By John Shaffer “One hundred days” has been somewhat of a standard for incoming presidential administrations since the heady days of the New Deal, when the Roosevelt Administration passed a flurry of legislation and implemented a series of regulations aimed at combating the Great Depression. Among the major steps were a bank holiday, taking America off the Gold Standard, and regulations to take control of the economy, banking and agriculture. No administration since then has compiled as extensive a record – but none since then had a Great Depression to confront, either. For better or worse, FDR’s 100 Days remade the government’s approach to the economy and greatly expanded the power of Washington at the expense of the private sector and state and local government. We should not judge any presidency by only its first 100 days. The Trump Administration’s “100 Days” faced a unique set of challenges, and many of its first steps aimed at undoing actions of the previous administration. The Trump administration misfired in its attempt to “repeal and replace” Obamacare, and, lacking the one-sided majorities in Congress that FDR enjoyed has been unable to pass a similar wave of legislation. Remember, presidential terms last four years, not 100 days, so we should be careful not to judge this or any administration solely by its ability to pass major legislation within 100 days.
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