Pre-election planning is attentive to the tasks of governing, and the planning structure itself is a reminder that the campaign is a means to an end. After the election, the transition organization serves as an inventory of the new tasks. The role of the president-elect varies according to the extent to which he has set a course for his presidency. If he is certain and unwavering about this purpose, he can be more withdrawn from the daily routine of organizing his government. Many newly elected presidents, including Nixon, Carter, and Clinton, tend to be overly involved in management.
Presidents also vary in their public presence during the transition.
Nixon and Reagan limited their appearances, and their statements were consistent with the dominant theme or declared purpose of their presidencies. Carter and Clinton, by contrast, played out their passage from candidate to president in public. By the tests of the standard approach Nixon and Reagan had effective transitions. They played more or less by the book-not flawlessly, to be sure, but suited to the expectations of the Washington community. Carter's transition was judged to be less effective in its planning and execution, due primarily to the president-elect's outsider status and his determination to create his version of good government.