New presidential transition rules mean that the vetting of hopeful presidential appointees will start sooner than ever before. Are the campaigns, and the prospective appointees, ready? No later than July, both parties will have the statutory authorization, and more importantly the funds, to set up presidential transition teams. Once those teams are up and running, both parties will be in a position to start screening individuals for cabinet and subcabinet appointments, to be ready in the event their candidate wins the general election. This is a full four months earlier than in any previous election cycle. Few individuals who hope to serve in the next administration are even aware of this accelerated timing.
The acceleration of transition planning is partly a result of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the “9/11 commission” report that followed. The report raised a number of concerns regarding “continuity of government” and the need for a smooth transition, especially in national security positions. In the past, most presidential transitions started informally, and in secret, sometime between the date the nomination of their candidate appeared firm and Election Day, but was formally organized only in November, after the election.
