Technocracy

Explanation

Technocracy is governance by experts: scientists, engineers, economists, or other specialists chosen for their technical competence rather than political support. Pure technocracy is rare, but technocratic elements appear in many democracies — central banks are often deliberately insulated from democratic politics, and the European Commission has been described as technocratic in character. During financial crises, some countries (notably Greece and Italy in 2011–12) installed technocratic caretaker governments staffed by economists and bankers. Critics argue technocracy lacks democratic legitimacy; proponents argue complex modern challenges require expert governance beyond the capacity of generalist politicians.