Preserving the Peaceful Transfer of Power: Insights from Presidential Transition Experts

The peaceful transfer of power from one US President to the next is a cornerstone of American democracy. A smooth transition is critical to the country’s stability, but the process is far more complex than it may appear to the public. Three experts — Noah Kroloff, Max Stier, and Chad Sweet — shared firsthand experience in presidential transitions and provided an inside look at this vital and often overlooked process during a January 13 webinar hosted by Columbia SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics (IGP).

Sweet, an IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow, cofounder and CEO of risk management and security consultancy the Chertoff Group, and former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief of staff under President George W. Bush moderated the conversation with Stier, who oversees the Center for Presidential Transition and serves as CEO and president of the Partnership for Public Service, and Kroloff, principal and cofounder of security consulting and business advisory firm Global Security Innovative Strategies, chief innovation officer at the UC Berkeley Center for Security in Politics, and former DHS chief of staff under President Barack Obama. Their discussion shed light on the crucial role of transition planning, the need for bipartisanship, and ongoing efforts to strengthen the process.

Sweet began with a real-time poll of the attendees, revealing that the vast majority had been taught little to nothing about presidential transitions at any level of their education. Stier then explained a presidential transition’s staggering scale and complexity. With a federal government of over 4,000 political appointees, a budget exceeding $7 trillion, and more than 450 operating units, the logistics of transferring power are massive in scope. "It is a massive, massive undertaking," Stier said, noting that historically, incoming administrations have often been more focused on winning the election than preparing to govern.

The importance of presidential transition periods became evident in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, which occurred just months into George W. Bush’s first term. Stier noted that the 9/11 Commission pointed to the challenges the Bush administration faced in getting its national security team in place, attributing it to the shortened transition period that followed the delayed 2000 election results. Stier said this revelation was a "profound" turning point, leading the Bush administration to set new standards for transition planning and execution.

DHS was also created following the 9/11 attacks, and Sweet, who oversaw the first-ever transition of the DHS as chief of staff when the Obama administration took over, echoed Stier’s assessment. He recalled the complications of coordinating the various transition processes used by the 23 agencies that comprised the DHS.

The panelists underscored how transitions can be a vulnerable moment for the nation; in 2009, the incoming Obama team was briefed on a potential terrorist plot targeting the inauguration. Kroloff recounted how the outgoing Bush administration worked tirelessly to ensure a seamless handover, even coordinating with incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to prepare a secret note for President Obama in case he needed to make a statement if a moment of crisis arose during the inauguration. Bush’s DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, along with Sweet as Chief of Staff, were asked by the Obama Administration to remain in their positions for the inauguration until the terrorist plot was neutralized. The Obama team trusted them to handle a potential attack or crisis that day. Such bipartisan cooperation, Kroloff said, is a testament to the importance of putting the country's interests above partisan politics during a transition.

Panelists agreed that external support is also essential during presidential transitions. Organizations such as the Partnership for Public Service, led by Stier, provide guidance and best practices to ensure smooth transitions. "The Partnership for Public Service is absolutely an American treasure," Sweet remarked of the nonprofit focused on federal management and workforce issues.

Looking ahead, the panelists highlighted the need for public engagement and participation in efforts to improve the transition process. Stier urged the audience to "care" about these issues and to "speak up" during the current transition, and Sweet encouraged them to remain “open to critical thinking and different views.” Kroloff echoed this sentiment. “For future public policy leaders who are listening to this, when you serve and when you are leading and running an organization, it’s important to listen both to people who are telling you what you want to hear, but also people who are telling you what you don’t want to hear,” he said.