?

Joe Biden's priorities for the First 100 Days include COVID-19 relief and recovery, immigration reform, climate change, and racial justice. Unlike FDR's "First 100 Days," Biden cannot rely heavily on congressional cooperation. He may not need to, however, due to the large number of administrative tools available to contemporary presidents. All of the major news outlets will continue to track Biden's policy agenda. You could learn a lot about how American democracy works by picking one and following along.