Recently, the Transition to Governing Project has held two events to examine presidential transitions and the experiences of those who were involved. The first event, "Presidential Transitions: What We Did," was held on October 30 in conjunction with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. It focused on the personal experiences of people closely associated with the 1980 and 1988 presidential transitions. The second event, "Assessing the Bush Transition," took place during President George W. Bush's transition and was cosponsored by the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership Project. Many unusual factors--from the dispute over the outcome of the election to the nearly evenly divided Congress President Bush faces--have made this transition unique in American history, and the distinguished panel discussed these and other important issues. Topics of discussion included:
"Presidential Transitions: What We Did"
Richard V. Allen, senior fellow, Hoover Institution
Annelise G. Anderson, research fellow, Hoover Institution
Martin Anderson, senior fellow, Hoover Institution
David Brady, senior fellow, Hoover Institution
Thomas Mann, senior fellow, Brookings Institution
Edwin Meese III, distinguished visiting fellow, Hoover Institution
Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute
John Raisian, senior fellow, Hoover Institution
Jack H. Watson Jr.
Harrison Wellford, Latham & Watkins
"Assessing the Bush Transition"
Alvin Felzenberg, director, Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership Project
C. Boyden Gray, former White House counsel to President Bush
Thomas Mann, senior fellow, Brookings Institution
Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty III, former chief of staff to President Clinton
Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute
Jack H. Watson, Jr., former chief of staff and transition director for President Carter
- How does this transition compare with its predecessors?
- How is the transition progressing so far?
- How will a shortened transition affect the new administration?
- What can we expect in the first hundred days?
