As our nation approaches another transfer of power from one administration to the next, roughly 4,000 political appointees are preparing to leave their jobs. To help the government continue to function effectively during the presidential transition, career civil servants—those individuals who comprise the vast majority of the federal workforce and serve across administrations—will be relied on heavily. Whether serving on an interim basis for political appointees who have departed before their successors are in place, getting newly appointed political employees up to speed, or maintaining focus and continuing to do high-quality work to advance their agency missions, career civil servants are essential to the transfer of power.