Three Approaches to Tech and Democracy: A Global Analysis with Emphasis on the Near-Complete US Capture

This paper identifies three distinct models governing the relationship between the technology sector and democratic accountability worldwide.

The first is the US-origin “exit” faction, which
seeks to replace democratic governance with private, billionaire-run orders.

The second is the state-directed model (exemplified by China), where tech is subordinate to the party-state.

The third is the rules-first model (Europe and others), which attempts to regulate tech
through democratic institutions.

The paper then argues that in the United States, the “exit” faction has already achieved near-total capture of the regulatory and legislative apparatus.
This is not a sudden coup but the acceleration of a decades-long process—Congress has
been captured for eons—now supercharged by tech wealth.

The conclusion is stark: in the US, the democratic oversight of tech capital is almost entirely extinguished.