Podcast Summary: Statecraft with Santi Ruiz

Episode Title: How to Rewire City Hall
Guest: James Anderson, Head of Government Innovation Program, Bloomberg Philanthropies
Date: February 13, 2026

Overview

This episode dives into how city governments can upgrade their capacity and effectiveness, featuring James Anderson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation Program. Santi Ruiz and Anderson explore why city-level innovation is critical, how mayors can rewire outdated systems toward better outcomes, and how practices like improved data use, cross-sector collaboration, and evidence-based management are transforming cities globally. They discuss specific examples—like Baltimore’s dramatic reduction in violence—and reflect on the challenges and opportunities in modernizing the machinery of city halls.

Key Discussion Points

1. What Is Government Innovation? (00:55–02:44)

• Anderson describes his work: Building city capacity through programs focused on leadership, better data use, innovation, and global peer learning.
• Over 900 cities now get direct support from Bloomberg programs, up from just five in 2010.
• Notable quote:

  "We focus on equipping mayors and their teams with the critical skills and capabilities they need to solve problems better...making sure that they're constantly learning from each other and building on one another's successes." — James Anderson [00:55]

2. Why City Governments Matter (02:44–03:40)

• Over half the world’s population now lives in cities, making mayors’ decisions more impactful than ever.
• Mayoral power: Anderson explains that unlike federal representatives, mayors have broad practical authority over essential services such as waste, policing, and water.

3. The Limits of the ‘Old Model’ (04:34–07:04)

• The Fordist legacy: Many city halls still run on rigid, hierarchical, siloed structures aimed at service delivery—not problem solving.
• Key challenge: Most city budgets are locked into fixed costs, with little left for innovation or strategic development.
• Quote:

  "These are systems designed for stability, not for change. Success is measured by throughput, not necessarily by outcomes." — James Anderson [07:34]

4. Building a New Operating Model (07:34–11:53)

• The new approach: Encourages crossing silos, iterative learning, leveraging data, and community engagement.
• Philanthropy’s role: Funding capabilities city budgets can’t, like R&D and rapid response capacity.
• On Bloomberg’s reputation as ‘technocratic’:

  "Technocratic was applied because people didn’t know what to do with a mayor who was not ideologically motivated...there was a very clear sense of values driving the work." — James Anderson [10:35–11:53]

5. Evidence-Based Practices in Action (11:53–18:41)

• Capacity over certainty: Anderson argues that turning cities into "learning organizations"—not just enforcers of best practices—enables ongoing improvement.
• Baltimore case: Mayor Brandon Scott used his in-house innovation team to outperform other cities in pandemic response and police recruitment.
• Quote:

  "He outperformed his peers on every single indicator that mattered...now he's using his innovation team to address another top political priority..." — James Anderson [16:40]

6. Data: From Chaos to Capacity (19:44–26:11)

• Original problem: Data scattered and poorly managed, making decision-making "flying blind."
• Anderson’s programs help cities create structured, reliable data flows and governance.
• Example: What Works Cities program helps build internal capacity, including training staff who weren’t initially data-focused.

7. Sustaining Innovation Through Hard Times (38:16–39:34)

• Even after philanthropic grants end, most cities keep data/innovation staff due to their demonstrated value.
• Systems that deliver visible results gain political longevity, even during fiscal crunches.

8. Beyond Data—Other City Hall Best Practices (39:34–42:50)

• Flattening hierarchies: Open floor plans and mechanisms to promote cross-team collaboration.
• Transparency: Engaging residents, openly communicating progress, and rebuilding trust in city government.
• Coalitions: Building alliances across sectors is crucial but challenging due to resource constraints.

9. Common Mistakes of New Mayors (43:05–45:24)

• Team building is critical: Mistakes often include not assembling a strong, diverse, and honest leadership team.
• Quote:

  "If you don't have [people who will say no to you], you're in real trouble because pretty soon the waters get deep and you're swimming for your life." — James Anderson [43:50]

10. The Role of Competition and Learning (46:10–47:58)

• Mayors are competitive and eager to copy successful ideas but need help adapting them to local circumstances.
• Programs support speedy and effective transfer of best practices.

11. On the Limits of ‘Evidence-Based’ Approaches (47:58–50:30)

• Not all political or zero-sum problems are solvable through technical means, but building state capacity multiplies the effectiveness of any leadership goal—regardless of ideology.

12. Lessons from ‘Smart Cities’ and Technology Fads (52:34–56:44)

• Critique of the “smart cities” hype: Many focused on “solutions in search of a problem.” Modern innovation must start with a deep understanding of local issues.
• On generative AI & tech adoption: Experiment, develop internal fluency, and ensure solid data foundations before jumping into AI-driven service delivery.

13. The Future of City Leadership (58:33–61:15)

• Prediction: Cities with strong, capable, and visible governance—like San Francisco under Daniel Lurie—are well-positioned to rebound and thrive.
• Anderson expresses optimism:

  "Anytime I start to feel depressed...I go local and mayors are doing inspiring stuff." — James Anderson [61:01]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On changing city hall’s mindset:
  "Local governments...are still construed as service delivery organizations, not as problem solving entities." — James Anderson [04:53]
• On data transformation:
  "I still hear so many new mayors say, I’m coming into office and I’m flying blind." — James Anderson [19:44]
• On innovation’s payoff:
  "Once those grants have stopped, city halls have maintained those people and those lines on city dollars..." — James Anderson [38:37]
• On innovations big and small:
  "Most...day to day innovation that we see in city halls is business model innovation, customer service innovations, efficiency innovations." — James Anderson [32:00]
• On leadership:
  "Leadership is decisive...if your executive in chief is not championing [capacity-building], then you’re working at the margin..." — James Anderson [50:28]
• On bipartisanship:
  "There is room aplenty for Republicans and Democrats at this table...we don’t tell them what to do. We show them better ways to do the work they care about." — James Anderson [51:23]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro to Bloomberg Philanthropies Programs: [00:55]
• The Mayor’s Role & City Powers: [03:40]
• Problems with the ‘Old Model’: [04:53]
• Technocracy & Bloomberg’s Style: [10:01]
• Baltimore’s Innovation Success: [16:40]
• Improving City Data Practices: [19:44]
• Strategies for Building City Capacity: [34:40, 38:16, 39:34]
• Common Mistakes for New Mayors: [43:05]
• Peer Competition and Borrowing Ideas: [46:10]
• Smart Cities, AI, and Risks: [52:34, 56:44]
• Future City Leadership Predictions: [59:28]

Final Takeaways

• Modernizing city hall is about shifting from rigid, siloed service delivery to adaptable, data-driven, and collaborative problem solving.
• Philanthropy plays a unique role in helping cities take risks and build internal capabilities.
• Change is slow, context matters, and maintaining capacity reforms through crises is both challenging and essential.
• Real improvement depends on mayors with management chops, strong teams, structured data, and a deliberate willingness to learn, share, and adapt.

For further reading and the full annotated transcript, visit statecraft.pub.