David Thunder: "It is not possible to govern a complex society well from a central state".

How to deal with the dissatisfaction of a large part of citizens with current governments in the West? Is it possible to maintain welfare and security in an increasingly polarized world? Is it necessary to redefine the role of the state? David Thunder, researcher in the Religion and Civil Societygroup of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) at the University of Navarra, addresses these and other questions in his latest book,The Polycentric Republic: A Theory of Civil Order for Free and Diverse Societies, published by Routledge in January 2025.

In the book, the author criticizes the sovereignty of the modern state and the modern social contract, pointing out the dysfunctions that, in his opinion, are caused by centralist and bureaucratized systems of government. He also proposes to readers the exercise of reimagining a new political and social order defined by pluralism, respect for individual freedoms, horizontal relations and the empowerment of local communities vis-à-vis centralized institutions. "The problem with excessive centralization of political power is that it is not sufficiently adapted to the diverse needs of society. It is not possible to govern a complex, large-scale society well from a central body such as a nation state," Thunder argues.

In this regard, it notes that "by imposing rules, incentives and sanctions that affect the internal life of a wide variety of diverse non-state associations, from families to schools, universities, churches and businesses, the sovereign state prevents local associations and organizations from developing their own norms, customs and shared narratives and adapting them to their own distinctive missions and values."

This status is compounded by the current crisis of the welfare state, citizen discontent and the rise of populism, as well as the challenges facing Western societies, linked to demographic aging, among others. "It is a very complex problem and the only solution in this case are initiatives that come from civil society and do not depend on centralized funding," he points out. In response, he alludes to the need for "public-private partnerships at the regional level. For example, private hospitals that also serve public needs. This is something that already exists, but it needs to be strengthened.

New political landscape

In his proposal, Thunder advocates the "polycentric republic", a federalistmodel , which could be applied in different systems of government and which seeks to "diminish the weight of state institutions and favor local ones, giving greater power to local political territorial ties to form a civic identity". It is "a devolution of power at the municipal and regional level so that authority flows from the bottom up." In other words, it proposes "a league of independent cities and cantons operating within the limits of a flexible constitution, respectful of the reasonable prerogatives of local associations, from municipal communities and villages to schools, universities and agricultural cooperatives."

In addition to largely eliminating the burden of bureaucratization, this would allow "more citizens to have their needs met because a polycentric system is more adaptable to different demands". As examples of some models that are already implementing this style of model, he points to the case of the Swiss cantons and the progressive decentralization of the health system in the United Kingdom. For the author, granting greater autonomy to local entities makes it possible, in addition to enhancing individual freedom, for regions to be "more fiscally competitive and more efficient in attracting talent and investment".