Statecraft

Nadia Schadlow, former Deputy National Security Advisor and architect of the 2017 National Security Strategy now at the Hudson Institute. She walks through how the National Security Strategy is drafted and negotiated across agencies. She explains how wording signals priorities, contrasts the tones of the 2017 and 2025 strategies, and stresses the often-overlooked role of time in strategic choices.

Violet Buxton Walsh, an immigration fellow who analyzes government immigration data, reads her essay and recounts building the OPT Observatory from SEVIS. She explains why government datasets feel impenetrable. She highlights major gaps, surprising errors, how forms reveal hidden fields, and why practitioner knowledge and creative restructuring matter.

Jeremy Singer, President of the College Board and former Kaplan and McGraw Hill leader, recounts stepping into federal service to salvage the FAFSA rebuild. He talks about why the redesign failed, how prescriptive laws and fragmented vendors hampered software, the politics around delaying a launch, and what better oversight and procurement would look like.

Bailey Brown, Head of Government and External Affairs at Inclusive Abundance and former congressional chief of staff, shares her decade on the Hill. She walks through a typical House office, who staffs the member most closely, and how legislative, communications, and scheduling roles interact. Listen for practical details on budgeting, meetings, caucuses, and how chiefs build effective teams.

James Anderson, leader of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation Program and former NYC communications director, explains how city halls can become problem-solving machines. He discusses building internal innovation teams, using timely data and experiments, rethinking siloed operations, and practical steps mayors can take to turn evidence into action.

Greg Berman, nonprofit leader and reformer who co-founded the Center for Justice Innovation, offers a diagnosis of today’s nonprofit sector. He discusses how NGOs extend government services and why public trust has fallen. Short conversations cover critiques from left and right, fundraising and professionalization, philanthropy’s incentives, and practical advice on sticking to measurable mission work.

Arnab Datta, a policy implementation director focused on industrial policy; Peter Harrell, former White House international economics lead with sanctions and trade expertise; and Daleep Singh, economist and ex-deputy national security advisor for international economics. They trace Venezuela oil seizure, tariff strategy versus China, export controls, allied investment to counter China, and industrial policy tools like equity, loans, and market infrastructure.

Mike Lauer, a former Deputy Director for Extramural Research at NIH and a cardiologist, shares his insights on the current woes of NIH grant funding. He reveals the alarming drop in funding rates from 60% to 10%, and how 'soft money' careers create stress for researchers. Lauer advocates for block grants, claiming they could boost innovation by reducing paperwork and allowing long-term projects. He also discusses the inefficiencies caused by fragmented institutes and the necessity of reforming funding structures to support bold scientific exploration.

Scott Kupor, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and former managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, discusses the complexities of federal employment. He highlights how federal agencies have rehired after layoffs due to miscalculations and examines the surprisingly low removal rates for poor performance. Kupor advocates for modernizing recruitment practices to attract younger talent and emphasizes the need for reforming job classifications to streamline hiring. He also outlines the importance of aligning workforce planning with agency goals and discusses upcoming tech-focused recruitment initiatives.

In this insightful discussion, Mike Schmidt, the inaugural Director of the CHIPS Program Office, Todd Fisher, the Chief Investment Officer, and Sara Meyers, Chief of Staff and COO, unveil the inner workings of the CHIPS Act. They delve into the rapid ramp-up strategies and the complexities of interagency negotiations. The trio shares lessons learned from their experience managing a $39 billion semiconductor incentive program, balancing national security priorities with economic goals, and the crucial negotiations with tech giants like TSMC. Their candid reflections make for a compelling listen!