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Political Appointee Tracker

Launched in 2016 with The Washington Post, the Political Appointee Tracker follows roughly 800 of the more than 1,300 political appointed positions that require Senate confirmation, including Cabinet secretaries, chief financial officers, general counsels and ambassadors.

The tracker provides the most comprehensive data, analysis and information about the nomination and confirmation status of nominees for critical roles in the federal government.

Drawing on insights from the tracker’s data and our additional research, we have championed several reforms to improve the political appointments process, including a reduction in the number of Senate-confirmed positions and procedural changes that enable the more efficient consideration of nominees on the Senate floor.

Research

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Fewer Nominees, Easier Confirmations: President Donald Trump’s Personnel Landscape at 400 days

At the 400-day mark of his second administration, two paradoxical realities define President Donald Trump’s personnel landscape: Confirmations are moving more efficiently, yet fewer nominations have left key leadership roles vacant.

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Layered Leadership: Examining How Political Appointments Stack Up at Federal Agencies

The number of positions in executive branch agencies that are subject to Senate confirmation has grown by nearly 60% since 1960. One consequence of this growth over time has been the formation of layers of Senate-confirmed political appointees within Cabinet departments.

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Persistently Vacant: Critical Federal Leadership Positions Go Unfilled For Years

The growing challenges faced by executive branch nominees in the Senate confirmation process leave important agency leadership positions vacant for extended periods of time.

Op-eds

Explore our policy and advocacy work

We work across Congress and the executive branch to inform and champion federal management reforms.