The Presidency / The First Year

Gold plate on back of chair that says "the president"

Joe Biden at one year

Presidential experts evaluate the 46th president's first year in office

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Donald Trump at one year

White House veterans and Miller Center scholars evaluate the 45th president's first 365 days

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First Year Project Introduction

Watch this overview of the First Year Project

Civil War Battlefield

The Presidency

The worst first year

Abraham Lincoln experienced a unique initial year in the presidency. No other incoming president has faced a comparable challenge to the stability of the country.
Gary Gallagher
Miller Center
American City

Politics

Go local

While our broken politics have been difficult to watch, there has been a silver lining to the dysfunction: It has helped spark a burst of positive, pragmatic energy in the nation’s cities and metropolitan areas. Cities and metros have been forging ambitious, bottom-up solutions in nearly every area of national importance.
Bruce Katz
Brookings Institution
Donkey, White House, Elephant

Governance

Scenario planning

As we look beyond the 2016 election season, there seem to be three prospects for the partisan makeup of the federal government next year.
Kyle Kondik
University of Virginia
Workplace

Governance

The POTUS as CEO-TUS

While not all lessons from the private sector are transferrable to the public sector, and many successful business leaders find their skills challenged in the unique government environment, there are nevertheless lessons for this transition period that CEOs can offer the next president and other new senior leaders entering the government.
McKinsey & Company

The Presidency

By the Book: James Garfield

Our First Year team of experts offers essential readings on the 20th president
Bryan Craig
Miller Center