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
While it seems that the current political climate may not incentivize the use of evidence-based data sources for decision making, those of us who are passionate about ensuring results for the American people will continue to firmly stand on the belief that learning agendas are a crucial component to successfully navigate a changing future.
In recent months, we’ve seen much of these decades’ worth of progress erased. Contracts for evaluations of government programs were canceled, FFRDCs have been forced to lay off staff, and federal advisory committees have been disbanded.
This report outlines a framework relying on “Cooperative Technical Means” for effective arms control verification based on remote sensing, avoiding on-site inspections but maintaining a level of transparency that allows for immediate detection of changes in nuclear posture or a significant build-up above agreed limits.
At a recent workshop, we explored the nature of trust in specific government functions, the risk and implications of breaking trust in those systems, and how we’d known we were getting close to specific trust breaking points.