Project 2025, led by the Heritage Foundation, created a nearly 1,000-page handbook and personnel database to have "civic infrastructure in place on Day One" for the next Republican presidency. How does this compare to traditional presidential transition planning?

Question

Project 2025, led by the Heritage Foundation, created a nearly 1,000-page handbook and personnel database to have "civic infrastructure in place on Day One" for the next Republican presidency. How does this compare to traditional presidential transition planning?

Accepted Answer

Presidential transitions normally begin after elections, with incoming teams consulting career civil servants and submitting nominees for Senate confirmation. Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 launched in April 2022—two and a half years before the November 2024 election—and built a database of 20,000 pre-vetted candidates (five times the ~4,000 traditional political appointments). Paul Dans and Spencer Chretien screened candidates using loyalty questionnaires, not merit-based qualifications. The $22 million operation wrote 180-day agency playbooks and pre-drafted executive orders, bypassing the deliberative process that normally shapes policy after elections.

Project 2025, led by the Heritage Foundation, created a nearly 1,000-page handbook and personnel database to have "civic infrastructure in place on Day One" for the next Republican presidency. How does this compare to traditional presidential transition planning?

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