The election is over, and your candidate has won. Now it is time to transition from campaigning to governing. Or, to quote Robert Redford from the ending of the movie The Candidate: "What do we do now?" All winning campaigns use the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day to create a transition team. The Transition Director will focus on personnel, priorities of the upcoming administration, and scheduling/timing. Inauguration Day is a powerful time in politics; a chance to break through the clutter and chart a course for the new administration. That is immediately followed by the beginning of a new administration. Campaign promises collide with the realities of governing. Then, too, the state, nation and world do not stop for new administrations. Events have a way of intruding, and candidates, now officeholders, must adapt on the fly to these challenges. This course will analyze what a successful transition seeks to accomplish, and how to do so quickly; the blueprint for a successful Inauguration; and, the problems and perils of getting a new administration up and running, including issues such as Personnel as Policy; Priorities; Governing v Campaigning; the "Permanent Campaign"; Maintaining Focus; Responding to Crises; and other challenges faced by all new elected officials.
