The complexities and some of the potential pitfalls of the presidential transition period are described in a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service.
“A variety of events, decisions, and activities contribute to what some may characterize as the unfolding drama of a presidential transition. Interparty transitions in particular might be contentious.”
The report addresses the use of executive orders, record preservation and clemency actions by the outgoing Administration, as well as cybersecurity, budget preparation, political appointments, and so forth. See Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations, updated November 16, 2016.
Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session, Including Objections by Members of Congress, updated November 15, 2016
The Congressional Review Act: Frequently Asked Questions, updated November 17, 2016
Infrastructure Finance and Debt to Support Surface Transportation Investment, updated November 17, 2016
Prevalence of Mental Illness in the United States: Data Sources and Estimates, updated November 16, 2016
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) Transitional Reinsurance Program, November 16, 2016
CRISPR: A Revolutionary Tool for Editing the Code of Life?, CRS Insight, November 17, 2016
Certain U.S. Laws for Foreign Workers Draw Fire from India in the WTO, CRS Legal Sidebar, November 16, 2016
Justice Department’s Role in Cyber Incident Response, CRS Insight, November 15, 2016
Naval Station Guantanamo Bay: History and Legal Issues Regarding Its Lease Agreements, updated November 17, 2016
Iran Sanctions, updated November 16, 2016
Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention, updated November 16, 2016
After months of delay, the council tasked by President Trump to review the FEMA released its final report. Our disaster policy nerds have thoughts.
FAS and FLI partnered to build a series of convenings and reports across the intersections of artificial intelligence (AI) with biosecurity, cybersecurity, nuclear command and control, military integration, and frontier AI governance. This project brought together leaders across these areas and created a space that was rigorous, transpartisan, and solutions-oriented to approach how we should think about how AI is rapidly changing global risks.
Investment should instead be directed at sectors where American technology and innovation exist but the infrastructure to commercialize them domestically does not—and where the national security case is clear.
AI is already consequential, but its future trajectory remains contested. Policymakers should make their assumptions explicit, focus on what can be shaped rather than what can be perfectly predicted, and build institutions that can learn and respond as evidence changes.