The Decentralist Papers · Paper V of XX
The State CEO
Operations, Not Politics
Governors are politicians. They campaign, give speeches, attend photo ops.
States need operators. Chief Executive Officers.
The State CEO:
- Elected by citizens of the state
- Accountable for results: roads, schools, budget, jobs
- Runs the state like an organization
- Hires professionals, fires failures
- Measured on outcomes, not rhetoric
Chain of command:
- President (elected nationally)
- State CEO (elected by state)
- Representatives (sortition, 30K each)
The CEO answers to:
- The President (for federal coordination)
- The citizens (for re-election)
Clear hierarchy. Clear accountability. No finger-pointing between branches.
What this eliminates:
- State legislatures (redundant with 20,000+ local reps)
- The thousands of state legislators nationwide
- Confusion about who’s responsible for what