Franklin Roosevelt, 1933
Domestic: Enters office during the Great Depression, in which the nation suffered through bank closures, farm foreclosures and soaring unemployment. His actions to counter the Depression alter the role and reach of the federal government. Held dozens of news conferences and “fireside chat” radio broadcasts to reassure the public.
Legislation: Works with special session of Congress to pass 15 major bills to combat economic crisis. Programs created include the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to protect bank accounts, Tennessee Valley Authority for regional development, the first farm credit act, the Civil Conservation Corps and other public- works programs.
World: Roosevelt’s first 100 days focused on the domestic economic crisis and not foreign policy.
Lyndon Johnson, 1965
Domestic: Enters first elected term following landslide victory with ambitious government social plans intended to mirror or surpass FDR’s New Deal.
Legislation: Begins work with Congress that leads to the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, federal education aid, changes in immigration quotas and environmental protections by the end of the year. Continues his “War on Poverty” that started when he took office in 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
World: Begins “Operation Rolling Thunder,” a massive bombing campaign of North Vietnam. Delivers his first major address on Vietnam a month later. The war will increasingly demand the resources and focus of Johnson’s administration.
Ronald Reagan, 1981
Domestic: Enters office pushing for smaller government to spur sputtering economy and reinvigorate prestige abroad. Reagan was shot in an assassination attempt on his 69th day in office and gained momentum as Americans rallied around their recovering president.
Legislation: Sees budget curbing federal spending pass with bipartisan support. De-emphasizes social spending in favor of increased defense spending. Moves to deregulate conservation and pollution rules to spur growth in the oil and auto industries.
World: Refocuses U.S. foreign policy by ratcheting up rhetoric against terrorism and communist ambitions around the world. Reagan’s inaugural coincides with the release of 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days.
Sources: AP, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Denver Post archives. Compiled by Barry Osborne, The Denver Post
