Executive Power and Civil Service Reform with Adam White and Clark Kelso
Host James-Christian Blockwood talks with Academy Fellow and McGeorge School of Law Professor Clark Kelso and American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Adam White about why public agencies struggle and what the executive branch does in response. They discuss how checks and balances slow action ...
Big Changes Mean Big Challenges for Shared Services and Government HR with Academy Fellow Brodi Fontenot and OPM's Rebecca Ayers
James-Christian Blockwood discusses U.S. Office of Personnel Management's modernization of federal HR and retirement IT systems with OPM’s Rebecca Ayers and Academy Fellow Brodi Fontenot.
Building on a 2021 academy report urging congressional funding to modernize OPM systems, they describe the a...
Leading With Courage with Acquisition Experts Soraya Correa and Greg Giddens
Host James-Christian Blockwood interviews Soraya Correa, President and CEO of the National Industries for the Blind and former Chief Procurement Officer at the US Department of Homeland Security, and Greg Giddens, of Potomac Ridge Consulting, and former Chief Acquisition Officer at the US Depar...
Emily Atlantis Wolf & Manifestation
Summary
Explore the profound connection between imagination, manifestation, and accessibility in transforming reality. Dive into how thoughts shape our physical world, the role of belief, and practical steps to harness inner power. In this engaging conversation, Emily Atlantis Wolf, Matt Hampton...
Merit- and Skills-Based Hiring and What's Next For Government Workforce Management with Fellow Steve Krauss and Gabe Menchaca of the Niskanen Center
Host James-Christian Blockwood discusses government performance and HR systems with Gabe Menchaca of the Niskanen Center and Academy Fellow and Government HR expert Steve Krauss.
Menchaca summarizes a Niskanen-Academy study describing wide variation in state civil service models, limited scholar...
CROSSOVER: Management Matters x Governance Matters with Raphael Sonenshein: Changes, Charters and the Constitution
In this special Crossover episode with Governance Matters, James-Christian Blockwood is joined by Raphe Sonenshein, President and CEO of the the Haynes Foundation.
We're focused on local government charters as “local constitutions” that can be changed more easily, and impact people more immediate...
Trust and National Security: What Being American Means at Home and Abroad, with Ambassador Joe Westphal and former FBI Executive Lauren Anderson
Host James-Christian Blockwood interviews Ambassador Joe Westphal and former senior FBI executive Lauren Anderson about how national security has evolved from the Cold War through 9/11 to today’s interconnected threats, including terrorism, geopolitical shifts, and emerging technologies. Both war...
The Ten Texas Traits of Good Government with Alan Bojorquez and Academy Fellow Dr. Howard Balanoff
James-Christian Blockwood interviews Academy Fellow Dr. Howard Balanoff of the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University and municipal attorney Alan Bojorquez about defining “good government” amid declining public trust and growing conflict at even local meetings.
We l...
Embracing Regionalism with Columbus, Ohio Mayor Andrew Ginther and Fellow Matt Chase of the National Association of Counties
James-Christian Blockwood interviews Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Governing’s 2026 Public Official of the Year, and National Association of Counties CEO Matt Chase about executive leadership and city-county collaboration amid declining public trust, affordability pressures, and shifting federal...
Matt Hampton on Why the Drugs Are the Smallest Part of the Bill
Matt Hampton is a bodybuilder and online coach, and one half of Zone Six with his fiancée Alexandra. He’s also, by his own admission, a shy introvert who’d rather listen than talk, which makes this one a different kind of conversation.
We start with the moment that shaped everything: being offere...
