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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...

Sasha conducts quantitative and qualitative research to support the Center for Presidential Transition. She maintains the Partnership’s political appointee tracker and analyzes data to inform the Center’s recommendations for improving the transition process. Sasha’s experience studying decision-making in U.S. foreign policy inspired her to work on issues of national security. Her favorite public servant is...

Austin Laufersweiler leads media strategy and engagement for the Partnership. Austin is also the Partnership’s primary contact for press and media requests. Austin’s professional experience in U.S. House and Senate offices, plus his background in campaigns and issue advocacy nonprofits, drives his commitment to make the federal government a more effective force for public good....

Betsy Super oversees operational activities and the integration of the Center’s work across the Partnership. Previously, Betsy worked in nonprofits and at universities, including on programs connecting public servants and the public with relevant social science research. She has been interested in how public service can improve people’s lives since learning about how her grandfather,...

The Partnership’s Ready to Govern program aims to equip political appointees with the tools, resources and strategies they need to be successful and make meaningful change at their agencies. The Center has developed online resources for political appointees on priority topics to support their understanding of federal government processes, structures and relationships. These resources are informed by current and former political appointees...

This is a memorandum to agency transition directors and agency points of contact on transition from Anita Breckenridge, deputy chief of staff at the White House, Andrew Mayock, deputy director for management at OMB and Tim Horne, federal transition coordinator at GSA. The memo, released on Sept. 14, 2016, provides guidance on presidential transition preparations,...

This memo shares guidance and deadlines on transition planning to the President’s Management Council from the White House and OMB officials, including Alyssa Mastromonaco, Jeff Zients, Chris Lu and Nancy Hogan from August 2012. It includes guidance regarding naming a career agency lead for transition preparations, reviewing lines of succession, preparing agency briefing materials.