Transition Lab

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie explains how he planned the Trump transition and where it went wrong.

Jonathan McBride and Liza Wright, former directors of the PPO under Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush share their advice on how to land a political appointment.

Clay Johnson, the executive director of Bush’s transition, tells host Dave Marchick how Bush brought many of his personnel practices as Texas governor to Washington during the shortest official transition in history at just 39 days.

Former White House Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary James Baker joins host David Marchick on Transition Lab to discuss his long and distinguished career on the national stage.

Powerhouse attorneys Leslie Kiernan and Robert Rizzi explain how political appointees navigate the vetting process when seeking a political appointment.

Historian Ted Widmer tells host David Marchick about Lincoln's two-week train ride from Illinois to Washington, D.C. in February 1861 that helped him find his voice, build public support, and set the tone for his presidency.

President Herbert Hoover and President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt failed to cooperate in any matter during the four-month transition that occurred in the midst of the Great Depression.

Mack McLarty, former White House chief of staff, shared insights on the Clinton transition as well as President Clinton’s first year in office, as well as the privilege of serving alongside the president, a friend from childhood.

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Filmmaker Ken Burns and historian Geoffrey Ward share stories with Transition Lab about the biggest crises in our nation’s history and how our past informs the present.

Professor Michael Nelson, an expert on the American presidency, joins Transition Lab to discuss the political dynamics that define a president’s first and second term. Nelson explains how new presidents can maximize their impact during their first year in office and outlines the challenges two-term presidents face during their fifth year.

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