Comparing American Presidencies: Leadership in the First Hundred Days of Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden

Since Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency (1933–1945), the First Hundred Days have served as an early measure of a president’s ability to set the national agenda, establish priorities, and navigate political challenges. While acknowledging the limitations of evaluating an administration based on this short period, the first hundred days often provide important insight into leadership style, policy direction, and governance strategy. This chapter examines the early days of four modern US presidents—George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden—through public opinion surveys, assessing how their initial decisions shaped their administrations. The findings reveal deep partisan divisions, making it difficult to form a unified assessment of presidential effectiveness. Political polarization and media influence reinforce an “us versus them” mentality, distorting public perception and complicating efforts to evaluate leadership objectively. Despite these challenges, public opinion surveys remain a valuable tool for analyzing presidential leadership, particularly when expanded to account for issues of gender, race, and identity. This chapter argues that improving survey methodologies and ensuring diverse representation can provide a more accurate and balanced assessment of presidential performance, offering deeper insights into the dynamics of leadership in an increasingly polarized political landscape.