Home / Presidential Transition

A well-resourced presidential transition enables an incoming administration to prepare for the complex task of governing, appoint key personnel and address immediate national and global challenges from day one. But how much does this crucial endeavor cost and where does this funding come from? 

The Price of a Transition  

Presidential transitions are expensive undertakings and costs easily run into the tens of millions of dollars. The incoming team must quickly prepare by securing office space, setting up technology, training staff and appointing about 4,000 political appointees, including Cabinet and senior White House officials. These expenses are met by private fundraising sources and federal appropriations.  

Public Funding for Transitions 

Recognizing the need for an effective transfer of power, Congress passed the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, creating a framework to provide federal support and resources to eligible candidates and their teams as they prepare for office. The General Services Administration received $10.4 million for its pre-election activities in its fiscal 2024 appropriation aimed at supporting over 100 members of each eligible candidate’s pre-election team at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

For fiscal 2025, GSA requested $11.2 million to assist the president-elect after the 2024 election, with $7.2 million set aside for supporting the incoming administration. This support provides the president-elect’s team with funding for compensation of transition staff, costs associated with travel, communications services and printing and postage costs. 

Private Funding for Transitions 

Since 2012, presidential transition teams have relied on a combination of public and private funding to support their pre- and post-election preparations. In that year, Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s transition team became the first to utilize pre-election funding available under the 2010 update of the transition law while also spending $1.4 million in private donations to cover additional costs. 

In 2016, President Donald Trump’s transition team also used public funding and $4.6 million from private contributions to help facilitate its transition efforts. Similarly, in 2020, President Joe Biden’s transition team also accepted the public funding available in addition to supplementing it with privately raised funds. The Biden team spent $24.3 million of the privately raised money to ensure a smooth transition of power. 

As of this blog’s publication, President-elect Trump’s 2024 transition team has not yet signed the GSA’s Memorandum of Understanding. Signing the MOU is a prerequisite for accessing public funding and comes with requirements such as publicly disclosing privately raised funds and adhering to a $5,000 limit on individual private donations. 

To learn more about the presidential transition process and how presidents-elect prepare to take office, visit the Center for Presidential Transition website. 

This blog post was authored by Christian Aguirre, an intern with the Center for Presidential Transition. 

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. Recognizing the election winner and providing transition services 

Once there is a concession—or the General Services Administration administrator determines a “sole apparent successful candidate”— GSA continues to provide support to the president-elect and vice president-elect for up to 60 days after the inauguration. This includes providing funds to pay expenses for staff, experts, postage and transition team travel. The agency also helps members of a president-elect’s transition staff access federal agencies as part of the agency review process. 

Typically, three agreements are put in place between a candidate’s team and the federal government to facilitate the transition: one to receive support services from GSA; one with the White House that sets the conditions for an incoming administration to access federal agencies after the election; and another with the Justice Department regarding security clearance requests for prospective transition team members who will need to access classified information. The agreements also require candidates to make public their ethics plan for the transition team and limit private contributions to the transition effort. 

2. Conducting agency review 

The agency review process enables new administrations to understand the major challenges facing federal departments. Transition review teams are responsible for gathering information on current operations, budgets and pressing issues that the new administration will need to address. This allows the president-elect’s team to understand the state of the government and begin crafting policy plans for the early days of the new administration. 

The agency review process should give the incoming transition team members sufficient time to be briefed and familiarize themselves with the work of the agencies. 

3. Personnel selection and vetting 

To govern effectively, incoming presidents must fill approximately 4,000 political positions, with over 1,300 requiring Senate confirmation, including roles like Cabinet secretaries, agency heads, deputy and assistant secretaries and general counsels. This process involves a rigorous vetting of candidates to ensure they meet legal, ethical and security standards. 

Presidential personnel experts often say “people are policy.” Personnel decisions are critical not only for shaping the president-elect’s agenda but also for ensuring the smooth operation of government from day one. Many of these positions require Senate confirmation, so thoughtful introductions and coordination with Congress are essential to avoid delays. 

4. National security preparations 

The incoming president’s national security team must be offered a briefing on the most sensitive and classified matters to ensure continuity in the protection of the United States. These briefings often include information on ongoing military operations, intelligence assessments, and counterterrorism strategies.  

Additionally, the departing administration is required to facilitate at least one tabletop exercise designed to prepare the president-elect’s team for effectively handling a national security crisis.  

Why a smooth transition matters 

A well-managed presidential transition is critical to the country’s stability. It allows the incoming administration to hit the ground running, minimizing disruptions to government services, national security and the economy. When the transition is smooth, it reflects the resilience of American democracy and its institutions. 

Conversely, delays or inefficiencies during the transition can lead to gaps in leadership, slow the government’s response to crises, and undermine public trust. The peaceful transfer of power between administrations is one of the most visible demonstrations of democracy in action, and ensuring it happens smoothly is vital for the well-being of the nation. 

For a detailed overview of the transition process and what to expect in the coming months, we invite you to explore our transition resources.

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 plays a central leadership role during each presidential transition. It provides support to eligible candidates, interagency transition teams, the presidential inauguration and the outgoing needs of the president and vice-president. Central to this process is the federal transition coordinator who coordinates transition planning across agencies and serves as the primary liaison with the candidates’ teams. 

The transition coordinator also reports regularly to Congress on the status of transition planning at six and three months out from the election (see here). In addition, the GSA prepares the Presidential Transition Directory that provides key information about the federal government’s structure and policies related to presidential transitions. The directory includes contributions from other agencies, such as the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Personnel Management. 

Department of Justice  

DOJ serves as the lead authority on granting security clearances for transition members of major party candidates. The FBI conducts background investigations prior to the election for transition team members who will need access to classified information post-election. All personnel seeking clearance must complete the SF-86 form, which the FBI reviews on an expedited basis for interim-level clearances. If transition team members from the successful candidate’s team are later nominated for positions requiring clearance, a more comprehensive investigation will be conducted post-election to grant permanent clearances. 

While the FBI handles investigations, the DOJ’s Security Emergency and Planning Staff adjudicates clearance decisions. During the transition, the DOJ maintains a list of transition team members with interim clearances and shares it with each agency’s transition director and security team, ensuring that only those with proper clearance can access classified information. 

Office of Government Ethics  

Ethics and transparency are core components of the presidential transition, and OGE guides incoming and outgoing officials through the complexities of ethics compliance. One of its key responsibilities is to review and approve Form 278e, a public financial disclosure form, which most nominees are required to submit before assuming office. This review helps incoming appointees resolve potential conflicts of interest before they take office. 

For outgoing officials, OGE provides ethics guidance to help them navigate post-government employment restrictions. It also publishes a Presidential Transition Guide in the late autumn to assist nominees by outlining the nomination process, offering tips for completing financial disclosure reports and providing important details about government ethics considerations.  

To further support the transition process, OGE may deploy ethics officers directly to transition team sites to assist with completing and reviewing disclosure forms. OGE also manages the INTEGRITY system, an online tool that tracks and reviews financial disclosures, streamlining the process for both appointees and ethics officers. 

Office of Personnel Management  

OPM supports the federal government and transition teams by offering data and guidance on personnel matters. Within 15 days of their formal party nominations, OPM provides each party’s national committee with a detailed list of all politically appointed/Senate-confirmed positions, enabling the incoming administration to begin selecting individuals for key roles. OPM also prepares the Plum Book, historically published every four years shortly after the election. The Plum Book lists high-level executive, political and policymaking positions across the government. 

Under new legislation passed in 2023, OPM will begin for the first time replacing the Plum Book with data on a public-facing website containing regularly updated information on high-ranking personnel in every administration. This will provide more up-to-date information on the leadership and organization of federal agencies, including an administration’s top leaders and placement of political appointees, along with many positions filled by senior career officials in the civil service. After the 2024 election, the Plum Book will be replaced entirely with the web-based database. 

OPM also publishes a transition guide which includes guidance for an incoming team as they navigate the complexities of federal employment—from pay scales to benefits—ensuring informed decisions when filling critical positions.  

National Archives and Records Administration  

Federal agency documents—ranging from notes to memos and even text messages—are part of the public record. NARA ensures these records are preserved and protected. It collaborates with agencies and the White House to archive materials from the outgoing administration and trains the incoming team on proper records management throughout their term. At the end of each presidency, NARA takes custody of the outgoing administration’s records, both physical and digital, preserving them for historical, legal and public use. This work upholds transparency and accountability in our government. 

Alex Claycomb is a former fellow with the Center for Presidential Transition® 

Every presidential administration has the opportunity to appoint approximately 4,000 individuals to carry out the elected president’s agenda, and talented people are always needed to serve in these roles. 

So whether you are interested in finding a place in the current administration or the one that begins in 2025, it’s best to consider if an appointment is right for you and how you can prepare to navigate the  process. 

The Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition helps aspiring appointees by providing a wealth of information through our nonpartisan Ready to Serve® centralized online resource.  

Aside from the most senior political appointees that you hear about such as secretaries and deputy secretaries of Cabinet departments, there are many different roles that support the work of the president and their administration. There are four types of appointments: presidential appointments with Senate confirmation; presidential appointments without Senate confirmation; non-career Senior Executive Service; and Schedule C.  

How do I become a political appointee? 

For more information about political appointments and other aspects of presidential transition, check out the Center for Presidential Transition’s website. 

Given the incredible complexity of managing the federal government, new presidents have found outside think tanks and other organizations to be helpful partners as sources of expertise, personnel and broad perspectives.

The short-lived and hectic sprint of a campaign leaves little time for presidential candidates to master the details of the job. However, nongovernmental organizations hold reserves of institutional knowledge and can fill in gaps to help a new administration prepare for office.

Since 2008, the Center for Presidential Transition has been one of these groups. As a nonpartisan entity pursuing better government and stronger democracy, we provide resources to all presidential candidates preparing for a first or second term. We do not advise candidates on the substance of policies, only on best practices to enact them and create an effective, well-run administration.

Since standing up in 2008, the Center has supported  the leading presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle with resources such as the Presidential Transition Guide, Agency Transition Guide, and Ready to Govern content to prepare for their potential administrations. Other groups, including the University of Virginia’s Miller Center and the White House Transition Project, also provide nonpartisan analysis and resources. Nonpartisan organizations resist the partisanship that frames so much conversation about government and offer clear-eyed best practices for the most effective operation of the executive branch. 

Other groups help with the “what” of governing in addition to the “how.” Many of these organizations have a perspective, and any administration will gravitate to ones that align with their political goals. Previous presidents recruited personnel and policy from these groups to great effect.

For example, the Heritage Foundation produced its first “Mandate for Leadership” in 1981 and the Reagan administration implemented nearly two-thirds of its 2,000 policy recommendations, with Reagan crediting Heritage as a “vital force” in his presidency’s successes. Heritage released the ninth edition of its “Mandate for Leadership” in 2023.

Later, the Obama administration took into account the work of two newer think tanks, the Center for a New American Security and the Center for American Progress, both of which were founded by alumni of previous Democratic administrations. They adopted ideas and recruited personnel from these organizations: the Wall Street Journal called CNAS a “top farm team” for his administration and CAP was cited as “Obama’s idea factory.”

This election cycle, a few new groups are promoting both policies and transition planning. Recent headlines have made much of their existence, but these are not the first groups to prepare policy for a prospective administration.

Voters choose which specific path they wish the government to take, but the task of enacting campaign promises deserves significant and thoughtful preparation by candidates – both by an incumbent seeking re-election and by the challenger. No matter who wins the election, the public interest requires thoughtful advance planning on policy, personnel and management issues, and that all parties follow law and tradition to ensure a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.

Featured image: CBS’ Margaret Brennan and former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel during the Center for Presidential Transition 2024 kickoff event.

Nearly half of political agency leaders leave within the first six months of a second term

While planning for presidential transitions is most often associated with candidates running to be a first-time president, incumbents seeking re-election must also engage in transition planning for a second term. 

Recent administrations have tended to view a second term as a continuation of the first as opposed to an opportunity to transition to a new administration with refreshed goals, improved processes and new leadership. As Josh Bolten, President George W. Bush’s chief of staff, said, “Every two-term presidency has had the same problem, which is the president doesn’t think of it as a transition.” 

A major reason to plan ahead is that incumbent presidents should expect high levels of turnover among  top political appointees. In fact, for recent two-term administrations, almost half of top agency leaders leave soon after a re-election victory. Presidents running for a second term should seek to retain top talent whenever possible and identify replacements prepared for the arduous Senate confirmation process.

Data compiled by the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition shows that for the last three two-term presidents, an average of 46% of their top Senate-confirmed officials serving on Election Day left their jobs within the first six months of the second terms. These include Cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries and undersecretaries. On average, 11% of those serving on Election Day resigned their positions even before the re-elected president’s second inauguration, while 31% were no longer serving within three months into the second term.  

Turnover is generally high at the Cabinet level. During the period between the election and the early months of the second term, five Cabinet secretaries left the Clinton administration, nine departed the Bush administration and seven left the Obama administration.

The need to plan for a transition to a potential second term 

Agency leaders leave for a variety of reasons, whether to accept new opportunities or because the president wanted a change in leadership. However, high turnover among top officials decreases institutional knowledge and has the potential to make long-term, transformational changes more challenging for an agency or administration. 

While many presidents have accomplished signature priorities in the first year, in part because of effective transition planning, fifth years have not been nearly as productive. Previous second-term presidents have missed opportunities for early victories because most have minimized the need for advanced planning. 

Effective second term transition planning can change turnover challenges into opportunities. Four additional years in the White House offer a chance for a recalibration led by individuals with renewed energy and original ideas. “Newness is a good thing” and an opportunity to look for a “fresh perspective” according to Denis McDonough, who served in both terms of President Barack Obama’s administration. 

As Bolten and the Center’s advisory board summarized in 2020, “Every second term administration benefits from fresh eyes and fresh legs. Every second term president experiences significant turnover and an important policy window after the election. Therefore, effective planning is essential given the inevitable turnover, a Senate confirmation process which unfortunately is taking longer, and the fact that the fifth year of a president’s tenure typically provides a window for bipartisan policy development.” 

A second term offers a chance for a recalibration and a new start that requires serious preparation long before Inauguration Day. Even though it comes with great challenges, a second term provides the opportunity for a president to retain experienced leaders and bring in individuals with fresh ideas and new energy—should they plan accordingly. 

The next presidential election is less than a year away, followed by only 75 days before the inauguration. 

The short period between the election and the inauguration is not nearly enough time for a newly elected president to make plans to run the largest, most complex organization in the world, fill the more than 4,000 political appointments and harness a $6 trillion budget.  

It is also a short window for a second-term president to decide what changes to make based on lessons from their first term, and ensure both current appointees and new hires are ready to serve in key positions across the government. Data from the Center shows that for the last three two-term presidents, an average of 46% of their top Senate-confirmed officials serving on Election Day left their jobs within six months into the second term, a huge loss that should be anticipated and requires advance planning.  

That’s why any candidate running for president should start preparing to govern no later than spring 2024. While early planning was viewed as presumptuous a decade ago, presidential candidates and incumbents alike have come to embrace its value and importance.  

Today, outside organizations are already building policy and personnel plans to share with the eventual Republican presidential nominee. As an incumbent running for re-election, President Joe Biden has the opportunity to make every day count by engaging in planning for a second term. Early planning in 2020 helped Biden hit the ground running with more than 1,100 appointees and 17 executive orders on Inauguration Day.  

In addition, the law obligates a sitting president to prepare to hand over the reins of power in the event of an election loss, another huge and important task.  

It’s a tremendous amount of work for all involved. The good news is that the Center for Presidential Transition is here to help.  

Since 2008, the Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition has been the leading nonpartisan organization working with presidential candidates’ teams, federal agency leaders, outgoing presidents and those seeking a second term to ensure that effective, peaceful transitions occur every four years.  

We are releasing new resources for the 2024 cycle, including: 

Beginning early next year, new episodes of the Center’s podcast, “Transition Lab,” will explore the connections between transition and democracy, and provide analysis of the 2024 transition. The Center also will continue to provide resources for prospective political appointees through its Ready to Serve program and training for new appointees through the Ready to Govern initiative.  

So follow along as the Center shares research, resources and expertise throughout the next year. The success of the next presidential transition will determine how prepared we are as a country to face the challenges of the modern world. It is in everyone’s interest to expect and advocate for an effective and peaceful presidential transition in 2024, regardless of who wins the presidency.