The Peaceful Transfer of Power

Ronald Reagan called the peaceful transfer of power from one U.S. president to the next a miracle, and it is. It is also the most delicate and hazardous period in the entire political cycle. Americans learned the stakes in 2020, when President Donald Trump’s refusal to trigger the formal start of the transition process to President-Elect Joe Biden created perhaps the worst crisis for American democracy since the Civil War. Even at the best of times, an incoming administration faces a gargantuan task, as every new president must make more than four thousand political appointments in a short period of time.

Yet the day-to-day process of presidential transitions remains poorly understood, even by government specialists. This is why the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition created Transition Lab, a one-year podcast series that ran through January 2021. The Peaceful Transfer of Power now puts those distinct interviews with scholars, journalists, public servants, and—most important—participants in every transition from Ford–Carter to Trump–Biden into a narrative format that illuminates the long history, complexity, and current best practices associated with this most vital of democratic institutions.

Presidential transitions stand at a critical juncture here and abroad. Highly readable and deeply informative, this book offers every citizen invested in safeguarding our democracy accessible and concentrated insights that will help future transitions run better, faster, and more smoothly.

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is building a better government and a stronger democracy.

“The Peaceful Transfer of Power.... challenges our understanding of presidential transitions and the undertakings required to make them work. It is impossible to read it without a sense of gratitude for the countless individuals who provide service to their nation for neither fame nor fortune. It is a deeply patriotic book, with a much-needed hopeful message about Americans and their commitment to democratic institutions at a time when they are under fire.”

The Peaceful Transfer of Power.... challenges our understanding of presidential transitions and the undertakings required to make them work. It is impossible to read it without a sense of gratitude for the countless individuals who provide service to their nation for neither fame nor fortune. It is a deeply patriotic book, with a much-needed hopeful message about Americans and their commitment to democratic institutions at a time when they are under fire.

-- "Wall Street Journal"

A guide to decision-making past, present, and future that users will likely want to consult repeatedly.

-- "Library Journal"

As someone who has been deeply involved in numerous corporate transitions and two Presidential transitions, I know firsthand the importance of a smooth and seamless transition. The Peaceful Transfer of Power exquisitely examines the history, politics, art and practice for Presidential transitions. It is a must read for people of all political stripes to better understand how critical this process is to preserve the strength of our democracy.

--Penny Pritzker, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Presidential transitions often occur at perilous times from a U.S. national security perspective. This book artfully highlights the successes, failures, and lessons learned from past transitions, creating a roadmap for smoother transfers of power in the future.

--Stephen J. Hadley, National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush

The smooth handover of power from one president to another is a cherished American tradition, one which affects the lives of not only Americans but countries across the globe. There is no doubt that during the 2020 post-election period, that long history of peaceful American presidential transitions of power was at risk. David Marchick's history of presidential transitions captures much needed insights, storylines and lessons learned from both modern presidential transitions as well as the most difficult transitions in American history.

--Yamiche Alcindor, Moderator, Washington Week on PBS

This book offers an unparalleled insider's view of a critical moment in any presidential administration: its transition to power. A most enjoyable read, it provides future historians, and those merely interested in presidential history, access to the memories of those who worked alongside history, and whose work made history as well. As a primary source, I know of no equal in the realm of presidential transitions.

--Jeffrey A. Engel, Director of the Center for Presidential History, Southern Methodist University, author of When the World Seemed New: George H. W. Bush and the End of the Cold War

This timely and fascinating volume is must reading for everyone interested in the American presidency--from students to citizens to scholars and, for that matter, future presidents.

--Michael Nelson, Rhodes College, Editor of The Elections of 2020

David Marchick is the former director of the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition and was the host of its Transition Lab podcast. He has also served as a senior business executive, serves as an adjunct professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and held several positions within the Biden and the Clinton administrations.

Alexander Tippett is a former research associate at the Council on Foreign Relations and previously worked as a researcher at the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition.

A. J. Wilson is a former speechwriter for British and American government officials and now works as a collaborating writer. His collaborations have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Atlantic.

Ronald Reagan called the peaceful transfer of power from one U.S. president to the next a miracle, and it is. It is also the most delicate and hazardous period in the entire political cycle. Americans learned the stakes in 2020, when President Donald Trump's refusal to trigger the formal start of the transition process to President-Elect Joe Biden created perhaps the worst crisis for American democracy since the Civil War. Even at the best of times, an incoming administration faces a gargantuan task, as every new president must make more than four thousand political appointments in a short period of time. Yet the day-to-day process of presidential transitions remains poorly understood, even by government specialists. This is why the Partnership for Public Service's Center for Presidential Transition created Transition Lab, a one-year podcast series that ran through January 2021. The Peaceful Transfer of Power now puts those distinct interviews with scholars, journalists, public servants, and--most important--participants in every transition from Ford-Carter to Trump-Biden into a narrative format that illuminates the long history, complexity, and current best practices associated with this most vital of democratic institutions. Presidential transitions stand at a critical juncture here and abroad. Highly readable and deeply informative, this book offers every citizen invested in safeguarding our democracy accessible and concentrated insights that will help future transitions run better, faster, and more smoothly. The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is building a better government and a stronger democracy.

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