Technocracy in America: Rise of the Info-State

by Parag Khanna

American democracy just isn’t good enough anymore. A costly election has done more to divide American society than unite it, while trust in government--and democracy itself--is plummeting. But there are better systems out there, and America would be wise to learn from them. In this provocative manifesto, globalization scholar Parag Khanna tours cutting-edge nations from Switzerland to Singapore to reveal the inner workings that allow them that lead the way in managing the volatility of a fast-changing world while delivering superior welfare and prosperity for their citizens. The ideal form of government for the complex 21st century is what Khanna calls a "direct technocracy," one led by experts but perpetually consulting the people through a combination of democracy and data. From a seven-member presidency and a restructured cabinet to replacing the Senate with an Assembly of Governors, Technocracy in America is full of sensible proposals that have been proven to work in the world’s most successful societies. Americans have a choice for whom they elect president, but they should not wait any longer to redesign their political system following Khanna’s pragmatic vision.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Technology, Society, Science, Economics, Philosophy

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Parag Khanna is Founder & Managing Partner of FutureMap, a data and scenario based strategic advisory firm. He is the international bestselling author of six books, has traveled to most of the countries of the world, and holds a PhD from the London School of Economics

Reviews

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘America has more than enough democracy. What it needs is more technocracy— a lot more.’

Singapore author/global strategist Parag Khanna earned his PhD from the London School of Economics, and Bachelors and Masters degrees from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre on Asia and Globalisation at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He is also the Managing Partner of Hybrid Reality, a boutique geostrategic advisory firm, and Co-Founder & CEO of Factotum, a leading content branding agency. His focus as a global strategist is one the future of world order that he relates in his books The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order, How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance, and Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization. He is also co-author of Hybrid Reality: Thriving in the Emerging Human-Technology Civilization. He also has been an adviser to the US National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030 program, and a senior geopolitical advisor to US Special Operations Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards are many.

In a controversial Prologue Khanna readies us for change; ‘America’s 2016 presidential election exposed that its style of democracy is as much a tool of division as unity. Two years of toxic campaigning revealed deep rifts in the nation’s fabric while providing no common agenda for how to overcome them. Nearly two centuries after Alexis de Tocqueville’s ode Democracy in America, it’s time to admit that America needs less of its own version of democracy— much less. Over the past decade, Americans have become accustomed to hearing that their position in the global rankings of wealth, life expectancy, education, public safety and other metrics has slid below that of their first world peers. If this wake-up call were not enough, a 2014 Gallup survey found that Americans are not only fed up with the performance of the federal government, but also that they have lost faith in their system of government, with dissatisfaction doubling to 65 percent. The flaw is both in delivery and design. Democracy alone just isn’t good enough anymore. America today far better represents degenerative politics than good governance. Many American intellectuals celebrate the theater of politics as if it is the embodiment of Tocqueville’s praise for civic democracy. But democracy is not an end in itself. The greater goal is effective governance and improved national well-being. Because Americans no longer sense collective progress, they don’t trust their institutions anymore, whether the White House, Congress, political parties, the Supreme Court, big business, or church. These organs of American leadership are passing down to the next generation a less well functioning government and society rather than the one they need to manage a complex future… Americans are craving a better government— one that balances democracy and technocracy. Unfortunately, America today suffers from an abundance of representation and a deficit of administration. There is a great excess in the power of representatives— congressmen and senators— and deep shortfall in the power of administrators— governors and mayors. There are too many officials trained in law and not enough in policy: In other words, too much time spent arguing rather than doing something. If the same political chaos that brought the Founding Fathers together in 1787 is present today, then it is again time for a new constitutional convention.’

Khanna has studied global governments and has come to the conclusion that the ideal form of government for the complex 21st century is a "direct technocracy," one led by experts but perpetually consulting the people through a combination of democracy and data - a seven-member presidency and a restructured cabinet to replacing the Senate with an Assembly of Governors. His ideas are well developed and organized, rich in research and practical thinking. This is a book whose time has come.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and reasoned treatise on how the elements of the American system of government that are failing to keep up in the 21st century can be improved by utilizing the best elements from the systems of other countries that are surpassing us in key areas such as infrastructure, connectivity, education, and innovation.

This is a fantastic read for anyone interested in political science or economics. Only downsides are, a) its a short book, only 120 pages, and b) there are a lot of typos in this edition. It seems the publisher rushed to publish in the aftermath of the 2016 election, resulting in quite a few more typos than I'm used to seeing.

[Carlos · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having found Khanna’s “Connectography” quite thought-provoking, I was curious to read his thoughts on improving the US government through technocratic principles. I have to say I was not impressed with his arguments. Khanna seems satisfied with lauding the technocratic elements in the governments of Singapore and China and proposes unfeasible changes to the US government to superficially align it with them. Khanna’s decision to not make a more thorough assessments of the trade-offs involved in these changes also reduced the argument’s persuasion and even his own credibility (are there really NO problems with the Singaporean and Chinese governments?). I can honestly say that outside of a few factoids about the governing structures of countries across the globe I found nothing of interest in this book.

[Christopher Mcdermott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book solutions may be hard to do in practice

Interesting book with some worthwhile ideas but some will be harder to imp!Amber that the book suggests. Would have liked more discussion on how solutions from city states or small countries could be applied to a country the size of the US.

[Srđan Palomo Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parag Khanna señala en este libro la necesidad de un contrapeso entre la política y la profesionalización de la administración, con objeto de una mejor gestión pública, en particular para temas como la innovación y el desarrollo de planes y políticas a largo plazo. Destaca modelos de éxito como Suiza y Singapur, destacando aquellos aspectos que pueden ser exportables a terceros países.

[Carlos El Orly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concepts that do seem very beneficial along with great critiques to current standing systems. I do believe the author doesn't quite fully dive into the idea of potential corruption and greed affecting the technocratic system which I think is critical to really sell the idea.

[Ivan Hecimovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Technocracy in America: Rise of the Info-State’’, a book written by a man who wanted to show that he knows what the process of globalization is- Parag Khana is a book about the ‘new’ and the ‘old’. The most prominent thing about this book is the author’s criticism of the American perception on democracy as it is; as a process of human rights, freedoms and everything that follows when we say and think about the word ‘democracy’. In his book the author clearly says that the American view on the democracy is somewhat ‘outdated’ and that this can mostly be visible in how the elections for the future American presidents are being held. But that is not all. According to Khana, it seems that most people in the United States do not believe in democracy in the same way they did in the twentieth century, especially before and during the Second World War. Things surely have changed and the author wants to emphasize that. The other thing that Khana did in this book is that he also offered ‘his own’ solutions for the ‘problem’ at hand: he described the examples from some other countries like Switzerland and Singapore saying that these countries have better understanding and view on democracy. The author’s (r)evolutional solution for the problem is in technocracy – the combination of technology and the rule of law, something that would change America for the better in long term.
“Technocracy in America: Rise of the Info-State’’ is written in a way that the author wanted to provoke his readers. He wanted to ‘nudge’ his readers in order for them to try to think about what he is saying and what he wants to say. Another thing visible from the book is that this book is a product of some research and as such holds distinctive value. Provocative and a book which tries to offer the ‘ultimate solution’, “Technocracy in America: Rise of the Info-State’’ has its value and therefore should not be missed.

[John Gorman]

The Civil Service must be highly trained but also powerful in order for a well working government
Shared power is better than checks and balances

[Julius Blitzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot to talk about this book, it hits several key points about what is happening in many countries around the world, the most important one, at least for me it nails the point about losing what politics means, you know someone is always saying ‘all politics are corrupt’ and to some degree they are, but there is a balance to even that, and all of that is fading as the world is getting more and more submerge while listening to populist parties and their speeches.
You know what? I’m just tired of what we understand currently as ‘political correctness’ that is one of the many topics that are damaging the world, and trying to please everybody is not the answer, at least not the correct one, you can’t please the majority or the minority because they are not always right, and if one side is right and the other is wrong, if you ask any of them, they would said their side and opinion is the right one, people can’t admit their own mistakes and they can’t even follow their own speeches, look all the protests in the US, all the damage that is coming from the supposed group that was representing ‘peace’.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know a little bit about how to really manage a country.

[Christopher Doorley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book we need now

I've long considered myself an "institutualist;" someone who believes better optimized government will lead to more effective governance. This past election has rekindled many of the ideas I'd pushed aside for years. This little book is a powerful and thought provoking experiment in what American government could look like if what we want is one that is optimizable and effective. Everyone interested a better government should read Technocracy in America.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I read it when working on a university assignment, as supplementary reading, and found it to be a very interesting and informative book. The book is especially relevant considering recent events in the US surrounding the recent election, and is a good book for those readers looking to understand more about politics and forms of governing. I really appreciated how the author gives real-life examples into a different form of governance, as this helps the reader to properly comprehend how it is possible to develop a different, but effective, form of governance. The book read as if it had been well researched, but the styling of the book ensures that it is not heavy or too overwhelming in its information, and it is still ideal for readers who are not experts in political science and need an easy-to-understand insight into the subject matter this book explores. The book is thought provoking, well written, and presents ideas and arguments in a reasoned manner. I recommend this book to readers looking for an informative, currently relevant book on governance and related themes.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in learning more about how the US, or other democratic states, could reform their political systems, to potentially adopt a style of governance that is quite different from the current state of affairs, then this book is a good exploration and discussion into such themes. Although the subject matter sounds like it could be heavy and dull, this book was neither, and the author has done a good job of ensuring that he presents his arguments in a reasoned, informative, and easily understandable format and styling. This book is indeed thought provoking, especially when we consider what is happening in politics and with forms of governance currently seen in the “Western” world today, and the author has given the reader a solid insight into a different form of governance that he recommends. This book would be helpful for students and academics, but it is also an interesting book for those readers who would simply like to learn more about political systems and for those interested in considering the potential for change.