The Decentralist Papers · Paper XI of XX
The Executive Decentralized
No More White House
The White House is a symbol of concentrated power. The President lives in a government compound, surrounded by bureaucracy, disconnected from normal life.
Decentralist principle: The President lives at home.
Wherever that is:
- A ranch in Texas
- A farm in Iowa
- An apartment in New York
- A house in Nevada
The office follows the person, not the building.
Secure communications work anywhere now. The office follows the person because it can.
The White House becomes a museum:
- Historical monument
- Tours for citizens
- School trips
- “Here’s where it started, here’s where we fixed it”
The message: The building isn’t the government. The people are.