Getting Started in the Obama White House: Presidential Management and Staffing In the New Administration

Abstract:     
“Change” was a prominent theme of the 2008 presidential campaign with both candidates emphasizing their credentials for altering the political environment. But does a campaign focused on change result in an administration different from its predecessors? We examine the Obama transition to identify similarities with and differences from previous administrations. Similarities include Obama’s structuring of advisors, patterns in personnel selections, and the role of the vice president. Key differences include a greater centralization of policy making, a higher proportion of former congressmen and governors as cabinet officers, and a higher proportion of nominations being challenged in the Senate. Thus an election about change produced an administration somewhat different but not radically different from its predecessors.

Keywords: US Presidency, transitions, Obama

Working Paper Series