United States presidential transition facts for kids

In the United States, a presidential transition is the special period when the newly elected president, called the president-elect, gets ready to take charge of the government. This happens after the election and before the new president officially starts the job. The person leaving office is called the incumbent president.

The process officially begins when a government agency called the General Services Administration (GSA) announces the "apparent winner" of the election. The GSA then provides money and support from Congress to help the new team prepare. The transition ends on Inauguration Day, when the president-elect takes the oath of office and officially becomes the new president.

The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed in 1933, changed the start date for the president's term from March 4 to January 20. This made the transition period shorter. A president who is finishing their term after a new president has been elected is often called a "lame-duck president."

A law called the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 created the rules for a smooth and peaceful transition of power. Before the election, the main candidates get secret national security briefings to help them prepare. After the election, the winning team gets office space and other help to get ready to lead the country. They also have to choose thousands of people for important government jobs.

A Brief History of Transitions

For a long time in U.S. history, presidential transitions were not very organized. There was often little planning or help from the outgoing president. The idea of a planned transition only became common in the 1950s.

President Harry S. Truman was the first to make the process more modern. In the 1952 election, he offered to give secret intelligence briefings to the other candidate, Dwight D. Eisenhower. After Eisenhower won, Truman invited him to the White House and ordered government agencies to help with the changeover.

Eight years later, John F. Kennedy did a lot of planning before he became president. However, he didn't meet with President Eisenhower until a month after the 1960 election.

Laws for a Smooth Transition

The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 is the main law that sets up the process for a peaceful change in leadership. It has been updated several times to make it better.

• The Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010 allows the General Services Administration (GSA) to give office space, money, and other support to the main candidates before the election. This helps them get a head start on planning. This law was created partly because of security concerns after the 9/11 attacks.

• The Presidential Transition Act of 2019 requires the current president to set up special "transition councils" early in an election year to help with a possible change of power.

How the Transition Process Works

President-elect Jimmy Carter meets with military leaders at The Pentagon during his transition in 1976.

The transition process starts long before the election is over.

Before the Election

Leading candidates often create a "transition team" months before Election Day. For example, in 2008, Barack Obama's team began planning early. They studied past transitions and figured out which government jobs needed to be filled first. In 2012, Mitt Romney's team also made detailed plans for what they would do if he won.

During this time, the team sets goals, gets organized, and starts building relationships with Congress and government agencies. This helps them get ready to process security clearances for new staff members if their candidate wins.

After the Election

The transition officially starts when the GSA administrator names the "apparent winner." This allows the winner's team to get government funding, office space, and access to federal agencies.

There are no strict rules for how the GSA decides the winner. Usually, it happens after news organizations announce a winner or after the losing candidate concedes. Once the GSA makes the call, the new team gets about $9.9 million to pay for staff and supplies. They can also start working with government ethics offices to make sure their new team members follow the rules.

This phase lasts about 11 weeks, until Inauguration Day. The president-elect's team works on hiring key people, learning how different government departments work, and creating a plan for the new president's goals.

Choosing a New Team

When a new president is elected, it is normal for the top government leaders, like Cabinet secretaries, to offer their resignation. This allows the new president to choose their own team.

The new president must nominate people for these top jobs. The Senate must then review and approve these choices before they can officially start working.

Famous Transitions in History

Most transitions have been smooth, but some have been very challenging.

Buchanan to Lincoln (1860–1861)

During the transition from James Buchanan to Abraham Lincoln, the country was falling apart. Seven states left the Union before Lincoln even took office. President Buchanan did not believe states had the right to leave, but he also didn't think the government could use force to stop them. The American Civil War began just one month after Lincoln became president.

Hoover to Roosevelt (1932–1933)

President Hoover and President-elect Roosevelt riding to the inauguration in 1933. They did not get along well.

This transition happened during the Great Depression, a time of great economic hardship. President Herbert Hoover and President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt did not agree on how to fix the economy.

Roosevelt refused to work with Hoover on a joint plan. Because of this, the economy got worse, and many banks failed before Roosevelt took office. The two presidents had a very difficult relationship.

Clinton to Bush (2000–2001)

President Bill Clinton (right) and President-elect George W. Bush (left) meet in the Oval Office during the transition.

The transition from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush was very short. This was because the election results in Florida were too close to call. It took several weeks of recounts and a Supreme Court decision in the case Bush v. Gore to decide that Bush was the winner. This left his team with only 39 days to prepare, the shortest transition in modern history.

Bush to Obama (2008–2009)

The transition from George W. Bush to Barack Obama is seen as a great example of a smooth handover. This was especially important because it happened during a major economic crisis. At the start of his inauguration speech, Obama thanked President Bush for his service and for his "generosity and co-operation" during the transition.

Obama to Trump (2016–2017)

President Barack Obama (right) and President-elect Donald Trump (left) meet in the Oval Office after the 2016 election.

After the 2016 election, President Obama invited Donald Trump to the White House to begin the transition process. The GSA quickly named Trump the "apparent winner," which allowed his team to get funding and office space. Trump and his Vice President-elect, Mike Pence, also began receiving the President's Daily Brief, a top-secret intelligence report.

Trump to Biden (2020–2021)

President-elect Joe Biden during his presidential transition.

After the 2020 election, President Donald Trump questioned the results and started legal challenges in several states. This caused a delay in the official start of the transition. The GSA did not name Joe Biden the "apparent winner" until November 23, more than two weeks after the election.

This delay meant that Biden's team could not get funding or access government agencies right away. After protests at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, President Trump promised a "smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power." He did not attend Biden's inauguration, which was the first time a president had not attended his successor's inauguration since 1869.

Biden to Trump (2024–2025)

President Joe Biden (right) and President-elect Donald Trump (left) meet in the Oval Office as part of the presidential transition.

Following the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris promised a peaceful transition of power in her speech. President Biden also said he would help coordinate the transition.

A week after the election, President Biden and President-elect Trump met in the Oval Office. Both men said they wanted a "smooth transition." This meeting was seen as a return to the tradition of peaceful handovers of power.

List of Presidential Transitions

See also

• Contingent election, a special process used when no presidential candidate wins a majority in the Electoral College
• Midnight regulations, rules created by a president's team just before they leave office
• Former Presidents Act
• Political transition team