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Saturday November 21, 2009

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Presidential Appointments

BOOK

Save to My PortfolioAdvice and Dissent: The Struggle to Shape the Federal Judiciary

Forrest Maltzman and Sarah A. Binder, September 15, 2009

Advice and Dissent explores the state of the nation's federal judicial selection system -- a process beset by deepening partisan polarization, obstructionism, and deterioration of the practice of advice and consent. Read More

Presidential Appointments, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Congress

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Changing Face of the Federal Judiciary

Russell Wheeler, August 17, 2009, The Brookings Institution

The Changing Face of the Federal JudiciaryWith Justice Sonia Sotomayer confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court and President Obama set to fill a number of lower court vacancies, there is renewed attention on the demographic makeup of the U.S. judiciary. Russell Wheeler examines federal judicial demographic data from the Eisenhower administration to today. He concludes that while the face of the judiciary has markedly changed over the last 30 years, it hardly mirrors the general population. Read More

Courts, U.S. Judiciary, Presidential Appointments, Justice and Law

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioWill Judge Sonia Sotomayor be Confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice?

Russell Wheeler, May 26, 2009

Russell Wheeler says there is no doubt that U.S. Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor will be confirmed to replace retiring Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court. The real question is whether she will be confirmed by the October start of the court.

U.S. Supreme Court, Courts, Justice and Law, Presidential Appointments, U.S. Politics

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioPresident Obama's Court Nominations

Russell Wheeler, March 20, 2009

Russell Wheeler says President Obama’s nomination of David Hamilton to serve on the appellate court was a thoughtful choice but will still draw criticism.

Courts, Judges, U.S. Judiciary, Presidential Appointments

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioHow Might the Obama Administration Affect the Composition of the U. S. Courts of Appeals?

Russell Wheeler, March 18, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Following the announcement of President Obama’s first judicial nomination, Russell Wheeler offers clues to how President Obama might affect the composition of the United States Courts of Appeals. A reasonable estimate is that the proportion of Republican appointees could drop from 56 percent to 43 percent; Democratic appointees could rise from 36 percent to 57 percent. Read More

Courts, Judges, U.S. Judiciary, Presidential Appointments

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Next National Security Adviser

Ivo H. Daalder and I. M. Destler, December 22, 2008, Foreign Affairs

The Next National Security AdviserOne of the most important figures in Obama's administration will be his national security adviser. Ivo Daalder and I.M. Destler examine previous national security advisers to use lessons from the past on how to do the job right or wrong. Read More

National Security, National Security Council, Presidential Appointments, Foreign Policy, The White House

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioMemorandum to the Next National Security Advisor

Ivo H. Daalder and Mac Destler , December 12, 2008, The American Interest

Ivo Daalder and Mac Destler give the next national security advisor (NSA) advice on how to manage a heavy workload and prioritize tasks that only the NSA is in position to perform. They argue that trust and confidence in colleagues, building cooperation and getting close to the president are all important aspects of the job. Read More

National Security, National Security Council, Presidential Appointments, Foreign Policy, The White House

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhat Now? Choosing Your Cabinet

Stephen Hess, December 12, 2008, The Brookings Institution

What Now? Choosing Your CabinetThe Washington world is full of talented, accomplished people whose expertise in their fields is unquestioned – yet many fail as cabinet officers at the pinnacle of power. Stephen Hess advises the new president on where to look for cabinet talent. Read More

The Presidential Transition, The Presidency, The White House, Presidential Appointments, Governance

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioGetting Infrastructure Bang for the Buck

Robert Puentes, November 13, 2008, The New Republic

In this opinion piece published in the New Republic, Robert Puentes argues that President-elect Obama has a tremendous opportunity to connect infrastructure spending to broad national goals (such as economic competitiveness and environmental sustaianability). In this way the federal stimulus dollars can accelerate the right kind of projects in the right places, creating jobs and waking up related areas of the economy. Read More

Infrastructure, Transportation, Competitiveness, U.S. Economic Stimulus, Cities

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioThe Politics of Presidential Appointments

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC

© Reuters/John GressPresident-elect Barack Obama now faces the daunting challenge of shaping a new administration. On November 12, William Galston moderated a discussion with David Lewis and Kathryn Dunn Tenpas to examine the basis on which presidents pick their political appointees and the impact of their choices on government performance. Read More

Presidential Appointments, The Presidential Transition, The Presidency, Governance

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioTransition Memo to the President-Elect

Stephen Hess, November 06, 2008, The Washington Post

Transition Memo to the President-ElectPresident-elect Barack Obama will be besieged by proposals to reorganize government. Stephen Hess offers five tips for avoiding political minefields on the way to inauguration day. Read More

The Presidential Transition, Presidential Appointments, The White House, The Presidency, Executive Branch

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhere Obama Should Find Cabinet Members

Stephen Hess, November 06, 2008, Politico

Where Obama Should Find Cabinet MembersStephen Hess offers suggestions to the new president-elect on how to best fill his cabinet. Hess cautions Obama, who will need to fill twice as many jobs than John F. Kennedy did, to factor in diversity as well as political and managerial talent. Read More

The Presidential Transition, Presidential Appointments, The Presidency, The White House, Executive Branch

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioWhat Will the Presidential Election Mean for the U. S. Courts of Appeals?

Russell Wheeler, October 21, 2008, The Brookings Institution

What Will the Presidential Election Mean for the U. S. Courts of Appeals?Brookings expert Russell Wheeler offers clues to how a President McCain or Obama might affect the composition of the United States Supreme Court as well as the courts of appeals. Read More

Courts, Judges, U.S. Judiciary, Presidential Appointments

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioRestore Civility to the Selection of Federal Judges

Russell Wheeler, September 09, 2008, The Miami Herald

Restore Civility to the Selection of Federal JudgesHot-button social topics often dominate voters' views of where presidential candidates stand on judicial appointments. Plus, as in much of U.S. politics, the process of getting judges on the bench has become cantankerous and divided. Russell Wheeler says that the next president should try to work with the Senate to restore civility. Read More

U.S. Judiciary, Courts, Justice and Law, Presidential Appointments, Judges

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioProblems on the Potomac: How Relocation Policies for Presidential Appointees Can Help Win the Talent War

Carole M. Plowfield and Paul C. Light, March 22, 2002, The Presidential Appointee Initiative

Presidential appointees are subject to less competitive relocation policies than those in the private sector reports Paul C. Light and Carole Plowfield in "Problems on the Potomac: How Relocation Policies for Presidential Appointees Can Help Win the Talent War." Read More

U.S. Congress, Presidential Appointments, Governance, Bureaucracy, Executive Branch

Featured Experts

Russell Wheeler

Russell Wheeler

Visiting Fellow, Governance Studies

Russell Wheeler studies the selection of U.S. judges and how courts function with other branches of government and the press, among other judicial topics. He is a former deputy director of the Federal Judicial Center, research and education agency for the federal court system.


Read More

Stephen Hess

Stephen Hess

Senior Fellow Emeritus, Governance Studies

A veteran staffer of the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations and an advisor to Presidents Ford and Carter, Stephen Hess focuses on the presidency, the news media, and the political culture of Washington.
Read More

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Spotlight

Research ProjectBrookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement monitors displacement problems worldwide, works with governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society to create more effective policies and institutional arrangements for Internally Displaed Persons.

ExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings.

ExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any society requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work extends beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions, higher education and the challenges of education in developing countries.

ExpertAmy Liu

Amy Liu is deputy director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Her policy studies include economic competitiveness, metropolitan growth and development, governance reforms, urban reinvestment, and social equity.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

ExpertDomenico Lombardi

As president of the Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, Domenico Lombardi’s work at Brookings focuses on the international financial crisis and the reform of the IMF and the World Bank. He is an expert on G-20 and G8 Summits.

ExpertFederiga Bindi

Federiga Bindi is a leading expert on European political integration. She has a broad experience in government and held a number of posts in international organizations. Bindi currently serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her research focuses on the EU, transatlantic relations; EU states foreign policies, global governance issues.

ExpertMark McClellan

Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

ExpertMwangi S. Kimenyi

Mwangi S. Kimenyi is a senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative. He focuses on Africa's development, including institutions for economic growth, the political economy, and private sector development.

TopicHealth Care

Brookings is committed to producing innovative policy solutions to our nation’s most difficult challenges. The country may face no more important domestic policy challenge than the much-needed reform of our health care system. Through an institution-wide effort, Brookings delivers new ideas and offers policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

ExpertTed Gayer

Ted Gayer is the co-director of the Economic Studies program and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He conducts research on a variety of economic issues, focusing particularly on public finance, environmental and energy economics, housing, and regulatory policy.

Policy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.