Presidential Transitions : 1960-2001

Many nations around the globe are unable to experience a change in government without violence and bloodshed, but in America a peaceful transition from one presidential administration to the next has always been the case. Regardless of the bitterness surrounding a campaign like the 2000 election, the United States went through no coups or forcible attempts to hinder the change from the Clinton to Bush administrations. While such a state is important to a democracy, and indeed a rarity when compared to the rest of the world, Americans often take for granted the transition process. Behind this stable exterior, though, is a regulated process to ensure the orderly continuation of government. The president-elect has fewer than eleven weeks between election and inauguration, making the need for a defined process clear. Several pieces of legislation have been enacted to oversee all aspects of executive branch workings in anticipation of the new president. This book takes a close look at how the transition process has taken shape and been applied to each administration change since John F Kennedy''s election in 1960. Included are presentations and examinations of legislation pertaining to the transition process, the text of the major laws, and general considerations for the presidential transition process. Anyone hoping to understand one of American democracy''s most shining characteristics, the peaceful change in governments, needs to be familiar with the material discussed here.