{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"80,000 Hours Podcast","title":"#57 – Tom Kalil on how to do the most good in government","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":10216,"description":"You’re 29 years old, and you’ve just been given a job in the White House. How do you quickly figure out how the US Executive Branch behemoth actually works, so that you can have as much impact as possible - before you quit or get kicked out?\r\n\r\nThat was the challenge put in front of Tom Kalil in 1993.\r\n\r\nHe had enough success to last a full 16 years inside the Clinton and Obama administrations, working to foster the development of the internet, then nanotechnology, and then cutting-edge brain modelling, among other things.\r\n\r\nBut not everyone figures out how to move the needle. In today's interview, Tom shares his experience with how to increase your chances of getting an influential role in government, and how to make the most of the opportunity if you get in.\r\n\r\nLinks to learn more, summary and full transcript.\r\nInterested in US AI policy careers? Apply for one-on-one career advice here.\r\nVacancies at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology.\r\nOur high-impact job board, which features other related opportunities.\r\n\r\nHe believes that Congressional gridlock leads people to greatly underestimate how much the Executive Branch can and does do on its own every day. Decisions by individuals change how billions of dollars are spent; regulations are enforced, and then suddenly they aren't; and a single sentence in the State of the Union can get civil servants to pay attention to a topic that would otherwise go ignored.\r\n\r\nOver years at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, 'Team Kalil' built up a white board of principles. For example, 'the schedule is your friend': setting a meeting date with the President can force people to finish something, where they otherwise might procrastinate.\r\n\r\nOr 'talk to who owns the paper'. People would wonder how Tom could get so many lines into the President's speeches. The answer was \"figure out who's writing the speech, find them with the document, and tell them to add the line.\" Obvious, but not something...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/VO1STE7hN95RRg9QdLo4soV2VhhbR9PF5ZZlRhDYcwE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQxNDAyLzE2ODM1/NDQ1NDAtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}