Vetocracy

Extracted Attributes

• Coined by

  Francis Fukuyama

• Definition

  A dysfunctional system of governance where excessive veto power prevents effective decision-making.

• Consequences

  Governmental paralysis, impeded public sector effectiveness, difficulty passing legislation, potential for populism and authoritarianism.

• Core Mechanism

  Excessive ability or willingness to use veto power without adequate override.

• Related Concepts

  Diminished state capacity, permitting reform, red tape.

• Underlying Causes

  Lack of trust among members or hesitance to cede sovereignty.

• Manifestations in US Politics

  Bicameralism, Senate filibuster, presidentialism, adversarial legalism, federalism, ability of individual Senators to block appointments, single extremist House members toppling Speakers.

Timeline

• Francis Fukuyama discusses the concept of 'vetocracy' in an interview with Ezra Klein for Vox, explaining it as 'rule by veto' and how the American political system makes it hard for the government to act due to many veto rights. (Source: Web Search (vox.com))

  2016-10-26

• Ezra Klein draws on the concept of Vetocracy from Francis Fukuyama during a debate on the All-In Podcast, applying it to discuss the broader problem of diminished state capacity and the need for permitting reform in the context of fictional US economic policies. (Source: Related Documents)

  Undated (Fictional Scenario)

Vetocracy

A vetocracy is a dysfunctional system of governance whereby no single entity can acquire enough power to make decisions and take effective charge. Coined by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, the term points to an excessive ability or willingness to use the veto power within a government or institution, without an adequate means of any override. Such limitations may point to a lack of trust among members or hesitance to cede sovereignty. More veto points typically make it more difficult to pass legislation. Some institutions which have been hampered by perceptions of vetocratic limitations, and even responsible for their downfall, include the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Articles of Confederation, and the League of Nations. The present-day United Nations Security Council has been criticized for its inability to take decisive action due to the exclusive rights of veto power of permanent members. Fukuyama suggests that public sector effectiveness in the U.S. is impeded by excessive vetoes. This can lead to populism and authoritarianism as voters become frustrated with paralysis. In the United States, a veto is not just held by the executive branch, but there are many other opportunities or veto points to derail a law throughout the political process.

Web Search Results

• Vetocracy - Wikipedia

  A vetocracy is a dysfunctional system of governance whereby no single entity can acquire enough power "Power (social and political)") to make decisions and take effective charge. Coined by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, the term points to an excessive ability or willingness to use the veto power within a government or institution, without an adequate means of any override. Such limitations may point to a lack of trust among members or hesitance to cede sovereignty. More veto [...] Some institutions which have been hampered by perceptions of vetocratic limitations, and even responsible for their downfall, include the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Articles of Confederation, and the League of Nations. The present-day United Nations Security Council has been criticized for its inability to take decisive action due to the exclusive rights of veto power of permanent members. [...] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia ## Contents # Vetocracy

• To unleash progress, excessive vetoes need to be restrained

  Vetocracy is different. Vetocracy is about the needless delays created through excessive veto points throughout our institutions. There are a lot of players involved in permitting and all it takes is one to slow everything down. Vetocracy is about the excessive accretion of voice that slows down normal processes. Of course, voice is important to a healthy democracy, but excessive vetoes mean that work slows. [...] To be clear, vetocracy is related, but separate from the broader problem of red tape. Red tape, permitting, and other limitations regulate conduct. Laws that regulate conduct need to be judged by their own merits. [...] Quinlan’s story is an egregious example of an all too common tendency in institutions that Francis Fukuyama calls vetocracy. Too many actors have veto rights over what gets built. My latest at CGO dives into vetocracy and I have a Tweet thread on it as well. I hope the piece convinces you it is an extensive problem that needs serious attention.

• Vetocracy and the Decline of American Global Power

  America has become a vetocracy, or rule by veto. Its political system spreads power out very broadly, in ways that give many individual players the power to stop things. By contrast it provides few mechanisms to force collective decisions reflecting the will of the majority. When combined with the extreme degree of polarization in the underlying society, this leads to total gridlock where basic functions of government like deliberating on and passing yearly budgets become nearly impossible. [...] The ability of a single extremist member of the House to topple the Speaker and shut down Congress’ ability to legislate is not the only manifestation of vetocracy on display in 2023. The Senate has a rule that gives any individual Senator the right to in effect block any Executive Branch appointment for any reason. Alabama’s junior Senator Tommy Tuberville has been using this privilege to block all military promotions. Other Senators are blocking other appointments in different cabinet [...] minorities routinely seek to use their veto power to extort concessions for which there is no majority support, and are willing to burn the whole house down if they don’t get their way. These internal divisions exacerbated by our vetocratic political system are America’s greatest source of weakness in its ability to act on the world stage today.

• How to Be a Policy Entrepreneur in the American Vetocracy | IFP

  In our highly polarized political environment, five structural factors originally intended as checks and balances have metastasized into what Francis Fukuyama calls a “vetocracy”: bicameralism, the Senate fili­buster, presidentialism, adversarial legalism, and federalism. To be sure, these institutions also have benefits, such as guarding against the tyranny of the majority. But to actually change laws, policy entrepreneurs must design their solutions to run this gauntlet of veto points. It may [...] In an era of polarized politics, the combination of bicameralism, the Senate filibuster, presidentialism, adversarial legalism, and federalism has resulted in a vetocracy. While this institutional arrangement makes poli­cy change in the United States difficult, progress is possible. Federal policies can include carrots and sticks for state and local governments to get them onboard. Legislation can include limitations on the scope of judicial review to provide more certainty regarding federal [...] Major electricity transmission projects involve complex coordination between federal, state, local (and sometimes hyper-local) officials, as well as securing rights of way from private landowners. To streamline this process, Congress will need to pass new laws. But that legislation will be dead on arrival if proponents don’t understand how to navigate the American vetocracy (even if they take Pahlka’s strong advice about implementation). Policy entrepreneurs have to understand the structural

• Francis Fukuyama: America is in “one of the most severe political ...

  I coined a phrase in the book — “vetocracy,” meaning “rule by veto.” And the broader argument is that the American political system has always made it very hard for the government to actually do things because it gives a lot of parts of the political system veto rights over what the system does. [...] Agreeing no parliamentary system is in the offing in America, what are the process reforms that feel like they might be near at hand? That could actually happen in the next 10 to 15 years? ## Francis Fukuyama If the problem is vetocracy, meaning too many veto points, you have an agenda to reduce the veto points. [...] You can listen to our full conversation — and subscribe to The Ezra Klein Show — here. Excerpts of our discussion, edited for length and clarity, follow. ## America, a “vetocracy” Politics ## Ezra Klein I’d like to get a sense of where you see American politics right now. You have this wonderful framing device in your book Political Origins, in which you say countries are in some ways trying to get to a stable, liberal democracy like Denmark.

A vetocracy is a dysfunctional system of governance whereby no single entity can acquire enough power to make decisions and take effective charge. Coined by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama, the term points to an excessive ability or willingness to use the veto power within a government or institution (without an adequate means of any override). Such limitations may point to a lack of trust among members or hesitance to cede sovereignty. Some institutions which have been hampered by perceptions of vetocratic limitations (and even responsible for their downfall) include the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Confederate States of America, and the League of Nations. The present-day United Nations Security Council has been criticized for its inability to take decisive action due to the exclusive rights of veto power of permanent members. Fukuyama has argued that the United States was facing such a crisis under the republic's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation.