LATEST FROM THE CENTER
READY TO SERVE
Serving America through a presidential appointment is a great honor and responsibility. But, preparing to serve can be a complicated process and getting started early is important. Ready to Serve is our new, centralized resource that guides candidates through every step of the process.
Learn moreOur Ready to Serve webinar series is for aspiring political appointees.
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Biden Joins the Club: Each of the Previous Five Presidents Had an Early Cabinet Nominee Withdraw
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Follow More Than 750 Key Government Appointments with the Biden Political Appointee Tracker
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LATEST RESEARCH
Ready to Govern
Political appointees are responsible for executing on the new administration’s ambitious agenda. Through its Ready to Govern series, the Partnership prepares political executives to get up to speed quickly and deliver results for the American people.
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Pace of Nominations: How Does Biden Compare With Previous Presidents?
Presidents are responsible for about 4,000 political appointments, about 1,250 of which require Senate confirmation. They must also staff the White House.
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Senate Traditionally Confirms First Cabinet Secretaries Within Days of Inauguration
Having Cabinet positions filled by Senate-confirmed appointees benefits new administrations – and more importantly, the country – by enabling presidents to hit the ground running, especially during times of crisis.
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2020 Presidential Transition Guide
The Partnership’s comprehensive guide on the activities required during the transition. This updated guide, produced in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, features detailed outlines of transition best practices, historical materials from past transitions, and recommendations for a successful presidential transition to a new or second-term administration.
2020 Agency Transition Guide
Based on convenings with transition leaders from nearly 40 agencies, the Partnership and The Boston Consulting Group have compiled best practices into a guide for senior career leaders.
Presidential Transition Act Summary
In passing the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, Congress explained: “Any disruption occasioned by the transfer of the executive power could produce results detrimental to the safety and well-being of the United States and its people.” To promote the orderly transfer of power, Congress established a framework for the federal government to prepare for a transition from one president to another.
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Transition Lab
Transition Lab is a behind-the-scenes look at presidential transitions. Join David Marchick for candid discussions with former presidential chiefs of staff, transition team leads and other presidential transition experts. Transition Lab is a must-listen for anyone interested in developing a better understanding of what needs to happen before a president takes office or starts a second term.
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HAPPENING NOW
At some agencies, acting leadership often outlasted permanent appointees over last 4 years
January 27, 2021
Publication Type: In the News
Every new administration faces the difficult task of filling thousands of key leadership and policymaking jobs. The Trump administration left open more non-competitive positions near the end of its four years in office than the previous two terms, and for some agencies, acting executives outlasted permanent leadership in several key jobs in the federal government.
Biden Administration Has Four Nominees Confirmed So Far
January 26, 2021
Publication Type: In the News
The Biden administration is almost a week old and so far has four Cabinet-level appointees confirmed, after having fewer hearings before Inauguration Day than recent predecessors. Throughout the transition, the Biden team stressed the need to be ready to govern on day one amid the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession, and then after the deadly riots…
For Biden’s team, a transition many months in the making
January 18, 2021
Publication Type: In the News
President-elect Biden’s transition team faced unprecedented hurdles but still set new marks for staffing and fundraising. When Biden takes the oath in two days, he will have an administration with more key positions filled than some of his recent predecessors had and a policy process ready to tackle the multiple challenges he will face. David…
The Partnership for Public Service and the Federal Communicators Network hosted a panel discussion on how agencies can effectively and ethically manage their social media accounts during leadership transitions.
Learn more: http://pps.is/8h14
Two-thirds of President Biden’s 15 Cabinet secretary nominees have been confirmed. At a comparable time, the previous four presidents had 91% of their Cabinet picks confirmed. Delays in confirming Cabinet positions matter and can have lasting impacts: https://presidentialtransition.org/blog/why-delays-in-confirming-bidens-cabinet-matter-sub-cabinet-positions-are-rarely-filled-until-the-cabinet-secretary-is-confirmed/
Taxpayers have invested $2.6 trillion into responding and recovering from this pandemic. But who oversees this spending? How do we, as a country, ensure accountability?
The answer: @COVID_Oversight. Learn more at our virtual event: http://pps.is/fu2e