White House Transition Project



Archived news items can be found here. If links to the online story are available, they are provided. For more recent news concerning the White House Transition Program, go to our homepage.

WHTP's First Book Digests 2001 Briefs for the Bush Transition

The White House Transition Project published its first book in 2003, The White House World, edited by Martha J. Kumar and Terry Sullivan.

This volume gathers and digests the same material provided to the incoming White House staff in 2001. Its individual chapters contain a veritable "how to" manual: information on the dynamics of White House operations; the functions of seven critical White House offices; and retrospectives on the actual transition of President George W. Bush.

The briefing materials provided through this volume explain the nature of work life inside the White House as well as provide useful information on how to structure work in order to make the most of the President's time in office. As a unique feature, White House World provides the first organizational charts developed for each of seven critical offices. These make clear the most effective and the least effective ways of organizing these offices. And, in a final section, scholars and Bush administration insiders offer brief views of George W. Bush's unique transition into office.

In addition to Kumar and Sullivan, scholars contributing to the volume include: Peri E. Arnold, MaryAnne Borrelli, John P. Burke, George C. Edwards III, John Fortier, Karen Hult, Nancy Kassop, John H. Kessel, G. Calvin Mackenzie, Norman Ornstein, Bradley H. Patterson, Jr., James P. Pfiffner, Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, Charles Walcott, Shirley Anne Warshaw, and Stephen J. Wayne. The section on the Bush transition also contains an essay by Clay Johnson, executive director of the Bush-Cheney Transition and now Associate Director of OMB after serving two years as Director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel.

To see more information about this publication, click here.

WHTP Ready for 2005

The newest use figures released by WHTP partner Ibiblio.org, who hosts the website, indicates a growing interest in WHTP research and information. "We are gratified with the renewed interest in our project's resources and the appointments software as the next presidential transition approaches," Dr. Terry Sullivan, Associate Director for WHTP noted recently. "We were filling about 15,000 requests a month for informatoin on transitions, a good amount of those requests came from foreign democracies, but recently the requests are beginning to grow from domestic sources as the presidential transition approaches."

Regardless who wins the 2004 presidential elections, "there will be a transition." Dr. Martha J. Kumar, WHTP Director, pointing out that the sort of "renewal" transition that a Bush victory would entail can become as "complicated as a partisan transition" engendered by a Kerry victory. In every case, there will be new White House staff coming on-board and old staff leaving for other things. That has been the previous experience with such transitions.

Earlier this summer, the WHTP passed a milestone by filling its one-millionth request for information (see next story).
"Of course, we are pleased to see this milestone passed," Professor Kumar noted then. "And we are expecting usage to pick up as we approach the next presidential election." Previous use of the website skyrocketed from 3,000 requests a month in June 2000, at the beginning of the previous presidential election, to over 50,000 requests a month during the transition period following the Supreme Court decision in December of 2000.

WHTP at 1,000,000

"Earlier this month, the White House Transition Project filled its one millionth request for information." That was the news released in mid-March 2004 by Terry Sullivan, associate director of the WHTP and director of the WHTP website. The newest use figures released by WHTP partner Ibiblio.org, who hosts the website, put current usage at over a million requests. "Right now," Dr. Sullivan noted, "we fill about 15,000 requests a month for informatoin on transitions. This continuing use of our resources reflects the worldwide interest in democratic and peaceful transitions." The figure (below) summarizes the results for the general use website (WhiteHouseTransitionProject.org). These materials include briefing books prepared for and then released to the Bush Transition team (see stories elsewhere on the Guide to Transition Series, White House Operations Series, the Institutional Memory Series, and the Appointees Reference Series).

"Of course, we are pleased to see this milestone passed," noted WHTP director Professor Martha Kumar. "And we are expecting usage to pick up as we approach the next presidential election." Previous use of the website skyrocketed from 3,000 requests a month in June 2000, at the beginning of the previous presidential election, to over 50,000 requests a month during the transition period following the Supreme Court decision in December of 2000. Since then, the website experienced another spike in the middle of the off-year congressional elections in 2002.

WHTP Participates in Ibero-American Transition Conference

On November 10th - 14th, the White House Transition Project Director, Professor Martha Kumar, participated in an international seminar held in Buenos Aires, entitled "Transiciones de Gobierno: administrando el cambio" ("Government Transitions: Managing the Change"). Experts and officials participated from the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, Paraguay, United States, and Uruguay. The US Embassy asked Professor Kumar to discuss the American experience with transitions in a four-hour lecture on the topic. The U.S. Embassy sponsored the conference along with the governments of Canada and France.
Discussions with conference participants indicated that some had already used WHTP resources through its whitehouse2001.org website (See earlier story on Stats Show Transition Use Now Permanent & Worldwide). The conference was organized by Argentina's National Institute of Public Administration (INAP), responsible for the academic activities of IBERGOP Argentina (Iberoamerican School of Government and Public Policies). IBERGOP is an Ibero-American project of cooperation created by the Network of Ibero-American Ministers of the Presidency in 2000 and approved by the Ibero-American Chiefs of State and Government in their XI Summit held in Lima in November 2001. The main purpose of IBERGOP is to collaborate with the governments of the Ibero-American countries in order to strengthen the institutions and the democratic governance through specialized training and research. The School is integrated by six centers: Brazil, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Costa Rica and Argentina. Each center is in charge of the academic activities and research on governance and public policies in the respective country; and offers at least one annual course for the civil servants of the presidencies of Ibero-America.
Click here for an insert showing pictures from the party.

Preparing for the next transition, the White House Transition Project has registered a new domain name for its popular website: www.WhiteHouse2001.org. The new site, WhiteHouseTransitionProject.org is still hosted at Ibiblio.org and remains the central source for transition related materials.
Using the old site will still get you there, of course. For the next year, any call on whitehouse2001.org will get redirected to the new domain name. "Both will work into the next administration," noted Terry Sullivan, who directs the website for WHTP.

Statistics Show Widespread Use During Transition and Beyond

The White House Transition Project has released the results of a study on its website use during the two years surrounding the 2001 transition. The first figure (below) summarizes the results for the general use website (whitehouse2001.org). These materials include briefing books prepared for and then released to the Bush Transition team (see stories elsewhere on the Guide to Transition Series, White House Operations Series, the Institutional Memory Series, and the Appointees Reference Series). One interesting aspect of the new statistics details how the site continues to receive requests for information two years after the transition, reflecting a worldwide interest in transitions.

The conclusions of this study:

Our website delivery system (whitehouse2001.org) has responded to a sustained level of use.
- During the presidential transition, the site averaged 34,000 requests for information a month.
- Maintained a continuing interest in White House operations and appointments process, averaging 26,000 requests for information following the transition to the present.
The continuing interest in information on White House operations has prompted worldwide attention.
- Prompted worldwide interest in presidential governing.
- Filled requests for information and expertise from Chief Executives (Presidents and President-elects) of the following emerging democracies: East Timor, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Poland

The second figure (below) details use of the secured website accessed only by Bush Transition staff, providing special resources for their use.

The conclusions of the study on this site:

Through analysis of our secure website for White House staff, we know we served our target audience.

WHTP Study Concludes NFO Software a Success

A newly completed study of statistics on the use of Nomination Forms Online Software include the following conclusions:

The White House Transition Project successfully completed programming and produced the Nomination Forms Online software.
- 1,654 copies distributed of version 2.4i (latest version) in 2002 alone.
- Highly praised by government professionals familiar with the provision of electronic forms.
- Recommended for use by members of the White House interagency task force on financial disclosure.
Information on appointment process proved useful for White House, Office of Government Ethics, and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.
Provided expertise leading to the first reform of the process in twenty years:
- Assisted White House in major revision of its Personal Data Statement producing a 30% reduction.

For more information on the software see the Appointments Reference Series and the NFO Download Center

A Tribute to Richard E. Neustadt

Neustadt picture "...known for his mental acuity, his understanding of how government operated and how its institutions related to one another."

Dick Neustadt died at the end of October. A member of the WHTP Advisory Board, Professor Neustadt was the defining figure in the study of the American Presidency. "Professor Neustadt was recognized by everyone," remembers WHTP Associate Director Terry Sullivan. "I remember noting that at the Baker Institute conference on the White House Chief of Staff every one of the former Chiefs, regardless of party, knew Dick by his first name." He will be missed by colleagues, scholars, two generations of students, and practicioners.

To see a detailed tribute to Professor Neustadt, written by WHTP director Martha Kumar and set for publication in Presidential Studies Quarterly, click here.

For a list of the WHTP Advisory Board, click here.

Reporters Organize Party for White House World book

Recently, three reporters familiar with the White House Transition Project organized a party to celebrate the publication of the White House World, our compiled and abridged briefing materials (see next story).
Click here for an insert showing pictures from the party.

Kumar, Sullivan featured on "Time and the Presidency" Webcast by Baker Institute

The archives of this panel discussion can be found on the Baker Institute website. To find out more, go to the Baker Institute webpage.

Bush Names Rove Political Strategist
by Dana Milbank

Scholars of the presidency and former White House officials say that with his selections, Bush has built a White House staff that appears to be highly structured and disciplined and designed to dictate the president's priorities to his Cabinet.
Washington Post, January 5, 2001

Software Eases Nightmarish Task Of Applying For Jobs With President
by Bob Deans

WH2001's software will help nominees fill in forms, with a little help from India.
Cox News Service, December 17, 2000

Bush-Cheney Team Opens Web Site for Job Seekers
by Ben White

"The Web will allow you to easily gather and organize information," said Martha Joynt Kumar, director of the nonpartisan White House 2001 project. "What it won't help you do is determine the most appropriate candidates for top jobs."
Washington Post, December 7, 2000

Delay's repercussions felt here and elsewhere
by Susan Page

Whether this delay will have lasting repercussions is the subject of considerable dispute between the two campaigns.
USA Today, November 30, 2000

Smooth Transition
by Ben Gose

Scholars have joined an online effort to bring the new presidential administration quickly up to speed.
Chronicle of Higher Education, November 24, 2000

Presidential Transition Shrinking
by Nancy Benac

The normal presidential transition period is short enough, 73 days, and now a sizable slice of that valuable time to set the tone and framework for the next presidency is forever lost.
Salon, November 16, 2000

Hoping to Ease the Shift in Power
by Al Kamen

That first Carter staff meeting is just what the Bush and Gore transition teams, now working in utmost secrecy and hoping next week to begin their candidate's transition to power, are determined to avoid.
Washington Post, November 1, 2000

Presidential Transitions on EXBTV

White House Transitions
White House Transition Planning
(recorded 7/17/2000)

Improving the White House Memory
by Carl M. Cannon

A new Administration, especially when there's a change of party, begins without a written record compiled by the previous occupants. Those who have worked there almost uniformly describe this as a handicap. National Journal, May 13, 2000

Chief of Staff Forum
James A. Baker Institute (a supporting institution of the WH2001 Project)

The former Chiefs of Staff discuss running the White House at a Washington Forum, June 15, 2000. "I want to particularly underscore the efforts of the Pew Charitable Trusts whose White House 2001 Project, guided by Professor Martha Kumar, has worked so closely with the Baker Institute in preparing for this Forum." - James Baker. Format: streaming video.