Additional External Resources

External Resources

The following external resources offer additional perspectives and editorial content about the election process and the Presidential transition. Following these links will take you to a non-GSA website. These external links are provided as a courtesy. The appearance of a hyperlink does not mean or imply GSA endorsement of the entity sponsoring the linked website or the content of the webpage. GSA also does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked website. You will be subject to the entity’s terms of use and privacy policies. To learn more about GSA’s linking policy, please click here.

ACUS Sourcebook of U.S. Executive Agencies

The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) sponsored the development of the Sourcebook of United States Executive Agencies, a guide providing invaluable organizational information on federal agencies, independent agencies, and other executive organizational entities. Published in December 2012, the sourcebook was the first attempt in 30 years to catalog the entire executive establishment.  Through the sourcebook, a reader will gain knowledge on topics such as agency structural characteristics, agency special personnel systems, and independent litigation authorities. For a living Excel database of sourcebook information, please visit the Vanderbilt University Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions.

Federal Election Commission 

In 1975, Congress created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) – the statute that governs the financing of federal elections. The duties of the FEC, which is an independent regulatory agency, are to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of Presidential elections.

National Academy of Public Administration

The National Academy of Public Administration was created to help public sector leaders meet the important and varied management challenges of today and anticipate those of the future. Chartered by Congress as an independent, non-partisan organization, the National Academy undertakes its important work on behalf of the public sector by anticipating, evaluating, analyzing and making recommendations on the nation’s most critical and complex public management, governance, policy and operational challenges. Through the trusted and experienced leaders that comprise its more than 700 Fellows and direct its projects and services, the Academy improves the quality, performance and accountability of government.

Transition 2016 Initiative
The Academy’s Transition 2016 Initiative will bring together a group of Fellows renowned for their contributions in government and program management, especially in times of transition, to oversee the Academy’s contributions to the upcoming Presidential transition. Specifically, the initiative aims to advise the Administration on which management initiatives work best and which ones do not, issue memos offering guidance on government’s toughest management challenges, and inventory and spotlight key Presidentially-appointed positions.

Political Appointee Project
Since its inception in 2012, the Political Appointee Project has served as a valuable resource to those with a vested interest in the Presidential appointment process. The Political Appointee Project website provides up to date information about the most recent political appointees, serves as a repository of profiles of key management positions in government, and provides insights to new political executives on the challenge of managing in government.

Office of Personnel Management 2016 Presidential Transition Guide

To facilitate the transition to a new Administration, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued its 2016 Presidential Transition Guide providing the incoming Administration and agency officials who have transition responsibilities, with a detailed description of the various rules, regulations, and policies that govern the establishment of transition teams, the departure and appointment of political appointees, and the treatment of career Federal employees (especially members of the Senior Executive Service) during the transition period.

Partnership for Public Service

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that believes good government starts with good people.  The Partnership helps government serve the needs of all Americans by strengthening the civil service and the systems that are supposed to support it. Since 2002, the Partnership has helped government nurture its most important asset -it’s people.

Center for Presidential Transition
Through a four-pronged approach, the Partnership’s Center for Presidential Transition will 1) assist the 2016 presidential candidates and current administration in navigating the transition process by providing useful resources and developing best practices; 2) engage Congress to promote presidential transition reforms and streamline the confirmation process; 3) develop a management roadmap for the next administration to address our government’s operational challenges; and 4) train new political appointees to lead effectively in their new positions.

White House Transition Project

The White House Transition Project is a nonpartisan endeavor by presidency scholars providing information on presidential transitions and White House operations to incoming White House staff and administration appointees, to presidential campaigns, as well as to those studying the presidency. NAPA scholars analyze the challenges of American presidential transitions and identify what strategies administrations have used in responding to those challenges.

Resources include three separate report series:  analytical studies and organization charts of individual White House offices important to a good presidential start; studies on past transitions and White House operations; and advanced research covering special aspects of transitions and governing. The project also provides analysis of the presidential appointments process. The White House Transition Project also works with governments outside of the United States who seek information on transitions in presidential governing systems.