Joe Biden faced a tall order upon assuming the presidency. The United States was in the throes of a pandemic, unprecedented economic upheaval and was coming to grips with the first attack on the US Capitol in two centuries. Broadly, Biden’s task was to heal a wounded and divided nation, with a large proportion of the electorate seeing his election win as illegitimate, and his own supporters hungry for urgent and dramatic action on a range of issues spanning pandemic recovery to multilateral action on climate change.

Crossing the threshold of 100 days in office is not a formal marker, but it does give an important early indication of the priorities and governing style of a presidency. It was during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first months in office — in the depths of the Great Depression in 1933 — that the significance of an administration’s first hundred days became cemented in popular consciousness. Can the president take advantage of the “political honeymoon” afforded by coming to power at a time of crisis, and if so, how? Do the actions undertaken during this window build or deplete political capital? What does the governing style of the president portend for the remainder of his time in office? How is the administration being structured organisationally? Who is being appointed to what roles?

All of these “first 100 days” questions are especially relevant in the case of the Biden presidency, coming to power during the deepest crisis to confront the United States in decades, and seeking to implement the most consequential presidential agenda in generations.

This compilation seeks to introduce key Biden administration appointees and highlight their significance for Australia. Not every cabinet or senior staff member is included, our focus being on roles that are the most consequential for Australia and its national interests. The observations and analysis here provide insights into what may be expected in the next hundred days, and the 1,260 thereafter.After 100 days of the Biden administration, it is abundantly clear this administration represents a significant departure from the Trump, Obama and Bush presidencies. Resounding proof of this can be found in Biden’s appointments for top-level cabinet positions and key advisory roles.

Diversity. Nearly 55 per cent of Biden’s cabinet is non-white and 45 per cent is female. The nomination of the most diverse cabinet in US history, a cabinet that “looks like America”, is an especially celebrated distinguishing feature of Biden’s first 100 days. Indeed, of the 15 members in this compilation alone, seven represent the first minority to ever hold their position – from the first Black American to lead the Pentagon, to the first female Secretary of Treasury.

Experience. Reviewing Biden’s appointments closely, several more observations can be made. Biden’s cabinet pieces together a ‘team of careerists’ – ambitious experts with stellar reputations for achievements at the top levels in academia, public service, law and the military. In fact, 14 of the 15 members covered here have previously served in a presidential administration, formerly occupying positions as advisors to the president and vice president, members of the National Economic Council and even secretary of state.

Several members also worked together to implement policy during the Obama years, including many who worked as advisors to Biden himself. This group is not only highly qualified, but well-known to each other and deeply trusted by President Biden. They are trusted to get the job done and to demonstrate commitment to the administration’s policy agenda.

A president’s cabinet and senior staff filled with highly capable Ivy League alumni is far from unique. Most administrations have countless Ivy Leaguers in senior roles. Forty-one per cent of Biden’s staff carry an Ivy League degree (compared with 21 per cent for all Trump’s aides). Yet what is notable about each of Biden’s appointees is not so much their unique (or controversial) postures on policy, their outsized personalities, or their loyalty to a particular brand of Democratic politics, but rather their professional accomplishments and broad experience. However, in contrast to President Obama’s ‘team of rivals’, this cohort generally tow moderate and compatible politics and personalities and, upon appointment, were largely praised for their expertise, graciousness and ability to work across the political spectrum.

What does all this mean? For one, it indicates the unique challenges presented by the Trump administration and pandemic have not only shifted the political priorities of senior government officials, but may have also shifted their approach to government. Seemingly unprecedented questions about the future of US democracy have likely crystallised a common goal and have helped minimise infighting in the early Biden administration.

By reviewing key players in the Biden administration, this compilation will not just summarise their accomplishments and apparent modus operandi, but analyse trends and priorities to provide targeted insights for Australian decision-makers.

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