Roadblocked - by Heath Brown

About the Book

"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris began their transition to the White House in the most unusual of circumstances: a global pandemic, a sitting president violently refusing to accept the results of the election, and a historic racial reckoning all posed profound questions about how they would staff large parts of the government and articulate policy remedies to pressing problems in just eleven weeks.Heath Brown's Roadblocked is a revelatory look at the seventy days between the election and the inauguration with a focus on the ways the Biden-Harris transition team sought help and advice to overcome these obstacles. Informed by over 125 exclusive interviews with members of the transition team and wide cast of other stakeholders, Brown takes readers deep inside the 2020 presidential transition. More than that, Roadblocked is also a gripping history of US presidential transitions over the past half-century that compares the transition teams of the last four administrations.Biden-Harris transition leaders had a massive team with a complex organizational structure and a stated aim to promote coordination, encourage teamwork, and avoid siloing staff. In the end, however, these aims were foiled by the conditions of the pandemic and steep hierarchies, which both reduced collaboration and information sharing and left many feeling isolated. Despite substantial changes in the Democratic coalition, newly influential groups armed with novel tactics, and great shifts in their political agenda, the Biden-Harris transition did not lead to transformation. Roadblocked explains why"--

Book Synopsis

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris began their transition to the White House in the most unusual of circumstances: a global pandemic, a sitting president violently refusing to accept the results of the election, and a historic racial reckoning all posed profound questions about how they would staff large parts of the government and articulate policy remedies to pressing problems in just eleven weeks.

Heath Brown's Roadblocked is a revelatory look at the seventy days between the election and the inauguration with a focus on the ways the Biden-Harris transition team sought help and advice to overcome these obstacles. Informed by over 125 exclusive interviews with members of the transition team and wide cast of other stakeholders, Brown takes readers deep inside the 2020 presidential transition. More than that, Roadblocked is also a gripping history of US presidential transitions over the past half-century that compares the transition teams of the last four administrations.

Biden-Harris transition leaders had a massive team with a complex organizational structure and a stated aim to promote coordination, encourage teamwork, and avoid siloing staff. In the end, however, these aims were foiled by the conditions of the pandemic and steep hierarchies, which both reduced collaboration and information sharing and left many feeling isolated. In the end, despite substantial changes in the Democratic coalition, newly influential groups armed with novel tactics, and great shifts in their political agenda, the Biden-Harris transition did not lead to transformation. Roadblocked explains why.

Review Quotes

"The Trump-Biden transition was like no other in American presidential history. Heath Brown combines political science theory; a new data set on interest groups and their strategies for gaining access to incoming administrations; and a clear, engaging writing style to provide a highly readable and interesting look at this most unusual period in American politics. Roadblocked will take its place among the best scholarship on presidential transitions."--Daniel E. Ponder, author of Presidential Leverage: Presidents, Approval, and the American Stateand Good Advice: Information and Policy Making in the White House

"A top scholar of presidential transitions asks systematic questions and offers historical context for a presidential transition under extraordinarily challenging circumstances. This book offers a rigorous and lively look at the Biden transition."--Julia R. Azari, author of Delivering the People's Message: The Changing Politics of the Presidential Mandate

"This is fresh and important look at modern presidential transitions, focusing on the way groups do and do not get access to transitions. Brown shows how patterns of early access influence policy and politics during the transition and throughout the president's term. This book will be of interest to scholars of the presidency, interest groups, and American politics more generally."--David E. Lewis, author of The Politics of Presidential Appointments: Political Control and Bureaucratic Performance

"Roadblocked is a masterstroke by Heath Brown, whose exceptional investigative scholarship produces an unrivaled account of the Biden-Harris transition. With over 125 exclusive interviews underpinning a narrative that is as authoritative as it is compelling, Heath offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of presidential transitions. This book is an indispensable read for anyone fascinated by the complexities of American politics and the dynamics behind these transfers of extraordinary institutional power."--William G. Resh, author of Rethinking the Administrative Presidency: Trust, Intellectual Capital, and Appointee-Careerist Relations in the George W. Bush Administration

"Roadblocked is the definitive account of one of the most complex and consequential presidential transitions in US history. With scholarly rigor and keen insight, Heath Brown explains what was different about the Biden-Harris transition and--focusing on the enduring importance of access and influence in that process--what was all too familiar about it. Deeply researched and engagingly written, this is an essential book for anyone interested in understanding the American presidency, as well as public policy, political parties, interest groups, and the future of our democratic institutions."--Christopher Devine, author of I'm Here to Ask for Your Vote: How Presidential Campaign Visits Influence Voters and coauthor of Do Running Mates Matter? The Influence of Vice Presidential Candidates in Presidential Elections