Inside Political Science #018 – The “Now What” Phase: Presidential Transitions

What really happens during a presidential transition? Historically, the transition period was a time for vacation. Campaigning is tough and exhausting! But to keep the country safe and secure every day, a thorough, decisive and professional transition is needed. Kirby and Todd are joined by presidential transition expert Heath Brown, who has extensively researched this relatively secret part of governing. He shares his thoughts on the history of presidential transitions - including how the Cold War and later 9/11 impacted transitions - plus why it’s so important to have a full team ready to go on day one, why vetting is important, and how this transition could compare to the 2020 transition. And did you know each president has to appoint more than 4,000 people to federal jobs? Then, Kirby and Todd think ahead to 2028 and continue to analyze what went wrong for Democrats. Did they go too far left? Or did they get too close to the center? And finally, why governance can be compared to fighting over the thermostat. For more on this show and to listen to past episodes, visit tx.ag/insidepoliticalscience.