The president-elect and his transition team must make effective use of the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day so as to "hit the ground running."
Transition Nuts and Bolts
After the excitement of
Election Night, it is time to turn attention to building a new administration.
In fact, preparation for the transition will have been underway, quietly,
for some time. During the latter part of the campaign, major candidates
will have announced someone to head up the transition and probably set
up transition advisory boards or committees.
Now, however, it's the real thing. Amid euphoria and exhaustion, responsibility looms. Expectations are high. The one-time candidate must assume a "presidential aura." The president-elect and his transition team must make effective use of the time so as to "hit the ground running."
Charles Jones, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, has an interesting way of describing the process. He notes that the campaign is centered around one person, the candidate. After the campaign, the challenge is "attaching that person to the government."
If the White House changes party, the transition will be a major undertaking, requiring skilled management. Even if control remains within the same party, the new man or woman will want to bring in his own people. A certain amount of tension in this period is inevitable. People who have worked hard on the campaign now see others being brought in to manage the transition. There is much jockeying for position, various constituencies make their cases, and resumes proliferate.
The transition is not only the beginning of a new administration, but the end of an old one. Handing over the reins of power requires considerable preparation on the side of the outgoing administration. The new team must be briefed; records must be boxed and filed. During its waning days, the outgoing administration will also endeavor to get as much done as possible, attempting to produce some last accomplishments to add to its legacy and making a final round of appointments, executive orders, regulations, and pardons.
The president-elect's Cabinet selections make headlines, but in the transition office the focus is on the nitty gritty of building a new administration. Careful attention to selecting sub-cabinet personnel, learning about the pending issues in various agencies, and figuring out what policy initiatives to advance. Myriad sub-Cabinet posts must be filled, including deputy secretaries and agency heads. The White House staff also takes shape. There is no shortage of aspirants for positions in the administration; the transition office will receive tens of thousands of resumes. Care must also be taken to avoid early flaps which can undercut the fledgling administration's effectiveness and support.
Senate confirmation hearings
of Cabinet nominees should begin in relevant committees starting in January
2009. Each nominee will have a team to guide him or her through the
confirmation process; there are policy, legal, press and congressional
affairs aspects to consider. Traditionally the Senate will not block
a nominee unless he or she has ethical problems or is not qualified.
Office of Personnel
Management--Transition to a New Presidential Administration
The Presidential Appointee
Initiative (Brookings)
The Transition to Governing
Project (AEI, Brookings and Hoover)
| Copyright © 2006 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action |
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