One-line summary: Most policy change outside a prior Overton Window comes about by policy advocates skillfully exploiting a crisis.

In the last year or so, I’ve had dozens of conversations about the DC policy community. People unfamiliar with this community often share a flawed assumption, that reaching policymakers and having a fair opportunity to convince them of your ideas is difficult. As ”we”[1] have taken more of an interest in public policy, and politics has taken more of an interest in us, I think it's important to get the building blocks right.

Policymakers are much easier to reach than most people think. You can just schedule meetings with congressional staff, without deep credentials.[2] Meeting with the members themselves is not much harder. Executive Branch agencies have a bit more of a moat, but still openly solicit public feedback.[3] These discussions will often go well. By now policymakers [...]

---

Outline:

(01:33) A Model of Policy Change

(02:43) Crises can be Schelling Points

(04:30) Avoid Being Seen As Not Serious

(06:08) What Crises Can We Predict?

The original text contained 8 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

---

First published:
March 4th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/vHsjEgL44d6awb5v3/the-milton-friedman-model-of-policy-change

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“The Milton Friedman Model of Policy Change” by JohnofCharleston

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“The Milton Friedman Model of Policy Change” by JohnofCharleston