Office Of the President-Elect

Submitted by politicalWinters on Mon, 12/01/2008 - 8:05am.

Pretty cool sounding name, but it's only a name. In actuality, and according to the U.S. Constitution, the Office of the President-elect doesn't exist. It has no authority. Nada.

The office exists elsewhere, thanks to the Presidential Transition Act, which is designed to ensure a smooth transition between the old and new. Public funding helps pay for transition staff, and the president-elect gets the daily security briefings - same as the sitting president.

Quote: "It is an office -- it's just a quasi-government office for planning the takeover of the government," said Stephen J. Wayne, a professor at Georgetown University's department of government.

"Obama has no formal power as far as the existing government is concerned, but he has a lot of informal influence, which President Bush has encouraged," he added.

Wayne compared the function of the "Office of the President-Elect" to spring training in baseball.
"It doesn't count in the standings, but it does contribute to a team's ability to do well from day one," he said.

You can read more about the transition office here.

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