The Technological Republic

In The Technological Republic, Alexander C. Karp (co-founder & CEO of Palantir) and Nicholas W. Zamiska deliver a wake-up call to Western democracies facing a dual threat: the weakening of political resolve and the erosion of technological primacy. They argue that a “soft” Western mindset — comfortable with consumption, drift and regulatory caution — is no match for the era of bold statecraft and engineering rivalry now underway. 
The authors contend that the old alliance between innovation, public purpose and global leadership has fractured. Engineers once driven by shared missions now gravitate toward commercial ease, while states hesitate to mobilise the resources and ambition required for technological superpower status. The consequence: advanced democracies risk falling behind in a world where artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and data sovereignty increasingly determine strategic power. 
Blending political theory, real-world case studies and institutional critique, the book challenges readers to rethink the role of technology in society — not merely as a tool for convenience or profit, but as an enabler of public values, collective risk-taking and civic ambition. It proposes a renewed “technological republic” in which innovation is harnessed for common purpose, not just shareholder value.
For business leaders, policy-makers, engineers and citizens concerned about the future of liberal democracies, this book offers both diagnosis and prescription: a rigorous analysis of how the West has lost its nerve, and a blueprint for regaining it through technology, strategy and shared conviction. In short: if you believe the next decades will be defined by innovation and power, this book is essential reading.