Look Who it Was Random video

PANEL 4: POLICY MAKING IN ACTION

537 views · Published 1 April 2016 · 1:26:55 · Indexed 31 October 2026

Channel: Hoover Institution · 2016 · News & Politics

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Recorded on December 10, 2015

Moderator

David Brady, Davies Family Senior Fellow and the Bowen H. and Janice Arthur McCoy Professor of Political Science at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business

Panelists

James Baker III, White House chief of staff to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George
 H. W. Bush and former secretary of state and secretary of the Treasury
Willie Brown, former mayor of San Francisco and speaker of the California State Assembly 
Michael H. Armacost, former distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution and former ambassador to Japan and the Philippines

This final panel adds a complementary dimension to the previous three: lessons for transforming solutions to economic, national security, and social challenges into public policy. Combining reflections on George Shultz’s legendary skill as a negotiator and policy maker with stories from their own work—and a healthy dose of humor—the panelists explain how to overcome political adversity to deliver results for constituents. Highlights include a behind-the-scenes view of James Baker’s working relationships with George Shultz, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush and Willie Brown’s unique insights on policy making gained at the state and local level. The Q&A period covers obstacles to implementation after policies are enacted, the evolving organizational tactics of terrorist organizations, and US policy toward Russia and Iran.

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