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The Presidential Transition: What Happens Next? 
The peaceful transition of power between presidents is a hallmark of American democracy, ensuring the government continues to function smoothly regardless of political change. But what exactly happens after Election Day?  Here’s an overview of the key steps in the post-election presidential transition process and why it’s critical for the stability of our democracy.  1.…
Presidential Transition
November 07, 2024
The public’s confidence in the peaceful transfer of power has increased, although one-third still have doubts 
As Election Day approaches, much attention has been paid to the difficult events that occurred during the post-election period four years ago. However, confidence that the upcoming presidential election will lead to a peaceful transfer of power has increased dramatically over the past six months.   Regardless of the outcome of the election, the public overwhelmingly…
Presidential Transition
October 23, 2024
How federal transition service providers support effective presidential transitions
Presidential transitions are complex operations that involve coordination across the federal government. A handful of agencies play a crucial role in preparing the government for an effective transfer of power. As election day approaches, here is a brief overview of these agencies, their responsibilities and how they support presidential transition planning.  General Services Administration   GSA…
Presidential Transition
October 10, 2024
What is the presidential transition process? 
This post was updated on Oct. 24, 2024. Presidential campaigns get all the attention, but transition work is also happening right now.   Although Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump started transition planning later than is ideal, both now have teams in place working on policy issues and identifying potential political appointees in…
Presidential Transition
October 08, 2024
Presidential appointments are hard to track – and growing 
Every new president faces the management challenge of filling out the leadership ranks of federal agencies with more than 4,000 presidential appointees. The most senior of those positions must go through an increasingly difficult and lengthy Senate confirmation process. While figuring out how many positions require Senate confirmation would seem to be straightforward, getting a…
Political Appointment / Presidential Transition
September 26, 2024
What the 9/11 Commission Found: Slow Confirmations Imperil U.S. National Security
For senior officials, many of their records are permanently valuable and one day will be sent to the National Archives to help document the country’s history. As senior officials often enter and leave federal service during times of presidential transition, there are several things they should know to properly manage and preserve their records.
September 11, 2024