It's an old trope that nothing gets done in Washington. The city is filled with some of the brightest minds in the country looking to tackle massive challenges, from immigration reform to confronting the threats posed by China. But despite all the discourse, monied interests, lobbyists, and think tanks, so many major issues facing the country see little in the way of action. That raises the question: when America does have major policy success, how did it happen? How, exactly, did energetic civil servants address core issues like AIDS in Africa or developing the COVID-19 vaccine? 

Evan is joined by Santi Ruiz, Senior Editor at the Institute for Progress and co-creator of Statecraft, a new newsletter & podcast focused on policy entrepreneurship, state capacity, and governance.