What is the Center for Presidential Transition®?
The Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition serves as the premier nonpartisan source of information and resources to help presidential candidates and their teams lay the groundwork for a new administration or for a president’s second term.
The Center for Presidential Transition has a new book that explores the inner workings and impacts of America’s most important transitions. “The Peaceful Transfer of Power: An Oral History of Presidential Transitions” puts into narrative form a series of illuminating interviews with historians and transition experts across the last eight presidential transitions that were published on the Center’s “Transition Lab” podcast.
Since 2008, the Center for Presidential Transition has worked alongside incumbent administrations, transition teams and career agency leaders to ensure effective planning and a smooth hand-off between presidents and to second terms. The book brings the Center’s library of knowledge to life and features a remarkable cast of contributors and a foreword by celebrated American chronicler and filmmaker Ken Burns.
“The Peaceful Transfer of Power” will serve as a resource and compelling read for future and past presidential transition personnel, people passionate about good governance, journalists, and policymakers who believe in safeguarding the hallmark of American democracy.
Buy the book Listen to the podcast
LATEST FROM THE CENTER
Resources for New Political Appointees
Serving America through a presidential appointment is a great honor and responsibility. To guide political appointees in their roles, the Center for Presidential Transition’s Ready to Govern® program has published a new set of online resources, including tools, strategies and tried-and-true methods to make meaningful change at their agencies. These tips and lessons learned serve as resources for federal leaders during their service in government.
Access the resources
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.
RESEARCH
Joe Biden’s First Year in Office: Nominations and Confirmations
The Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition has been tracking Senate-confirmed presidential appointments since late 2016. This year, we tracked and analyzed how President Joe Biden’s first year in office compares with the previous three presidents.
Read More
Senate Confirmation Process Slows to a Crawl
Despite changes in technology and Senate rules, the official confirmation process takes more than twice as long now as it did during President Ronald Reagan’s administration.
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The Vacancies Act: Frequently Asked Questions
The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 aims to encourage the president to fill the critical leadership positions requiring Senate confirmation by limiting the amount of days someone can serve in those roles in an acting capacity.
DownloadTOP RESOURCES
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.
Learn moreOUR PODCAST
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.
Listen now
HAPPENING NOW
Senate Confirmation for 1,200 jobs is Holding Biden Back
May 4, 2021
Publication Type: In the News
Within hours of his inauguration, President Joe Biden had staffed around 1,100 key federal appointments, an unprecedented number that speaks to the excellent work of his personnel team during a difficult transition. Yet this accomplishment was only possible because the roles did not require Senate confirmation.
Opinion: For Biden, 44 confirmations down, only 1,156 to go
May 2, 2021
Publication Type: In the News
The Biden administration is winning praise because it managed to get 44 appointees through Senate confirmation and into their offices by its 100th day.
The Sunday shows are back, baby
April 14, 2021
Publication Type: In the News
The Partnership for Public Service’ Center for Presidential Transition, a nonpartisan group that works with presidential transition teams from both parties during the election year, is out with a new report on Biden’s transition, calling it “one of the most well-planned transitions in history.”
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Our VP of Federal Workforce Programs talked with @MSR_Adam from @GovExec about the challenges that federal agencies face in recruiting and retaining talent and the importance of continuing to modernize and serve the public mission. 🎧 https://hubs.la/Q01HRsXB0
