James Burnham: The Prophet of the Managerial Revolution
James McGill Burnham (1905–1987) stands as one of the most influential, yet controversial, American political theorists of the 20th century. His intellectual journey was a remarkable odyssey: beginning as a leading figure in the American Trotskyist movement, he eventually transitioned into a founding father of modern American conservatism.The Intellectual Trajectory
Burnham’s life can be viewed as a series of rigorous intellectual shifts, each marked by a cold, analytical realism that prioritized “what is” over “what ought to be.”- The Radical Phase: In the 1930s, Burnham was a professor of philosophy at New York University and a key lieutenant to Leon Trotsky. However, he eventually grew disillusioned with Marxism, arguing that it failed to account for the reality of Soviet totalitarianism.
- The Realist Break: By 1940, he broke with the Socialist Workers Party. He abandoned utopianism for a “Machiavellian” approach to politics—focusing on power dynamics, elites, and organizational structures.
- The Conservative Era: In 1955, he helped William F. Buckley Jr. found National Review. He became the magazine’s primary strategist on the Cold War, advocating for a “rollback” of Soviet influence rather than mere containment.
The Managerial Revolution
Burnham’s most enduring contribution to political science is his 1941 masterpiece, The Managerial Revolution. In this work, he argued that capitalism was not being replaced by socialism, but by “managerialism.” According to Burnham, the “managers”—technical experts, bureaucrats, and corporate executives—were seizing control of the means of production from the traditional property-owning capitalists. He predicted a world dominated by large-scale organizations where power resided in those who directed the process, not those who owned the stock.“The managers are the ones who actually direct the productive process… it is they who, in the new society, will hold the power.” — James Burnham
Key Philosophical Works
Burnham’s bibliography serves as a roadmap for understanding the power structures of the modern West:| Work | Core Thesis |
| The Machiavellians (1943) | Argues that only a “science of power” based on thinkers like Pareto and Mosca can explain how politics actually works. |
| The Struggle for the World (1947) | An early Cold War clarion call warning that the U.S. and USSR were locked in a mortal struggle for global hegemony. |
| Suicide of the West (1964) | A critique of modern liberalism, which he characterized as a “syndrome” that prevented Western civilization from defending itself. |
Legacy and Influence
Burnham’s impact is profound. George Orwell’s 1984 was significantly influenced by Burnham’s theories of global “superstates.” Furthermore, his analysis of the “managerial class” remains a cornerstone for contemporary critiques of the “Deep State” and global technocracy. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1983, cementing his status as https://www.jameskburnhamdds.com/ a pillar of the American intellectual right. He remains a quintessential figure for those who believe that to change the world, one must first view it without illusions.
Last Update:
February 2, 2026
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