Publications

Effective presidential transitions can earn the public’s trust

April 25, 2023

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Tags: Presidential Transition,Trust

Effective presidential transitions can earn the public’s trust

Presidential transitions can only be effective if the public trusts that the people involved will honor the results of democratic elections and value the need for new administrations to prepare to govern even before taking office. The Center for Presidential Transition® conducted a nationally representative survey to understand the country’s views on the custom of presidential transfers of power. The survey found that 56% of Americans agreed a peaceful transition would take place if a different candidate wins in 2024. By contrast, 44% of Americans did not think a transfer would be peaceful or were unsure. The public’s doubt should serve as both a call to action and an opportunity. Government leaders and organizations such as the Center must support public understanding of the importance of peaceful transitions as a critical function of our democracy.

The Pace of Appointments and Confirmations to Senate-confirmed Positions During a President’s First Two Years

January 26, 2023

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees,Data,Joe Biden

Presidents are responsible for about 4,000 political appointments, about 1,200 of which require Senate confirmation. The Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition has been tracking the rate of submissions and confirmations for each of the last few administrations. The following data was compiled to compare how President Joe Biden’s first two years in...

(Not So) Privileged Nomination Calendar: Nominees in a streamlined Senate confirmation process are taking almost 50% longer to confirm than all other nominees   

May 24, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees,Congress,Data,National Security

Tags: national security,political appointments,Senate confirmation

(Not So) Privileged Nomination Calendar: Nominees in a streamlined Senate confirmation process are taking almost 50% longer to confirm than all other nominees   

The Senate created the privileged nomination process more than a decade ago, a procedure designed to speed up the confirmation of nominees for roughly 280 positions that are typically noncontroversial. Despite this well-intentioned effort, nominees on the privileged calendar are worse off today than they were before the reform was adopted.

Slow Nominations and Confirmations Pose a Threat to National Security

May 24, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees,Congress,Data,National Security

Tags: national security,political appointments,Senate confirmation

Slow Nominations and Confirmations Pose a Threat to National Security

Data from the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition reveals chronic delays at nearly every step of the presidential nomination and congressional confirmation process—even for the national security positions that all stakeholders agree are essential to minimize threats during the first months of a new administration.

Leading Together

February 24, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Publication Tags: Appointees

Tags: employee engagement,political appointees

Leading Together

One of the most influential elements of employee engagement is leadership, a critical issue for the federal government and its civilian employees who are led by both Senate-confirmed appointees and career executives. This exploratory analysis by the Partnership for Public Service's Center for Presidential Transition and Boston Consulting Group reviewed whether there is any difference in federal employee engagement if agency subcomponents are led by political appointees or by members of the career Senior Executive Service.

The 2020-21 Presidential Transition: Lessons Learned and Recommendations

January 20, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Tags: Center for Presidential Transition,Congress,federal agencies,Presidential Transition,Senate,White House

A new report by the Partnership and Boston Consulting Group looks back at the 2020-21 presidential transition and offers key recommendations to improve future transfers of power.

Joe Biden’s First Year in Office: Nominations and Confirmations

January 9, 2022

Publication Type: Research and Publications

The Partnership for Public Service’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, examining his nominations and confirmations from Jan. 20, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021.

Pace of confirmations: How does Biden compare with previous presidents at the August recess?

September 9, 2021

Publication Type: Research and Publications

Presidents are responsible for about 4,000 political appointments, about 1,200 of which require Senate confirmation. This paper includes a comparison of how President Joe Biden’s pace of appointments and confirmations compares with the previous three presidents at the August recess. For a detailed list of many key nominees and their statuses, see the Biden Political Appointee...