Changes

Although presidential transitions were sometimes tense, on the outside the transitions have been peaceful throughout US history with no incident of verified violence that was encouraged by any side. However, until 1963, there was no formal law that governed how a presidential transition would be handled. To help ensure a continuity of a peaceful and orderly transition, The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 was passed. The act enabled mechanisms for a formal transition, including for the incoming president to access branches of the government to ensure that the incoming president could have knowledge of key information prior to taking office. This act has continually been changed and amended to enable formal links of the government with the incoming president, including establishing the General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator to formally write an "ascertainment" letter that would declare a non-incumbent candidate to be an "apparent winner". This would formally release federal money to enable the transition for the incoming president.

==Recent History==