New resource explains how presidential transition teams can work with state, local, tribal and territorial partners to achieve change Read More
Former White House officials highlight the value of early planning for presidential transitions Read More
Outcome of midterms unlikely to improve the Senate confirmation process for executive branch nominees The time it takes to confirm presidential appointments in the Senate has grown longer and longer over the past four decades, despite several changes to Senate rules. The results of the midterm elections are unlikely to reverse the 40-year pattern. Read More
The importance of chronicling presidential transitions Our new book, “The Peaceful Transfer of Power: An Oral History of America’s Presidential Transitions,” makes accessible the many interviews, expertise and insights that came out of the “Transition Lab” podcast. Read More
More than a quarter of ambassador positions are without a Senate-confirmed official, hindering American diplomacy Data from our Political Appointee Tracker, run jointly with The Washington Post, shows that nearly 30% of 194 Senate-confirmed ambassador positions in our government are currently vacant. Learn how nominating effective ambassadors has helped to bridge the gap in American leadership worldwide. Read More
Looking back at the toughest presidential transition in history The 2020-2021 presidential transition was the toughest in modern history. Our new report examines the planning and execution of this difficult transfer of power and provides a series of recommendations to support future peaceful presidential transitions. Read More
Working together, we can build a stronger government Valerie Smith Boyd, the new Center for Presidential Transition director, discusses her public service career serving in the past three administrations and the importance of unity in government. Read More