What if America’s political dysfunction isn’t a moral failure — but a design failure?

In this episode, Greg talks with Robbie Bach, former President of Xbox and now a leading civic reform advocate, about how the United States might update its political operating system. Robbie argues that polarization isn’t an accident — it’s an output of incentives. And if incentives can be redesigned, the system can be reinvented.

This is a conversation about innovation, democracy, and why the West Coast might be the country’s best testbed for political renewal.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the two-party system is fragile, not inevitable 
• What tech’s prototyping mindset could bring to civic life 
• Why D.C. is structurally incapable of reforming itself
• Why Tech CEOs are smart to be at The White House, and how they’re missing opportunities to advocate for better policy
• The civic lessons Robbie learned after Xbox
• How creating stories about tech, politics, and national intrigue raise questions about the real world

Guest Bio

Robbie Bach led the creation of Xbox and served as President of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division. Since retiring, he has become a civic designer, author, speaker, and advocate for political reform, systems thinking, and community leadership.

Related Resources

• Letters to the Democrats and Republicans - LinkedIn, Robbie Bach 
• Bipartisan Policy Center
• The Blockchain Syndicate: A Contemporary Thriller, Robbie Bach

Related Episodes

• Could We Grab Economic Power By the Middle? With David Goldstein
• Refresh the American Brand, West Coast First? With Michael Megalli
• What if National Service Jump Started the West Coast Workforce? With Nicole Trimble
• What if Silicon Valley and Democracy Got Back Together? With Margaret O'Mara

A Spicy Question: What advice could gamers offer on how to build a more just and equitable world?

Join the conversation: Pacific Time is making good trouble asking questions about the future of the West Coast on Substack; YouTube; BlueSky, Instagram, and Facebook. Like, subscribe, share and, most importantly, share your comment on the spicy question above. 

Listen: Pacific Time Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcast, Podbean, and many other platforms. Follow, share, and leave a review.

Thank You To:

• Guest: Robbie Bach
• Producer: Tim Wohlberg
• Coach: Jeremy N. Smith
• Family & Friends: For cheering on the podcast and big milestones ahead (Thanksgiving! Madrid!)
• Trampled by Turtles, Alison Brown & Steve Martin for providing my soundtrack to this week’s production process