JohnMcCartin

18September2014
Brenner:History&Theory
StateSimplificationsandInstrumentalComplexity

JamesScottpositsthat[s]tatesimplificationscanbeconsideredpartofanongoingprojectof
legibility,1 whereina(chaotic)reality,isschematizedandepistemologicallyordered,soasto
manipulatethatrealityinawayadvantageoustothestate(oritsbenefactors).Inmanipulating
thesematerialsandeventsaccordingtoitsschematic,thestatealterstheconditionsof
possibilitythatproducetheobjectofitsschematic.Saidobjectbecomes,inturn,morelikeits
simplifiedcounterpartofthestatesconstruction.

Scottactuallyimpliestwokindsofpowerinthistheoryofstateaction:(a)amaterialpower,
throughwhichthestatesepistemesaretransmutedontothematerialworldthroughpotentially
violentphysicalintervention,and(b)adiscursivepower,thatis,thepowertotransmitits
epistemiccategoriesthroughitsownpronouncements(orframingofpronouncements).2 ,3
Becausethestateexercisestheseequipotent,relationalformsofpower,itbecomesnecessary
todeterminehowagivenstateformationactsdiscursivelyandmaterially.Phrasedperhapstoo
instrumentally:Howdoesthestateact?Howdoesitdiscussitsactions?4 Inbothcases,the
statedoesnotmerelywieldsimplification,butacomplementarycomplexityaswell.

MaterialComplexityandMaintainingSimplification
Scottsformulationdescribeswhatisafirststep(ormaybeaprecondition)forsociopolitical
modernization.Thisappliestobothmodernizationshistoricizedmeaning,asintheemergence
oftheearlymodernstate,andintheongoingprojectofmodernityasarticulatedbyMarshall
Berman.5 Simplificationis(simply)thestartingpoint,however.Theseepistemicconstructions
imposedfictions(ifnotunnaturalimpositionsonanaturalepistemicsysteminScotts
questionableconstruction)areatleastextremelydifficultto(a)imposeand(b)maintain.
Thereforeasetofadministrative,technical,andjuridicalsystemsmustbeforgedtouphold,that
is,topreventthecollapseandreplacementofthestatesepistemicsystemwithanothermore
suitedtotheparticularneedsofagivencommunity.6

Thesummationofthesesystems,thoughcreatedtoupholdasimplification,isabewildering
complexity.Forinstance,cadastralizationmaybeasimplificationofsocialrelationsregarding
landtenure,butthesystemsofcadastralizationareintricateandopaque.Carefullycalibrated
1

Scott,James.StateSimplifications:Nature,SpaceandPeople.TheJournalofPoliticalPhilosophy.3.3:
1995,229.
2
Thesecategoriesareindistinctandrelational,butforthepurposesofthisresponse...
3
ThePrussianstatesucceededindiscursivelyalteringPrussianforestryinasmuchastheNormalbume
becamethemeansofunderstandingtheforestforthelargerPrussianpublic,butitsucceededinmaterially
alteringthePrussianhinterlandthoughsowing,reaping,andmanagingtheforest.
4
Ofcourse,thereisalsothemorenormative(butmorepoliticallyrevealing)question:howoughtthestateto
act?
5
Berman,Marshall.AllThatisSolidMeltsIntoAir
6
HerewecaninvokethestructureofRomanLaw,asdescribedbyLisainoursection,9/17/14.Thelawof
peopleorthingsaretheobjectsofsimplification,whereasthelawofactionsisthecomplexofprocedures
thatupholdthissimplification.

JohnMcCartin
18September2014
Brenner:History&Theory
instrumentsmustbebroughttobearonthelandscape,surveyingimposeddivisionsand
resolvingdisputesinearlierroundsofsurveying.Anarrayofalphanumericcodesareapplied.
Theirmeaningsaresometimesbutnotalwaysoverlappingorarbitrary.Extractionofvaluevia
uses,rents,orotherwiseishighlyregulated.

Navigatingtheconfinesofthestatesepistemicsimplification,soasnottoconfrontthestate
violencethatwillultimatelyupholdthesimplification,requiresatechnocraticskillset.(Infact,
whenIwasataxpayerfundedemployeeofaBaltimorecitycouncillor,theofficialtitleonmy
paystubwasCouncilTechnician.Ostensibly,mytechnicalknowledgewaspreciselyofthe
administrativeproceduresneededtopushforwardorpreventlanddevelopment,aswellasother
processesinvolvedinadministering/manipulatingthelocalstate.)Inthisway,complexitycomes
togovernthelivedexperienceofsimplificationunderthebureaucraticstate.

DiscursiveComplexityandPoliticalExpedience
Scottnotes[t]hecadastralmapisverymuchlikeastillphotographofthecurrentinariver.7 ,8
Itsbizarre,then,thatScottrendersthemodernthestateasthecadastralmaprendersproperty
relations:asstatic.AccordingtoScott,thestatemayadapttoconditionsbybroadeningand
deepeningofitsconcerns,9 butitspositionasthestateandthemaneuveringsofpoliticalactors
intheirrelationtothestateislargelyunchangingandunchallengedfromScottsperspective.His
lingeringon18thcenturyEuropeanautocraticmonarchiesmaypartlyexplainthis,butFrances
explosionintoandthroughthe19thcenturyshouldhaveindicatedthedynamicnatureofthe
stateandactorswithinit.

Thestateisnotmonolithicandatemporal,butratheralwaysencounteringcrisesofefficacyand
legitimacy.Inpart,thisisduetothecomplexityofenactingitssimplification.Arecentexample
mightbethecrisesattheUSfederalandstatelevelinimplementingtheAffordableCareAct,
which(perhapstooabstractly)isasimplificationofprovidingmedicalcarethroughtweaksinthe
insurancemarketplace.TheadministrationsofObamaandthevariousgovernorsfailedto
smoothlyimplementthecomplexstructuresrequiredtomaintainthissimplification,andtheir
politicalenemiesattackedonthebasisofthatfailure.Inresponse,theissuewasdiscursively
framedtoreinforceitscomplexity,andthusmollifywouldbedetractors.10

Inthefaceofadynamicandchaoticpoliticalenvironment,withbothformal(partisan)and
informalcrisesoflegitimacy,thecontemporarystatedoesnotrespondwithtotalizing
simplifications,butratherwithepistemicconstructionsthatarepoliticallyexpedientforthe
currentpoliticalmoment.Ifsimplicityiscalledforinthepoliticalarena(whetherduetoutilityor
otherwise),someaspectofcontemporarylife(suchascrime)willbesubjecttosimplification
7

Scott,216
Giventheinformalstructureofpropertyownershipthatexistseveninactuallyexistingmodernized
nationssuchastheUS,Scottsmetaphormayactuallybeoverstatingacadastralsusefulnessin
describingreality.
9
Scott,221
10
Thisisnosmallproject
8

JohnMcCartin
18September2014
Brenner:History&Theory
(crimeistheproductofisolatedwrongdoerswhocanandwillbestopped).Alternatively,ina
differentpoliticalenvironment,thestatewillrespondbyaffirmingorinflatingthecomplexityofa
givensituation(crimeisastructuralissuethatcantbeaddressedbyapolicedepartmentalone,
especiallyoneunderfundedduetotaxpayersleavingthecity,etc.).Thestatesconstantstateof
crisisissuchthatpoliticalexpediencewilldictatethediscursiveresponse.

Ultimatelythedistinctionbetweenthematerialanddiscursive,whileuseful,isnotentirely
meaningful,asstateactioninonerealminvariableshapesthatintheotherrealm.However,this
categorizationishelpfulinsussingoutthestatesinstrumentaluseofcomplexity,confusion,and
obfuscationasacomplementtoitsfundamentallysimplifyingepistemology.

Afterthoughtre:PlanningandExpediency
Continuingtobrackethowthestateoughttoactandthushowthestateoughttoplan,the
discursiverealityofplanningismuchthesameastherestofstateaction.Thatis,theconstant
politicalcrisisofthecontemporary,democraticstatewilldictatehowplanningisframed(and
thushowitisconductedinanygivencase).Thetensionbetweenapositivist,progressive
comprehensiveplanning,asarticulatedbyHallorHaar,andLindbloms(postpositivist?)
planningofmuddlingthrough,issomewhatmoot,asbothapproachesaretwodiscursive
instrumentsforactuallyexistingcontemporaryplanningandlocalstatecraftintheUS.The
mayorofBaltimoreandherPlanningoperativeswillproclaimacomprehensiveplanningstrategy
inmostcases,asthatsortofvisionisnecessaryinBaltimorespoliticalarena.However,if
questionedaboutsubsidizingluxurycondodevelopmentonadepositofhighlydangerous
hexavalentchromium,theywillproclaimthisoutcomeasthebestamongpossiblealternatives.