nation-state-grand-bargain
The implicit social contract where citizens accept centralized state power in exchange for peace, security, and prosperity, maintained through institutional checks and balances.
1 chapter across 1 book
The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma (2023)Mustafa Suleyman; Michael Bhaskar
Chapter 9, titled 'The Grand Bargain,' explores the central role of the nation-state as a political unit that offers a social contract balancing centralized power with peace, prosperity, and institutional checks. The chapter highlights the fragility of this bargain in the face of emerging technologies that challenge the state's ability to manage societal risks and deliver benefits. Drawing on the author's personal experiences in government and international negotiations, it underscores the limitations of current institutions and the urgent need to integrate technological innovation with state functions to address twenty-first-century challenges.