Person
Every book Nick Bagley recommended on podcasts
Nick Bagley joined The Ezra Klein Show to share insights on government structures, public interest, and the ways modern political and legal dynamics influence state institutions. When asked for his top book recommendations, Bagley pointed listeners toward two distinct yet complementary titles. He first recommended Public Citizens by Paul Sabin, highlighting the Yale historian's detailed charting of the public interest movement's rise during the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, Bagley recommended Michael Lewis's book The Fifth Risk. Although a few years old at the time of the discussion, Bagley praised it as an accessible, illuminating account of the often overlooked and unseen work carried out by federal agencies behind the scenes. Together, these selections reflect Bagley's engagement with the mechanics of public administration, the history of civic advocacy, and the complex relationship between citizens, law, and the bureaucratic state.
Books recommended by Nick Bagley
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Public Citizens
Paul Sabin's historical work Public Citizens charts the dramatic rise of the public interest movement during the turbulent decades of the 1960s and 1970s, examining how citizen activists transformed American law, politics, and regulatory policy.
Recommended“well one you mentioned so Paul Sabin's public citizen Saban is a historian at Yale and the book charts the rise of the public interest movement in the 1960s and 70s”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Risk
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis is a non-fiction book that examines the vital, often unseen functions performed by the federal civil service and highlights the risks of neglecting government agencies during presidential transitions.
Recommended“I'd recommend Michael Lewis as the fifth risk this is now a few years old”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Liberals — Yes, Liberals — Are Hobbling Government | The Ezra Klein Show | 2023-02-17 | 2 |