Presidential Transitions in an Age of Misinformation: Biden's 2020-21 Transition

• In Event: The Presidency and Misinformation

Abstract

Fearful of misinformation, US presidential candidates have historically kept transition planning secret, so concerned have they been about misleading accusations of "counting the drapes of the White House" by opponents. The consequence of this has been a paradox for scholars of the presidency and public administration: just as the democracy reaches its zenith with millions casting votes, some of the most important personnel and policy decisions are made with almost no transparency at all. What is the consequence of this for understanding the earliest days of a new presidential administration and its longer term impacts on the presidency and executive politics?

The 2020 presidential election was no exception; in fact, with concerns about cybersecurity and coordinated disinformation peaking, it was a central concern of the Biden-Harris team. At the same time, however, the Biden-Harris team responded to a national movement for racial equity and justice that called for more openness to new ideas and new political actors.

How then did the Biden-Harris transition team adjust to this peculiar information-environment, both before as well as after the election? How did it balance the demand to address concerns about dis/misinformation and calls for greater openness?

This paper uses elite interviews with nearly 30 members of the transition team to explain how Biden and Harris designed and executed a transition plan in this complex environment. The findings suggest the team succeeded in executing a plan that shielded team members from a variety of cyber threats. Yet, in adopting such a strict plan, other aims of the incoming administration, including prioritizing racial justice and collaboration, were not fulfilled.

These findings have implications for understanding presidential transitions, specifically, but also the on-going dis-misinformation environment faced by presidents and the consequences of various administrative responses, generally.

Author

• Heath Brown, City University of New York, Graduate Center and John Jay College