The Power of Persuasion
For a long time, America's leaders have recognized the importance of winning hearts and minds in both domestic and international politics and security. Throughout most of the Pax Americana, the government and intelligentsia have dedicated significant resources to understanding how to persuade everyone from allies to enemies, and how to counter the influence campaigns of opponents.
However, something fundamental changed with the rise of President Donald Trump as a political force.
During the Cold War, President Dwight Eisenhower spoke out against censorship and advocated for lay readers when Senator Joseph McCarthy's followers tried to eliminate communist books from libraries. Eisenhower believed in the importance of understanding the enemy in order to defeat them, and championed the right of every American to access and express diverse ideas.
The Distrust of Non-Experts
In recent times, America's most educated individuals have grown increasingly distrustful of non-experts and their ability to handle dangerous ideas. The elite have initiated a campaign to protect the undereducated from themselves, pressuring book retailers to stop selling uncritical translations of foreign texts and filtering news through layers of academic condemnation.
The intellectual elite are actively trying to silence those who disagree with them and regulate or suppress social media sites that allow for free or semi-free debate about controversial ideas. They applaud activists who seek to deplatform or shout down an ever-growing list of enemies, including those who refuse to align with the party line on Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Biden administration even attempted to establish a governance board to combat disinformation, but this effort has not been successful.
The Crisis of Expertise
As Martin Gurri has repeatedly pointed out, America's thought leaders and information curators are struggling. Academics, think tankers, pundits, and policymakers can no longer hide the fact that they often either don't know what they're doing or are willing to exaggerate their case, and will deliberately confuse or outright lie to get their way.
Despite these issues, many experts are more than willing to pretend that nothing is wrong as they climb the professional ladder. Some even sing praises to themselves while demanding greater protection from open competition and outside criticism.
For example, authorities advocating for a strong foreign policy or demanding robust countermeasures against domestic extremism continue to insist that the next war will go our way, despite the failures of the Global War on Terror and the loss of Afghanistan.
The Problem with the Authority System
The traditional authority system is ill-equipped to deal with the very public failure of conventional models. The incentive structure of America's credential-granting institutions is flawed, with expert careers advanced by appealing to recognized authorities and representatives of wealthy benefactors or powerful state actors in a more-or-less closed system.
This lack of open competition allows diplomas and job titles to trump the substance of arguments and the abilities of individuals in the cloistered world of experts. Authorities can ignore threats to their position or declare victory, often decrying dissent while avoiding critical engagement with critiques of their work.
The Need for Reform
The expert system has broken down and requires structural reform. For instance, academia, the crown jewel of the authority system, seems designed to be as unfair and inefficient as possible.
The tenure system concentrates power and authority in the hands of established professors, despite the fact that the "Next Big Thing" often comes from someone who is young or new to a discipline. This stifles innovation and allows indefensible arguments to overrun the academy and occasionally leak into the wider world.
It's time for a round of creative destruction. Those who oversee or fund America's colleges and universities should consider doing away with tenure and exposing academics to the crucible of competition.
Bottom Line
The current state of America's expert class raises important questions about the role of authority and the value of open competition in our society. It's clear that the system needs reform, but what form should that take? And how can we ensure that the voices of non-experts are heard and valued? Share your thoughts and this article with your friends, and don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.
The Power of Persuasion
For a long time, America's leaders have recognized the importance of winning hearts and minds in both domestic and international politics and security. Throughout most of the Pax Americana, the government and intelligentsia have dedicated significant resources to understanding how to persuade everyone from allies to enemies, and how to counter the influence campaigns of opponents.
However, something fundamental changed with the rise of President Donald Trump as a political force.
During the Cold War, President Dwight Eisenhower spoke out against censorship and advocated for lay readers when Senator Joseph McCarthy's followers tried to eliminate communist books from libraries. Eisenhower believed in the importance of understanding the enemy in order to defeat them, and championed the right of every American to access and express diverse ideas.
The Distrust of Non-Experts
In recent times, America's most educated individuals have grown increasingly distrustful of non-experts and their ability to handle dangerous ideas. The elite have initiated a campaign to protect the undereducated from themselves, pressuring book retailers to stop selling uncritical translations of foreign texts and filtering news through layers of academic condemnation.
The intellectual elite are actively trying to silence those who disagree with them and regulate or suppress social media sites that allow for free or semi-free debate about controversial ideas. They applaud activists who seek to deplatform or shout down an ever-growing list of enemies, including those who refuse to align with the party line on Russia's war in Ukraine.
The Biden administration even attempted to establish a governance board to combat disinformation, but this effort has not been successful.
The Crisis of Expertise
As Martin Gurri has repeatedly pointed out, America's thought leaders and information curators are struggling. Academics, think tankers, pundits, and policymakers can no longer hide the fact that they often either don't know what they're doing or are willing to exaggerate their case, and will deliberately confuse or outright lie to get their way.
Despite these issues, many experts are more than willing to pretend that nothing is wrong as they climb the professional ladder. Some even sing praises to themselves while demanding greater protection from open competition and outside criticism.
For example, authorities advocating for a strong foreign policy or demanding robust countermeasures against domestic extremism continue to insist that the next war will go our way, despite the failures of the Global War on Terror and the loss of Afghanistan.
The Problem with the Authority System
The traditional authority system is ill-equipped to deal with the very public failure of conventional models. The incentive structure of America's credential-granting institutions is flawed, with expert careers advanced by appealing to recognized authorities and representatives of wealthy benefactors or powerful state actors in a more-or-less closed system.
This lack of open competition allows diplomas and job titles to trump the substance of arguments and the abilities of individuals in the cloistered world of experts. Authorities can ignore threats to their position or declare victory, often decrying dissent while avoiding critical engagement with critiques of their work.
The Need for Reform
The expert system has broken down and requires structural reform. For instance, academia, the crown jewel of the authority system, seems designed to be as unfair and inefficient as possible.
The tenure system concentrates power and authority in the hands of established professors, despite the fact that the "Next Big Thing" often comes from someone who is young or new to a discipline. This stifles innovation and allows indefensible arguments to overrun the academy and occasionally leak into the wider world.
It's time for a round of creative destruction. Those who oversee or fund America's colleges and universities should consider doing away with tenure and exposing academics to the crucible of competition.
Bottom Line
The current state of America's expert class raises important questions about the role of authority and the value of open competition in our society. It's clear that the system needs reform, but what form should that take? And how can we ensure that the voices of non-experts are heard and valued? Share your thoughts and this article with your friends, and don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.
