Bridging Politics & Policy: Turning Political Signals into Smarter Local Government Strategy | Ep.9

“Ignoring politics doesn’t make it go away; it only makes local governments less prepared.”

 

In this episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann sits down with Dr. Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Drucker School of Management, to explore how city leaders can think politically without acting politically.

 

They unpack why the traditional politics–policy divide holds organizations back and how governments can use politics as an early-warning system to anticipate challenges before they reach the council chambers. At the heart of the conversation is the Political Signals Memo—a simple, one-page weekly briefing that helps executive teams stay ahead of community sentiment, national narratives, and legislative ripples without crossing ethical lines.

 

This episode provides practical, nonpartisan tools every local government can use to prevent surprises and build trust.

 

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🧭 What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between thinking politically and acting politically

• How political narratives influence local issues (from tax measures to national debates spilling into council meetings)

• Why ignoring online chatter or national narratives can be risky for cities

• A practical framework for creating a weekly Political Signals Memo

• How transparency and honesty build trust with the community

 

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🔗 Featured Topics:

• The politics–policy divide in local government

• Politics as an early-warning system

• Monitoring narratives without becoming partisan

• The Political Signals Memo: format, cadence, and ownership

• Guardrails for neutrality, ethics, and public records

 

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📌 Resources & Mentions:

• Adam’s ICMA article: “A Strict Politics–Policy Divide Is Holding Your Organization Back” → https://icma.org/blog-posts/strict-politics-policy-divide-holding-your-organization-back

• Download the Political Signals Memo Template → https://www.chrismann.us/resources

• Learn more about Probolsky Research → https://probolskyresearch.com

 

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📩 Join the Conversation:

💬 Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

🔁 Share this episode with a colleague in local government

📧 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter on LinkedIn

🎧 Follow Gov360 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, or your favorite platform

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://youtube.com/@gov360

 

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Tags: Gov360, CityManager, LocalGovernment, PoliticsAndPolicy, PoliticalSignalsMemo, Leadership, PublicEngagement, ProbolskyResearch, ChrisMann, GovernBoldly