The Five Things Biden Must Do to Repair the Harm Trump Has Done
The president-elect must begin to build a modern, expert-led civil service and bring talent back into the executive branch.
The White House on Nov. 3.
Photographer: Jared Soares for Bloomberg Businessweek
Typically, the start of a presidential administration is filled with expectation. Victorious campaign staffers arrive in Washington to claim jobs at federal agencies. Lobbyists commandeer hotel ballrooms for breakfast buffets with incoming power brokers. Magazines assign fashion photographers to do shoots of the West Wing’s newest inhabitants.
The mood won’t be quite so heady this time. When Joe Biden takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2021, he will inherit the gravest national crisis faced by any new president in the past 75 years. Though a vaccine for the coronavirus may be ready for initial use, infections are likely to remain rampant as Americans endure a winter crowded indoors. Tens of millions will remain out of work, and many children may not have returned to the classroom. Members of the new president’s own staff may be forced to work remotely for months, even as they begin taking action on policy priorities ranging from health care and climate change to trade and nuclear arms control.