Advising the Presidency

Brookings has been helping new presidents for 90 years, most notably advising Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon in the months leading up to the 1960 presidential election. As Brookings experts offered ideas during the transition of President-elect Obama, the Institution looked back on its role in past presidential transitions.

Reagan to Bush: Brookings and the 1988-89 Presidential Transition

December 11, 2008

Even though the 1988 presidential transition featured a handover from a two-term president (Ronald Reagan) to his own vice president (George H.W. Bush), experts at Brookings recognized that even an intra-party transition between political allies suffered from a lack of communication between outgoing presidential aides and their counterparts in the new administration.

Carter to Ford: Brookings and the 1976-77 Presidential Transition

November 18, 2008

When President-elect Jimmy Carter took office in the 1976-77 transition, he reached out to Brookings scholars for help on both domestic and foreign affairs, as well as advice on how to structure his White House staff.

Johnson to Nixon: Brookings and the 1968-69 Presidential Transition

November 12, 2008

In 1968, the nation was devastated by the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., and a divisive three-way battle for the presidency raged. Brookings scholars trained their sights on solving contentious domestic issues.

Eisenhower to Kennedy: Brookings and the 1960-61 Presidential Transition

November 05, 2008

Nearly 50 years ago, the country weathered a historical presidential transition in turbulent times, as John F. Kennedy bested Richard Nixon in a close race to replace Eisenhower. Brookings played a behind-the-scenes role to help ease the transition.

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