Edwin Meese III Institute · Tom Jipping

Political Appointments Tracker

Tom Jipping’s recurring memos tracking the pace of Senate confirmations for the President’s executive-branch nominees.

Confirmations by the Numbers: the latest data →

10 memos

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Political Appointments Tracker measure?

Each memo tracks the pace of Senate confirmations for the President’s executive-branch nominees compared with prior administrations at the same point, written by Tom Jipping, Senior Legal Fellow at the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law.

What is the Plum Book?

The Plum Book, published shortly after each presidential election, lists the federal positions that require presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. The number of executive-branch positions requiring confirmation has varied little over the period the tracker covers.

Why do confirmations take longer than they used to?

The Senate traditionally confirmed the vast majority of executive-branch nominees without a cloture vote or a time-consuming recorded vote. The memos document how those confirmation norms have eroded across recent administrations, slowing the pace of appointments.