Beyond Machiavelli

By Ernest Thiessen, John German and David Newman, May 25, 2025

The growing dysfunction of American politics is often described as a crisis of polarization, disinformation, or institutional decay. But seen through the lens of Niccolò Machiavelli, the real issue may be more ancient: a dangerous overreliance on power, perception, and positional gamesmanship—where strategy matters more than sincerity, and fear more than love.

Machiavelli's The Prince laid bare the brutal calculus of political survival. He warned that leaders must often deceive, divide, and dominate to remain in power. While his work is widely interpreted as descriptive rather than prescriptive, his worldview has become eerily familiar in today's politics. In the United States, governing has too often become a zero-sum game. Winning matters more than solving problems. Perception trumps policy. And democratic compromise is cast as weakness.

What, then, is the antidote to this "Machiavellian trap"? I believe we need more than new leaders or better manners. We need systems that reward cooperation rather than confrontation. Systems that elevate the interests of the many over the ambitions of the few. Systems designed not to manipulate outcomes, but to optimize them.

That's where Smartsettle Infinity comes in.

Smartsettle Infinity is a negotiation support system rooted in logic, transparency, and fairness. It uses advanced, proven methods to guide multiple stakeholders toward decisions that all parties prefer over the status quo—even when their initial positions seem irreconcilable. It's not about winning arguments; it's about uncovering common ground and maximizing shared benefit.

For those curious about the technology: the underlying intelligence works only with the information that stakeholders themselves provide. It does not import or infer anything else. This guarantees privacy, neutrality, and full control in the hands of the people directly involved.

Imagine U.S. budget negotiations that don’t end in shutdown threats, or climate legislation shaped by stakeholders who rate their priorities constructively rather than grandstand in public hearings. Picture electoral redistricting done not through partisan gerrymandering but through optimized fairness formulas. These are not utopian fantasies—they are exactly the kinds of challenges Smartsettle Infinity is built to handle.

 For example, Smartsettle Infinity has been explored as a better way to shape political decisions—encouraging citizens and leaders to work together rather than compete destructively. It offers a structured, fair process for discovering shared ground, even when opinions seem deeply divided. (Explore a more detailed case study here.)

Unlike Machiavellian politics, which thrives on opacity and manipulation, Smartsettle Infinity thrives on structure and consent. It doesn't require angels in office—just leaders who value better outcomes over bitter impasses. And because it protects confidentiality while promoting fairness, it builds trust even among rivals.

This is what democracy needs today: a transition from politics-as-combat to politics-as-collaboration. Machiavelli showed us how power survives. But Smartsettle Infinity shows us how societies thrive.

It is time to move beyond The Prince.

More peace, sooner.