Slowing innovation is ruining American politics

If there’s one thing every American agrees on, it’s that politics has become vicious. There are plenty of explanations for why that is, from gerrymandering to the partisan sorting that has made both parties increasingly ideologically homogenous. One I’d add – but which often gets overlooked – is the slowdown in US technological progress outside of computing.

Technology is the most important driver of economic growth, and its rapid progress allows political disputes to centre on how best to distribute gains. That’s easy. What’s hard is when technology stagnates, growth slows and politics becomes zero-sum. The last few years have seen the promise of new technologies that could help us escape that trap – but the Trump administration is throwing that opportunity away.