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Appointee–Careerist Relations in the Presidential Transition of 2008‐2009
Author(s) -
Resh William G.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
presidential studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.337
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1741-5705
pISSN - 0360-4918
DOI - 10.1111/psq.12156
Subject(s) - presidential system , transition (genetics) , administration (probate law) , corporate governance , political science , politics , revolving door , perspective (graphical) , public administration , presidential election , management , law , economics , biochemistry , chemistry , artificial intelligence , computer science , gene
This research takes a different approach from most studies of presidential transitions by examining transition preparations from the unique perspective of the career bureaucrats that provide a critical connection between transitions and governance. I examine how career senior executives perceive management techniques that are commonly prescribed to political appointees, how prominent their application was during the second term of the G eorge W . B ush administration, and what happened at the end of the B ush administration when the W hite H ouse called for appointees to pursue a transition strategy that required the involvement of career S enior E xecutive S ervice members. I find evidence that cooperation between careerists and appointees is conditional, even in a policy area where the president demands it. Career executives' explicit knowledge of transition preparations is more likely in agencies subject to persistent vacancies among S enate‐confirmed appointee positions, and the importance of trust to explicit knowledge exchange is pronounced in agencies with more liberal orientations.