Intelligence Squared Are bureaucrats a force for good? With Michael Lewis and Gillian Tett (Part Two)
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Jul 7, 2025 
Michael Lewis, acclaimed author of bestselling titles like Moneyball and The Big Short, joins to discuss the often-unrecognized value of government workers. He shares compelling stories, such as a dedicated coal miner improving mine safety and an IRS agent tackling tax evasion with the flair of a crime thriller. The conversation also touches on the personal narratives behind bureaucratic reforms, the challenges in high-profile pardon negotiations, and the evolving nature of storytelling in sports amidst the changing landscape of governance.
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Coal Miner Turned Innovator
- Christopher Marx, a former coal miner, dedicated his career to solving coal mine roof collapses, saving thousands of lives.
- His path was a rebellion against his father, an engineer, yet aligned deeply with his father's field in structural stress analysis.
Curiosity Sparks Storytelling
- Michael Lewis finds compelling stories when initial curiosity questions reveal overlooked inefficiencies or mismatches.
- In Moneyball, noticing how undervaluation correlates with appearance led to deeper insights about inefficiencies in markets beyond baseball.
Government as the Grown-up
- Government can act as a grown-up to resolve crises by being a credible risk taker, like in the 2008 financial crisis.
- But if the government fails as that grown-up, serious risks arise, such as government debt becoming a risky asset.
