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In March 1963, President Kennedy asked Richard E. Neustadt to investigate a troubling episode in U.S.-British relations. His confidential report--intended for a single reader, JFK himself, and classified for thirty years--is reproduced in its entirety.

The "Hundred Days" of 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt at the onset of his first term got sixteen major bills through Congress, is a poor guide to what contemporary presidents can plan or hope to do in their first three months. For one thing, under the Twentieth Amendment, Congress is already in regular session when they arrive, and three months takes one only to the Easter recess of the first session. For another thing, presidential "honeymoons" with the public, hence with Congress, rarely last until summer, while the crucial months for controversial bids usually come later. Third, brand‐new presidents and their associates in both the cabinet and White House tend to be too ignorant of Congress and of one another to take full advantage of the opportunities their first months bring.

The US presidency has been progressively weakened over the past three decades - to the point where it is probably weaker today than at almost any time in the preceding century. The formal powers of the office have been trimmed. Congress, in the absence of Cold War and domestic emergency, has reasserted itself on all scores. The modern revolution in communications has diminished the President's ability to convey his message to his people. Not least, the White House is grossly overstaffed. As a result of these developments, the presidency more resembles Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term, in its worst months, than either his first term or his third, and weaker than were those of any of his Cold War successors. (British Journal of Political Science / FUB)

The "Hundred Days" of 1933, when Franklin D. Roosevelt at the onset of his first term got 16 major bills through Congress, is a poor guide to what contemporary presidents can plan or hope to do in their first three months. For one thing, under the Twentieth Amendment, Congress is already in regular session when they arrive, & three months takes one only to the Easter recess of the first session. For another thing, presidential "honeymoons" with the public, hence with Congress, rarely last until summer, while the crucial months for controversial bills usually come later. Third, brand new presidents & their associates in both the cabinet & White House tend to be too ignorant of Congress & of one another to take full advantage of the opportunities their first months bring. Adapted from the source document.