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With well over two hundred years of tradition since the ratification of the Constitution, the common imagery of the first presidency is George Washington serenely riding on his white steed followed by a parade of white-wigged Founding Fathers.

Yet despite the iconic paintings and soaring oratory that characterize this period of American history, the actual political dynamics of the day were far from calm. Our first presidential handoffs – from Washington to John Adams, and then from Adams to Thomas Jefferson after just one tumultuous term and a bitterly fought electoral rematch—were fraught with many of the same tensions we see today, yet all involved put the country over politics and agreed to a peaceful transfer of power.

When Washington stepped down from the presidency in 1796, the concept of a leader giving up power was revolutionary. “This was the age of Napolean and monarchies, and people tended to hold onto power for as long as possible,” said presidential historian and recent Transition Lab guest Lindsay Chervinsky. “[It] really shocked people that someone could be so disciplined as to walk away from the highest seat of authority.”

Adams defeated Jefferson by just three electoral votes in an election plagued by many of the same ills we’ve seen in recent elections: foreign interference, sketchy get-out-the-vote practices and negative campaigning. As Adams took office, many wondered if the new republic could hold itself together, especially since Adams’ ability to unite the country fell far short of Washington’s.

Harsh political rhetoric, hyper-partisanship and personal rancor grew throughout Adams’ term, as both sides came to see each other not just as opponents, but as mortal enemies. This culminated in blatantly illegal attempts to change the way the next president would be elected: the election of 1800 featured proposals to create new electoral investigation committees, revise the way that states chose electors and delay the vote counts such that a new election would need to be held.

When the electoral votes were finally counted, Jefferson and Adams were tied, throwing the election to the House of Representatives. A pro-Jeffersonian mob gathered outside the Capitol building where the House voted to break the deadlock, threating violence against any Federalist that the House might attempt to elect as president.

Despite his bitterness over losing the presidency, Adams committed to a peaceful transfer of power. He met with Jefferson several times before leaving office, left him materials and asked his secretaries to write letters updating Jefferson on the status of their departments. In one of his last official acts, Adams offered Jefferson his advice and support, writing, “I see nothing to obscure your prospect of a quiet and prosperous Administration, which I heartily wish you.”

Washington’s reception by the ladies, on passing the bridge at Trenton, N.J., April, 1789. On his way to be inaugurated first president of the United States. Lithograph by N. Currier, copyrighted 1845. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.07649

Jefferson, too, embraced the moment of transition—the first in which power passed peacefully from one political party to another—as a moment for unity. For the first time, a new president used his inaugural address to heal the wounds of a divisive campaign. “Let us, then, fellow citizens, unite with one heart and one mind,” Jefferson urged. “We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.”

As we approach another election cycle marked by the same threats and controversies that plagued our early years, we would do well to remember Jefferson’s words. The peaceful transfer of power has never been easy, but it is fundamental to our common identity as Americans and is very much worth preserving.

Featured image: General George Washington Resigning His Commission. Painting by John Trumbull

The most fundamental function of our government is keeping us safe and, as Partnership for Public Service CEO Max Stier has said, doing so “requires extensive and thoughtful transition planning” during presidential election years.

On July 12, the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition® hosted a bipartisan discussion focused on how federal agencies can maintain security and continuity during periods of uncertainty, and the importance of responsibly sharing national security information when there is a change of administrations. The conversation led all four officials to offer deeper advice about leadership in government.

The panel consisted of Elaine Duke, the former deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Karen Gibson, the current Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, Susan Gordan, the former principal deputy director of National Intelligence, and Essye Miller, the former acting chief information officer at the Department of Defense.

Key themes

An important theme of the event was the dynamic between the experienced career civil servants and the political appointees they serve alongside. Gordan framed the distinction as political appointees carrying out the “will of the people,” and the career officials possessing the fundamental knowledge about how to implement new policies.

To be prepared for surprises, Gibson recommended making the establishment of good relationships and linkages across agencies a top priority, stating that “even if you’re handed all the information on a platter, the toughest part is cohering as a team to deal with the crises.” Miller emphasized that career officials provide continuity in the government and she stressed the importance of establishing trust between career and political officials as early as possible.

Duke acknowledged that, even when the political climate creates barriers, civil servants “can take the first step to building that trust” and are well-qualified to do so.

Gordon said that civil servants are committed to making the government better. She emphasized that new leadership can be unnerving for career employees, but bring “real opportunity for change” and that change can be extremely positive for a new administration and the institutions of government.

The event served as a reminder of the importance of having a skilled civil service prepared to coordinate within and across agencies, and to work hand-in-hand with political leaders to help implement the policies of a new administration.

Check out the recording of this bipartisan discussion here on the Partnership’s website.

This blog post was authored by James Passmore, an intern with the Center for Presidential Transition

By law and tradition, the creation of agency briefing materials for an incoming administration is one of the critical parts of a presidential transition.  

However, federal law does not specify what contents should be included in these materials. The tips below—informed by best practices and advice from career leaders and teams involved in previous transitions, including those summarized in our agency transition guide—are designed to help agencies make these materials as useful as possible. 

An overview of agency transition requirements 

During an election year, much of the nation focuses on presidential campaigns.  

Behind-the-scenes, however, career civil servants must manage and carry out an agency’s transition activities. According to the federal transition law, this means completing several major tasks prior to Election Day: 

To date, around 155 agencies, boards and commissions have established transition leads—a senior career official— supported by career employees, to lead this work.  

4 tips to maximize the effectiveness of agency briefing materials 

The briefing materials noted above are especially important. They function as the “agency 101” of key facts, figures and issues, enabling new leaders to get up to speed on their organizations quickly and hit the ground running. 

Here are four key recommendations for creating helpful content. 

Tip 1: Provide a baseline understanding of the agency 

Recipients of briefing materials—whether they are review teams for an incoming administration or newly appointed leadership for a continuing administration—will have varying degrees of familiarity with the agency before arriving. Some may have prior experience with an agency’s operations, while others may be experts in policy or program areas.  

Briefing materials should provide appointees with a summary of the agency, including: 

Tip 2: Be succinct 

Agencies should focus on the top issues and most relevant data. Recipients of briefing materials are busy individuals who may not have time to read lengthy reports.  

Many agencies have begun streamlining information to produce crisp, informative and digestible briefing materials that reflect the transition team’s time-sensitive mission. During the 2020-21 transition, Federal Transition Coordinator Mary Gibert recommended that agencies develop materials to be timely, concise and answer a single question: “What does the incoming team need to know and do when they walk in the door on Day 1, and what is coming up in 30, 60 or 90 days?” 

Tip 3: Include key insights 

Excellent materials go beyond agency statistics and conventional issues to provide insights into challenges and opportunities facing new leaders.  

For the 2020-21 transition, the Treasury Department held more than 100 virtual briefings where agency review team members could assess how specific information might impact policy priorities and other governing issues, enabling officials to focus and process information incrementally.  

Key insights should include:  

Tip 4: Use digital formats 

Historically, briefing materials have been delivered as paper reports in thick binders. However, developing briefings in digital formats make it easier to distribute highly detailed and specific information to intended recipients, especially when many federal officials and transition leaders work remotely and employ different technology tools to communicate.  

For example, the increase of virtual meeting platforms available in 2020-21 meant agency transition teams could engage more easily with staff across their department and with incoming agency teams. 

To learn more about briefing materials and other aspects of the federal agency transition process, check out our Agency Transition Guide. For additional information on the transition process as a whole, see our Presidential Transition Guide.  

This blog post was authored by Chantelle Renn, a senior manager at the Center for Presidential Transition®, Troy Thomas and Ryan Ordway, managing directors and partners at the Boston Consulting Group and Isaac Silberberg, a consultant at Boston Consulting Group.  

Among the broader public, the process and the importance of presidential candidates preparing for a first or second term is poorly understood, but transition planning is not only critical for the winner of the election in terms of being ready to govern, but for the safety and welfare of the country.

On June 17, the Partnership for Public Service, the Georgetown University McCourt School, Harvard Kennedy School and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics hosted a panel discussion on the importance of presidential transition planning and provided an information session focused on 2024 election readiness and opportunities for recent college graduates to get involved in public service.

The panel consisted of Josh Bolten, the former chief of staff to President George W. Bush, and Jonathan McBride, the former director of the Office of Presidential Personnel for President Barack Obama, and was moderated by Valerie Boyd, the director of the Center for Presidential Transition. The audience was comprised of students affiliated with the three partner universities.

There were three main topics covered by the panelists.

  1. Bolten described the important steps that were taken as Bush prepared for his first term as well as the planning that took place for his second four years. He also discussed the careful transition planning that set the stage for the eventual transfer of power to the Obama administration. McBride spoke about how the Obama team handled the process of selecting political appointees to fulfil the president’s campaign promises.
  2. Bolten and McBride spoke about their journey to government service and how a career that weaves private and public roles can offer critical learning opportunities.
  3. The panel concluded by discussing the current state of distrust in government and offered recommendations for pursuing a public service career during these turbulent times.

Following the panel discussion, Michelle Amante, the vice president for Workforce Programs at the Partnership for Public Service, shared information from the Partnership’s “Call to Serve” program about how to navigate USAJobs, the Partnership’s GoGovernment website and how to pursue a job in the federal government.

After the event concluded, the attendees had the opportunity to network with their peers as well as connect with our “Call to Serve” team to learn more about federal opportunities and navigating the internship and early career hiring environment in the federal government.

For more information on Call to Serve or to learn more about the federal hiring process, visit the Partnership’s gogovernment.org website.

This blog is authored by James Passmore, an intern at the Center for Presidential Transition.

Given the increasing delays presidents face in getting senior leaders confirmed by the Senate, it is important to understand how long those officials remain in their roles once confirmed. While our previous analysis highlights year three as a time of high appointee turnover during  a president’s first term, incumbent presidents entering a second term face even greater challenges. 

Incumbent administrations transitioning to a second term have historically confronted significant headwinds. The fifth year can be encumbered by political opposition in Congress, and the departure of knowledgeable officials can make it even more difficult for an administration to achieve its policy goals. Without sufficient personnel and resources dedicated to second term personnel planning, two-term administrations will miss an important opportunity to gain early momentum following reelection. 

Our analysis examines the turnover of Senate confirmed presidential appointees during the second term of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama in major departments and agencies, excluding ambassadors, U.S. marshals and attorneys. 

Turnover across terms

In year five, Bush and Obama experienced average annual turnover rates of 38% and 28% respectively, the highest in their entire presidencies. For context, Bush had 135 departures out of 353 tracked positions and Obama had 101 departures out 359 positions. For Obama, this was more than doubled the peak annual turnover in his first term (13%); for Bush, the second-term peak was nearly double the first term’s (20%). 

Years six through eight for both presidents exceeded or were comparable to their third-year turnover levels, highlighting the sustained volatility in personnel departures throughout the second term. 

Personnel turnover in the fifth year is an early management obstacle for administrations starting a second term. These findings demonstrate the urgency of second term planning if incumbent administrations are to expeditiously fill senior leadership positions as they become vacant. 

Note: Data includes Senate-confirmed positions excluding ambassadors, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals. Yearly average turnover is weighted by the number of positions tracked for each president. 

Second-term turnover by department 

In every department, the Bush and Obama administrations experienced significantly higher turnover during the second term compared to the first. The highest turnover rate was at the Department of Education under Bush at 128%, meaning that there were 23 departures for 18 tracked positions during his time in office. Several other departments under Bush also experienced turnover rates that exceeded 100%, including the departments of Housing and Urban Development (109%), Justice (104%), Transportation (113%) and State (115%). These departments experienced several departures from the same position within one term. Departures at assistant secretary level at Bush’s Department of Education were frequent, as officials rarely remained for more than two years. 

While the Obama administration had relatively lower levels of turnover, all departments exceeded 50% turnover except for the Department of Labor (47%). For Obama, the Department of Transportation had a peak turnover rate of 100%, nearly 10 times the turnover compared to his first term (13%). 

Note: Data covers Senate-confirmed positions in executive CFO Act agencies, excluding ambassadors, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals. The time period covered in the first term is from the beginning of the administration through April 1 of the fourth year. 

An incumbent administration must balance the difficult tasks of managing ongoing government operations while preparing prior to the election for a transition to a possible second term. The rigor and planning needed to successfully staff some of the highest-ranking positions in the executive branch is critical for a successful second term administration.

This blog post was authored by Husam AlZubaidy, an associate at the Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition. 

This week marks the beginning of Pride month, a time in which we reflect on the history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community and reaffirm our unwavering support for equality and inclusivity. The Partnership for Public Service and Center for Presidential Transition honor the service of countless LGBTQ+ public servants who have served across administrations.

The service of LGBTQ+ individuals in the federal government has not always been celebrated. Beginning in the late 1940s, in the midst of the Cold War, there was a “Lavendar Scare” that focused on purging the federal civil service, along with government contractors, of gays and lesbians. President Dwight Eisenhower formalized the policy in April of 1953 with Executive Order 10450 which authorized the investigation and firing of civil servants for “sexual perversion.” Due to this policy, tens of thousands of civil servants were investigated and thousands lost their careers.

The policy of targeting gay and lesbian civil servants continued for decades. It was not until 1975 that the Civil Service Commission ended the ban on gays and lesbians in the federal civil service and 1977 that the Department of State ended its ban within the Foreign Service. It took another two decades until discrimination based on sexual orientation was banned in granting access to classified information, when President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 12968 in 1995.

Even as formal constraints on the service of LGBTQ+ individuals were removed over time, LGBTQ+ individuals continued to face opposition because of their identities. Roberta Achtenberg, the first openly LGBTQ+ Senate-confirmed appointee who won approval in 1993, and James Hormel, the first openly LGBTQ+ ambassador who took office through a recess appointment in 1999, faced questions about their ability to serve based on their identities alone.

Despite obstacles, openly LGBTQ+ individuals have served in appointed leadership roles in each of the last five administrations. Clinton led the way by making the first nominations of openly LGBT individuals, appointing about 140 to serve in his administration. President Barack Obama nearly doubled that number, appointing over 250 openly LGBTQ+ officials during his administration.

Milestones of LGBTQ+ Service and Leadership in the Federal Government

Biden has appointed more openly LGBTQ+ officials than any of his predecessors. As of October of 2023, Biden had appointed over 340 openly LGBTQ+ officials across the executive branch. Annise Parker, president of the LGBTQ Victory Institute, which works to advance LGBTQ+ elected and appointed government officials, described the Biden administration as “the most LGBTQ-inclusive in history…”

Our government is best when it is representative of its people and inclusive to all. Despite discrimination and bigotry, LGBTQ+ individuals have always strived to serve their government and country. Thanks to social and legal progress over time, the government benefits more than ever from the leadership of LGBTQ+ officials.

Given the long hours and tough responsibilities at Cabinet agencies, presidents can expect departures among Senate-confirmed leadership. While turnover is expected, high departure rates can pose significant challenges for day-to-day agency operations and long-term planning. 

Turnover in the modern context is more troublesome than ever before. Our research shows that Senate confirmation times have grown for each subsequent administration while nomination success rates have progressively declined. This means that, when agency leaders depart, it will take significantly longer to replace them than it did for previous presidents. As a result, many positions remain vacant for extended periods of time. 

Using our political appointee tracker and other data sources, we have examined the rates of Senate-confirmed appointee turnover during the four most recent administrations. As we look to personnel changes following the November election—whether it be a second term for the incumbent or a new administration—a retrospective on turnover helps put recent personnel challenges in context.  

We analyzed turnover among presidential nominees in major departments and agencies,1 excluding U.S. marshals and attorneys. To make an equivalent comparison with the ongoing Biden administration, we looked at each president’s first term up until April 1 of their fourth year in office.

AdministrationBushObamaTrumpBiden
Total Departures10573 94 34 
Tracked Positions353 359 385 392 
Total Turnover Rate30% 20% 24% 9% 
Note: Data covers Senate-confirmed positions in executive CFO Act agencies, excluding ambassadors, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals. The time period covered is from the beginning of the administration through April 1 of the fourth year.  

The Bush administration experienced the highest total turnover at 30% during this period of time. Trump and Obama had lower and more comparable turnover rates at 24% and 20%, respectively. Biden experienced significantly less turnover than his predecessors at 9%. 

Note: Data includes Senate-confirmed positions excluding ambassadors, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals. The time period from the beginning of the administration through April 1 of the fourth year.

Looking closer at these departments by president, the total turnover rates during the Bush and Obama administrations (59% and 30% respectively) were greatly impacted by Treasury Department departures. As for the Department for Veterans Affairs, Bush and Trump received the highest rates of turnover (50% and 33% respectively). The Department of Commerce—despite undergoing some of the highest rates of turnover on average—did not experience any turnover during the Biden administration through this past April. Moreover, there were no departures of Biden appointees during this period at the Environmental Protection Agency, or at the departments of Education and Energy. Similarly, the Trump administration had no turnover of its appointees at the Department of Agriculture despite turnover rates at other departments. 

The departments of Transportation and Homeland Security also highlight differences. Trump experienced roughly five times more turnover than previous administrations at DHS (53%), the second highest rate of any other department. As for Biden, the DOT experienced the second highest rate of total turnover so far during his presidency (17%), exceeding two previous administrations but trailing the Bush administration (38%). For context, DHS had an average turnover rate of 21% while DOT’s rate was 20% during the past four administrations. While Trump had more than double the average turnover at DHS, Biden remains below the DOT average. 

Note: Data covers Senate-confirmed positions in executive CFO Act agencies, excluding ambassadors, U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals. The time period covered is from the beginning of the administration through April 1 of the fourth year. 

For each administration, turnover peaked during year three with relatively low turnover in other years. Compared to recent presidents, Biden has maintained low turnover, rising only to 6% during his third year. Obama was the next lowest in year three turnover, but the rate was nearly double at 13%. The second year of administrations has had low turnover in general, with the highest turnover occurring during the Trump administration (6%). For all four presidents, the first year had turnover rates at or below 1%. 

Recent success during the Biden administration at limiting turnover rates is an important development in light of increasing confirmation delays. Even as turnover appears to have tempered during the current administration, there are greater ramifications for each departure as it becomes more difficult to confirm a replacement. 

The challenger candidate in the 2024 election must consider how to staff an entire administration, but even the incumbent candidate must take proactive steps to avoid trends from previous second term presidents to retain leaders in key positions in order to achieve policy goals. 

1 As defined by the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990 (Public Law 101–576).

This blog post was authored by Husam AlZubaidy, an associate at the Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition.

The Senate confirmation process for executive branch nominees has become more difficult during the last 40 years.

President Joe Biden’s nominees have taken nearly three times longer to be confirmed during his first three years compared to the nominees in the George H.W. Bush administration.

Confirmation delays continued to grow under the Trump administration and have worsened further under Biden. Delays faced by Biden’s nominees in the first three years were 13% longer than Trump’s nominees.

Beyond confirmation times, presidents during the last 40 years have seen fewer and fewer of their nominees confirmed by the Senate. Through year three, Presidents Donald Trump and Biden each had approximately 150 fewer nominees confirmed compared to President Barack Obama and 250 to 300 fewer nominees confirmed compared to Presidents H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The broken process leaves critical positions vacant for long periods of time, which is a disservice to the public in carrying out the fundamental roles of government, from national security to infrastructure to health and safety.

Using an analysis of our Political Appointee Tracker, we have been able to gain a clearer view of vacancy rates under the Biden and Trump administrations.

From our analysis of the state of vacancies in Cabinet Departments as of March 19th in the fourth year of the last two administrations, we found that:

Vacancies are widespread across Cabinet departments

As of March 19, 2024, 98 of 547 Cabinet department positions (18%) followed on our tracker were vacant in the Biden administration. At the same point in time, 157 of 526 Cabinet department positions (30%) followed on our tracker were vacant during the Trump administration. 

Some Cabinet departments have alarmingly high rates of vacancies

Four Cabinet departments had 30% or more of their positions vacant as of March 19, 2024. At the equivalent date during Trump’s fourth year, nine Cabinet departments had 30% or more of their positions vacant. For both administrations, the Department of Homeland Security had the highest vacancy rate at 35% in the Biden administration and 65% in the Trump administration. The departments of Housing and Urban Development and Justice also have consistently had high rates of vacancies, totaling more than 30% across the last two administrations.

Note: Excludes U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals

Many Cabinet positions have yet to be filled more than three years into last two administrations

As of March 19, 2024, 50 Cabinet positions (9%) had never been filled with a Senate confirmed appointee since the beginning of the Biden administration. At the same point in time, 66 Cabinet positions (13%) had never been filled with a Senate confirmed appointee since the beginning of the Trump administration. The Department of Justice has been particularly affected by this problem, with over 25% of Senate confirmed positions never having someone confirmed by the Senate through March 19 of the fourth year of the last two administrations.

Note: Excludes U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals

Nineteen Cabinet positions were not filled by either the Trump or Biden administration by March 19 of their fourth year

Across the Trump and Biden administrations, there are 19 positions in common that remained vacant during the first three years of each administration. Four of these positions are the chief financial officers at the departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, State and Treasury. The list also includes high-level positions like the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Positions Not Filled by the Fourth Year of Each of the Last Two Administrations

PositionAgency
Chief financial officerDepartment of Agriculture
Assistant secretary for civil rightsDepartment of Agriculture
Assistant secretary for communications and outreachDepartment of Education
Assistant secretary for planning and evaluationDepartment of Health and Human Services
Chief financial officerDepartment of Homeland Security
Director, Immigration and Customs EnforcementDepartment of Homeland Security
Assistant attorney general for the tax divisionDepartment of Justice
Deputy administrator, Drug Enforcement AdministrationDepartment of Justice
Commissioner, U.S. Parole Commission (2)Department of Justice
Special counsel for immigration-related unfair employment practicesDepartment of Justice
Chairman, Foreign Claims Settlement CommissionDepartment of Justice
Chief financial officerDepartment of State
Coordinator for threat reduction programsDepartment of State
Ambassador, BahamasDepartment of State
Ambassador, CubaDepartment of State
Director, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and EnforcementDepartment of the Interior
Special trustee for American IndiansDepartment of the Interior
Chief financial officerDepartment of the Treasury

These findings highlight the challenges in filling certain key roles in government. Reform of the confirmation process is urgently needed, starting with a reduction in the number of appointments subject to Senate approval.

Chris Piper is a manager at the Center for Presidential Transition.

The White House Transition Coordinating Council was formally mandated in 2016 by Congress as part of the “Kaufman-Leavitt” law updating amendment to the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to help ensure continuity of government operations and the smooth transfer of power.    

Even when an incumbent president is running for re-election, the White House is obligated by law to plan and coordinate activities to ensure a smooth and efficient transfer of power to a possible successor. This includes convening the White House Transition Coordinating Council. 

Prior to passage of the 2016 amendments to the transition law requiring creation of the council, White House transition activities occurred through executive orders. President Bill Clinton established a White House council in the fall of 2000 as an executive order to assist in the transition, as did President George W. Bush in 2008. In 2010, Congress authorized but did not mandate the creation of a White House transition council.  

The WHTCC helps jump start transition planning and provides transition guidance to the federal transition coordinator at the General Services Administration and the agency career leaders of the Agency Transition Directors Council, who carry out much of the day-to-day work of transition planning. 

The WHTCC is chaired by a senior employee of the Executive Office of the President selected by the president and also includes the GSA federal transition coordinator.  Other members are the senior employees of the executive branch selected by the president, which may include the chief of staff to the president, any Cabinet officer, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the administrator of the GSA, the director of the Office of Personnel Management, the director of the Office of Government Ethics, and the archivist of the United States. 

In addition, the council includes transition representatives for each eligible presidential candidate who serve in an advisory capacity.

This council is one of several reforms to the presidential transition act designed to support the orderly transfer of power and recognizing the increasing complexities of presidential transition planning. By law, it is required to meet not later than six months before the date of a presidential election. The White House chief of staff is serving as chair of the WHTCC this transition cycle, which hosted its first session in early May.  

While election years bring uncertainty for the government and the public, bodies like the White House Transition Coordinating Council are designed to help agencies, the White House, candidates and their teams prepare for what’s next. 

Khushi Parikh is a communications associate at the Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition  

Keep satellites in orbit! Keep the lead out of the drinking water! Keep your cool, even though you have no idea, as a political appointee, whether you will have a job next year. This is the dilemma appointees face in an election year.

A political appointee’s job is always busy and never easy, especially in the lead up to a presidential election. An election may mean continued employment (if the incumbent wins) or a sudden date with the door (if the challenger prevails). Either way, uncertainty can create stress and campaign battles only serve to increase such anxiety.

Below is some advice, sourced from former officials, for political appointees about maintaining sanity and staff morale during the months ahead.

1. Deal fairly and honestly with the agency transition requirements.

Political appointees must model professionalism and good faith as they support efforts by career officials to prepare for a possible transition as required by law. Agencies must meet a series of transition requirements including preparing briefings and written materials. This will help ensure a smooth transition of power if there is a change of administration.

2. Collaborate with top leadership to plan for a potential second term.

At the same time, an incumbent administration should be preparing for a second term if victorious. Political appointees should fulfill any requests to support transition planning while continuing to do their jobs.

3. Prepare succession plans.

The start of a new presidential term triggers high turnover in political roles, even if an incumbent wins. Political leaders should direct agencies to prepare lines of succession and identify potential acting officials to be ready for any departures.

4. Identify high-performers and allow opportunities for advancement.

If the incumbent wins, election year turnover can create openings for top performers to advance within the political ranks. Top appointees should identify and offer opportunities for strong performers to stay during and after the transition period.

5. Communicate clearly with colleagues.

Given the external turmoil and election uncertainty, clear internal communication about continued expectations is essential for maintaining trust among employees.

6. Share success stories internally and externally.

Members of the civil service faces many challenges. Sharing stories of success can boost staff morale despite outside pressures.

7. Create or join a supportive community.

Participation in communities with those who have the same professional or personal identities can be an opportunity to share struggles and successes, and provide support across silos or lines of reporting. Affinity groups or professional convenings, such as those facilitated by the Partnership for Public Service, are great examples of these.

8. Take this opportunity to review and publicize leave and self-care benefits.

Appointees should create a culture that encourages their entire organization to make use of their vacation, sick leave and other benefits.

9. Show your people some love.

Small gestures can mean a lot. Political appointees should share invitations to White House gatherings when available such as the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll or other administration events. This is also a great time to plan retreats for staff to bond, share strategies and refocus on their mission.

10. Show yourself some love.

Take a break from the news. Take a walk. Take a deep breath. The next few months may be difficult and stressful, so do what you need to get through it and support those around you.