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16 December 2008
Advisers and the U.S. Presidency
Podcast on political appointees, lobbyists and federal workers
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President-elect Barack Obama, like all new American presidents, will appoint thousands of people to important government positions in his administration. Each president appoints thousands of political officials, including high-profile posts such as Cabinet secretaries, federal judges and ambassadors. These and many other high-level appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate. Not all presidential appointments are at a high level. Hundreds of young political appointees will be serving in entry-level roles in the Obama administration.
According to The United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, a 209-page book published by the Government Printing Office, there are some 8,000 political jobs that could be available in the next administration. Obama will not be appointing all 8,000 or so people personally. Many of those positions are for personal staffs for Cabinet secretaries and other high-level officials. Political experts say about 3,000 of the jobs will be awarded to those who helped with the campaign or are well-known for their work in specific fields appropriate to the positions.
A transition to a new administration does bring some new people to Washington, but the change has little impact on the employment of more than 2.6 million federal government workers in nonpolitical positions. This professional civil service helps U.S. government operations around the world continue running smoothly as new political appointees join the work force and learn the key issues for their departments.
Many civil service employees have served at high levels through several presidential administrations. Because it might take some time for Obama’s new political appointees to begin their jobs, agencies also have been identifying some of these career civil servants to serve temporarily in political appointees’ roles so that no important job is left vacant.
Those who want to be appointed to a position in the Obama administration might have to go through one of the toughest job application processes in history. To begin with, the process is very competitive. Five days after the transition team posted a jobs link on its Web site, Change.gov, it had already received about 144,000 applications.
Applicants under consideration for high-ranking positions must answer 63 questions about their personal and professional lives. They must also provide significant details about their jobs and those of their spouses, their financial status and personal associations. And in this area of new technologies, applicants are also expected to explain their “Internet presence,” which includes information about e-mails, Facebook pages or blog posts that others could find offensive.
Throughout his campaign, Obama promised to limit the role lobbyists and special interests play in influencing policy. This is one of the biggest reasons behind the strict application process. The Obama transition team is also implementing a set of rules designed to severely limit lobbyist influence.
Under ethics rules, the transition team cannot accept financial contributions from federal lobbyists or gifts from special interest groups. And anyone hoping to work on the transition cannot be currently involved with any lobbying work. Those already assisting with the transition are prohibited from lobbying the Obama administration for the next 12 months on matters on which they work during the transition.
Obama transition team co-chairman John Podesta recently told reporters that the rules are the strictest and most far-reaching of any transition team in history. He said the rules continue Obama’s prohibitions against lobbyist contributions to his presidential campaign and are part of his pledge to change the way Washington works and to curb the influence of lobbyists.
The rules are part of an effort to stop the “revolving door” in Washington, Podesta said. The expression refers to the practice of U.S. officials using the contacts and expertise they gained through government work to advocate for special interests once they have left federal service.
Lobbyists have developed a bad reputation among the American public. Many are perceived to be cashing in on their government experience in an unfair way. Scandals involving legislators and lobbyists in the recent past have reinforced public distaste for the industry. But many former lobbyists have challenged the notion that lobbying is unethical and that lobbyists are only hired guns. They point out that every cause and interest has its advocates, including trade associations, consumer groups, universities and state governments, and all should be allowed to address those interests to the government.
This podcast is produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs. Links to other Internet sites or opinions expressed should not be considered an endorsement of other content and views.
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