Presidential Trans- itions: Are the Risks Rising?

Event Details

Richard Neustadt, a scholar on the American Presidency, gives a lecture on presidential transitions. Neustadt begins his forum by expressing his concern over the current trend in presidential transitions, one that he identifies as increasingly awkward and dangerous. Using the Bay of Pigs crisis as an example, he argues that the transition period was filled with so many misperceptions that the strategy was a powder keg. He additionally identifies the transitory period as one in which the president?s are susceptible to ?hubris? or inclined to intoxication from their recent successes that may lead them to act rashly or overzealously. Neustadt additionally cautions the possibility of the new president being mobbed by issues in his first weeks and being overwhelmed. He concludes by suggesting more attention needs to be paid to this perilous period. During the questioning session he discusses Clinton?s transition and responsibility for problems that arise during the transition.