36. How Rahm Emanuel Would Run the World

People I (Mostly) Admire

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Society & Culture

4.6 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2021

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this interview, first heard on Freakonomics Radio last year, Steve talks with the former top adviser to presidents Clinton and Obama, about his record — and his reputation. And Rahm explains that while he believes in the power of the federal government, as former mayor of Chicago, he says that cities are where problems really get solved.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today we go back to the beginning, my first guest, Rama Manuel, the episode that started
0:09.7	it all.
0:10.7	When I sat down with Rama on March 2nd, 2020, and again one month later, the COVID pandemic
0:16.0	was just getting going.
0:17.2	We actually met in person that first time, the only in-person interview I've done.
0:22.1	We didn't have a name for the show, the name people I mostly admire came later.
0:25.8	We didn't even really have a concept.
0:27.7	I just knew I wanted to talk to smart, interesting people.
0:31.1	So we taped this episode with Rama.
0:32.9	We released it into the Freakonomic radio feed.
0:35.1	People seemed to like it.
0:36.1	And people I mostly admire was born.
0:39.3	Welcome to People I mostly admire with Steve Levitt.
0:47.1	If you're a regular listener hearing this episode, you'll notice that the format of the
0:50.5	show has changed a lot over time.
0:52.9	One thing we figured out right away is that I am terrible reading from a script.
0:57.1	The episode you're about to hear begins with me reading a long biography about Rama.
1:01.2	How hard could that be?
1:02.2	Well, for me, very hard.
1:04.8	It took roughly 20 takes to get something I thought sounded decent.
1:08.7	And Debner heard it and said, God, that's awful.
1:11.4	You must be able to do better than that.
	...

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