The New Presidency and the Future of American Military Power

It is a minor miracle that no federal office building or Washington think tank has ever collapsed under the weight of unread transition studies. Presidents-elect simply don’t have the time to read the flood of material they are sent; transition teams often spend more time job seeking than transitioning; and once new administrations actually pick their team at the cabinet level, the cabinet member conducts his or her own transition effort.

It is important for President Obama and his team to understand, however, that they face a transition where they need to take immediate action in several key aspects national security. The president-elect is not going to have the time to meditate, have task forces examine broad changes in strategy, and think conceptually. As of January 20, he will have to deal with the inheritance of ongoing wars and crises in many aspects of defense.