Five Questions with Ambassador Nina Hachigan

Tonight’s guest is retired Ambassador Nina Hachigian. Nina is the CEO and Founder of the Alliance for Local Leaders International. Three of her recent posts include serving as the Deputy Mayor for International Affairs in Los Angeles, the State Department’s Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy, and the U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. She understands cities and their power.

Nina’s focus on the importance and role played by local officials is why she joins us tonight. In an era of stressed, if not broken, federal checks and balances, she has expertise in using local lines of sight to replace them. I wanted to talk with her about where she saw opportunities for us to strengthen democracy in our towns and cities. Her insight is very valuable, and it includes her perspective on what we can do to encourage state and local institutions to check an out-of-control executive.

“Five Questions” is a Friday feature for paid subscribers, built around the conversations that don’t fit into a news cycle driven by headlines and hot takes. It’s a chance to spend time with the people shaping the law, politics, and democracy—and to ask the questions that matter most, not just the ones everyone else is asking. Keeping the daily legal analysis free has always been important to me, and it will stay that way. These Friday conversations give me a chance to thank paid subscribers for their help ensuring that Civil Discourse remains available to everyone who wants to follow the law beyond the day’s headlines. Whether you’re a paid subscriber or a free subscriber, I’m grateful you’re here.