The Fels Transition Project: The Next Government of the United States
Purpose & Approach:The Fels Institute of Government is initiating a significant research effort to engage with the 2008 Presidential election campaign and to analyze candidates' management proposals for the Federal Government.
The objectives of the Fels Transition Project: 'The Next Government of the United States' project are to:
- Identify and examine the public management proposals of all candidates during the 2008 Presidential campaign
- Review the impact, practicality, and effects of these proposals by drawing together a broad-based coalition of public administration scholars and commentators
- Elevate the profile of public management challenges and issues during the 2008 Presidential campaign
- Promote discussion and discourse on the most significant challenges and issues facing the Federal government.
The centerpiece of the Fels Transition Project is the website: http://www.thenextgovernment.com, which details and analyzes each presidential candidate’s federal government management proposals and includes a framework for examining the issues facing the next presidential administration. This framework includes the following topics:
- Human Resources & Personnel
- Performance & Accountability
- Information Technology
- Organizational Structures
- Budgeting & Financial Management
- Partnerships & Networking
This website is being launched to coincide with a series of articles by Fels Director Donald F. Kettl on the presidential transition in publications such as Government Executive magazine and The Washington Post. This will also set the scene for Dr. Kettl’s forthcoming book, The Next Government of the United States (2008).
For more information about the Fels Institute’s work on the Federal Government Agenda for 2009, view Dr. Kettl’s recent report, “The Next Government of the United States – Challenges for Performance in the 21st Century” for the IBM Center for the Business of Government.