What Do We Do Now?: A Workbook for the President-elect [Paperback]

Stephen Hess (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

The period from Election Day to Inauguration Day in America seems impossibly short. Newly elected U.S. presidents have less than eleven weeks to construct a new government composed of supporters and strangers, hailing from all parts of the nation. This unique and daunting process always involves at least some mistakes in hiring, perhaps, or in policy priorities, or organizational design. Early blunders can carry serious consequences well into a president s term; minimizing them from the outset is critical. In What Do We Do Now? Stephen Hess draws from his long experience as a White House staffer and presidential adviser to show what can be done to make presidential transitions go smoothly. Here is a workbook to guide future chief executives, decision by decision, through the minefield of transition. You ll have to start at the beginning, settling on a management style and knowing how to "arrange all the boxes." Something as seemingly mundane as parceling office space can be consequential hence the inclusion of a proposed White House organizational chart and floor plans of the West Wing. What qualities are needed for each job, and where are the best candidates for those positions most likely to be found? How can you construct a cabinet that looks like America ? What Do We Do Now? is your indispensable guide through the thicket of these decisions. There are small decisions, too. You ll have to pick a desk photos of the choices are included. Which presidential portraits should hang in the Oval Office? Which ones have previous presidents chosen? And when it comes time to write an inaugural address, what should be the content, theme, and tone? It s all here in the presidential transition workbook don t leave for Washington without it. This concise volume is sure to be a valuable resource for the president and team of advisers as they attempt to herd cats into an effective government. What Do We Do Now? is also a delightful read for anyone interested in exactly how one goes about being the president of the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is really, as the subtitle suggests, "A Workbook for the President-Elect," complete with exercises to fill in and boxes to tick off; but it is also a compelling primer for the average citizen." —Frank Gannon, Wall Street Journal

"Hess's workbook is a must for the incoming administration. He touches on everything from decorating the Oval Office, dodging Cabinet nomination fights, and penning a memorable inaugural address to firing bumbling aides."" —Paul Bedard, U.S. News & World Report

"Magically combines expertise, charm, and implicit wit." — Library Journal

About the Author

Stephen Hess is senior fellow emeritus in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and Distinguished Research Professor of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. He has been engaged in presidential transitions since he was a young speechwriter in the EisenhowerWhite House. He returned to the White House with President Richard Nixon, helped Jimmy Carter reorganize the Executive Office and advised the presidential transition teams of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and GeorgeW. Bush. His numerous books include Through Their Eyes: Foreign Correspondents in the United States (Brookings, 2005) and Organizing the Presidency (Brookings, 3rd ed in 2002 with James Pfiffner).

Product Details

• Paperback: 125 pages
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081573655X
• ISBN-13: 978-0815736554
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,431,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very timely book on the American Presidency, January 18, 2009

By 

Future Watch Writer (Washington, D.C. Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Do We Do Now?: A Workbook for the President-elect (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for this time in American history. Stephen Hess is one of the leading experts on American government. This book is a worthy successor to his book, Organizing the Presidency

A lot of people don't realize the massive nature of the process of the Presidential transition in America. There is far more a change, for example, than in most other world governments. The end result, sadly is that some agencies may not get fully staffed for a long time.

Contrary to what you might have heard, experience matters. People who are clueless about the ways of Washington are not likely to be very effective although there are certainly roles for them. "Not from Washington" may be a great campaign slogan but it can be a major liability in the real world of politics. It is interesting that President Obama has probably picked more Washington insiders for his cabinet than any other President in spite of running against the Washington establishment.

For more on the subject of government management check out my Listmania List on my profile, Public Service and Government Management.

This book will help you monitor how well America's new President gets started. You may not agree with everything in the book but in my view this is one of the best if not the best book on the subject it covers.