Many of the principles and much of the research in Dalio's debt crisis book were written over a long period before the book, and policymakers asked him to write it for the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis.

Two parts: (a) many of the principles and much of the research in 'Big Debt Crises' (2018) had been written long before publication; (b) policymakers asked Dalio to write it for the 10th anniversary of the 2008 crisis. True: the book itself, Bridgewater materials or contemporaneous reporting confirm that the content draws on Bridgewater/Dalio debt-crisis research and principles developed over years or decades (e.g. research used during 2007–08), and that Dalio published it around the 10th anniversary at the request or urging of policymakers. Mostly true: both parts are supported but one detail is a little off (e.g. the encouragement came from 'friends' including policymakers, or the timing link to the anniversary is loose). Mixed: one part is supported and the other is contradicted. Mostly false: only weak support for either part, with one contradicted. False: evidence shows the content was newly written and that no policymaker request occurred.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Culture and Anticipation Helped Ray Dalio Survive the Financial Crisis Institutional Investor · 20 September 2013

   “We had created what we call a depression gauge eight years before the crisis to capture the depression dynamic: when there is debt contraction that cannot be reversed through a lowering of interest rates because rates are already close to zero.”

2. E2 Culture and Anticipation Helped Ray Dalio Survive the Financial Crisis Institutional Investor · 20 September 2013

   “We’ve studied most bubbles and busts — like the 1925–’35 period in the U.S., the 1975–’85 period in Latin America, the 1985–’95 period in Japan — so we had a good template.”

3. E3 RAY DALIO - Big Debt Crisis studylib.net (copy of Dalio's 'Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises') Own record

   “eight years before the financial crisis of 2008, we built a “depression gauge” that was programmed to respond to the developments of 2007–2008, which had not occurred since 1929–32.”

4. E4 RAY DALIO - Big Debt Crisis studylib.net (copy of Dalio's 'Principles for Navigating Big Debt Crises') Own record

   “I did the research and developed this template with the help of many great partners at Bridgewater Associates.”

5. E5 Big Debt Crises (Dalio) — chapter-by-chapter notes DeadRisk (reading notes)

   “Dalio wrote the book on the tenth anniversary of the 2008 crisis, and he frames it as an investor’s account rather than an economist’s.”

6. E6 Big Debt Crises Principles by Ray Dalio (principles.com) Own record

   “For the tenth anniversary of the 2008 financial crisis,”

The evidence supports that the book draws on debt-crisis research and principles developed over years [E1][E2][E3][E4] and that it was published around the tenth anniversary of the 2008 crisis [E5][E6]. No evidence item confirms or contradicts that policymakers asked Dalio to write it, so part (b) of the criteria is not settled.