The First 100 Days

Note: This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated for current use.

This week, a new President of the United States was sworn into office. The inauguration of a President is a solemn tradition for Americans. Every four years, we get a chance to welcome the leader of our nation and envision what our shared future will look like.

In his first 100 days in office, Franklin Delano Roosevelt enacted more policy change than had been seen from an American President before. Since then, Americans have expected the first 100 days of leadership by a new President to provide clues to the way the administration will govern in the years ahead. At a time when there are deep political divisions and anxieties in our country, the first 100 days of the incoming administration may feel even more crucial than ever before.

Regardless of your political leanings or your feelings about the new President and Vice-President, the beginning of any administration is about leadership — a subject that’s relevant for everyone. Talk about the concept of the first 100 days at your family dinner table with these conversation starters:

• If you were given 100 days to solve a major problem in the world, what problem would you want to solve? What would you do first?
• If you could add one thing to the incoming President’s list of things to do during his first 100 days, what would you add and why?
• 100 days is about 3 months. What are some things you might want to accomplish in your own life within the next 3 months?
• It’s often said that “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” What do you think that expression means? How does it apply to the Presidency?
• When the President is sworn into office, he will take an oath — a series of promises he’ll make to the people of the United States. If you could write the Oath of Office, what would you include?