Modern democracy depends on insulated expert knowledge for its administrative state

Evidence

A second foundation of democracy is epistemic: modern democracy depends on expert knowledge. This comes to bear especially in what has come to be called the administrative state, which comprises the myriad agencies staffed by career professionals who rely on specialized knowledge they create or draw on from research institutions and from civil society groups outside government. This is the basis for formulating, implementing, and enforcing public policy touching everything from safe water to consumer protection to interest rates and banking rules. These scientists, statisticians, economists, and ethicists are not elected; they are insulated to a reasonable extent from political controversies and partisan influence. They are “disinterested” as a matter of professional discipline and seek to apply impartial standards in the general interest. — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 189

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines what the administrative state is and what ‘epistemic foundation’ means here.
• XREF: connects to: Expertise-based bureaucracies enable capitalist control over democratic regimes — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 331; Democratic bureaucracy expands intellectual functions for political necessity; Modern state leaders need technical literacy to adjudicate expert proposals — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 333 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Expert bureaucracy came to control democratic regimes and parliaments #expands (0.85)
• Officials treat citizens as passive recipients of stored expert knowledge. #exemplifies (0.80) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1381
• Expertise-based bureaucracies enable capitalist control over democratic regimes #expands (0.78) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 331
• Democratic bureaucracy expands intellectual functions for political necessity #expands (0.75)
• Modern state leaders need technical literacy to adjudicate expert proposals #qualifies (0.72) — Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks, 333