The Prophetic Realism of James Burnham: The Rise of the Managerial Class

In 1941, as the world was engulfed by war, a former Trotskyist intellectual named James Burnham published a book that would fundamentally alter the way we understand modern power. The Managerial Revolution argued that capitalism was not being replaced by socialism, as Marx had predicted, but by a new, exploitative society: Managerialism.

Today, as debates over the “Deep State,” technocratic rule, and the influence of unelected experts reach a fever pitch, Burnham’s work is experiencing a major revival.

The Shift from Owners to Managers

Burnham’s core thesis was that the “commanding heights” of society were shifting away from traditional capitalist owners—individuals like the “robber barons” who both owned and directed their enterprises—to a new class of credentialed managers and administrators. This class includes business executives, government bureaucrats, technicians, and military leaders who wield power not through personal ownership, but through their positions within complex, large-scale organizations.

For Burnham, the distinction between “private” corporate power and “public” government power was increasingly an illusion. Both are run by the same type of expert, working in a coordinated, self-perpetuating network of bureaus and agencies.

Predicting the “Deep State” and Technocracy

Perhaps Burnham’s most prescient prediction was the decline of sovereign parliaments and congresses. He argued that as society became more complex, elected representatives would inevitably cede their law-making authority to unelected executive agencies and “experts”.

In this framework, “laws” are no longer debated in public legislatures but are created as administrative rules by agencies like the SEC, FCC, or the Federal Reserve. This permanent, self-selecting bureaucracy—what many now call the “Deep State”—is shielded by the pretense of being a neutral, rational expertocracy.

Legacy and Modern Relevance

Burnham’s ideas have become a cornerstone of contemporary political theory, particularly within American conservatism. While he was a founding father of the movement, his influence also reaches the populist right, which uses his framework to critique a “cosmopolitan elite” that they believe manages the economy and culture for its own benefit.

His bleak vision also left a mark on literature; George Orwell’s ۱۹۸۴ was heavily inspired by Burnham’s concept jameskburnhamdds of global “super-states” ruled by hierarchies of administrators who prioritize system stability over individual liberty.

Whether viewed as a cynical realist or a visionary prophet, Burnham remains essential for understanding a world where expertise often carries more weight than the ballot box.

Would you like to explore how George Orwell’s critique of Burnham specifically shaped the world of ۱۹۸۴?