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Building American Dynamism
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Building American Dynamism

Katherine Boyle
a16z, 2022
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In this stirring essay, venture capitalist Katherine Boyle takes to task the naysayers who believe America’s best days are behind it. She acknowledges an unequal economy and widespread skepticism about government, but she points to technology – both throughout history and today – as a catalyst for optimism. Venture capital, she avers, can make government and society run more efficiently and provide solutions to pressing issues of public safety, defense and procurement. Readers will find her comments thought-provoking, although not all will agree with her assessments.

Summary

Some trends point to economic decline in the West, but others indicate the opposite. 

Pessimists point to several factors – deteriorating trust in government and institutions, lackluster economic growth, and decreased fertility rates – in support of their contention that the West is in decline. While some believe that the COVID-19 pandemic would arrest these trends, results so far are mixed.

While institutional failure exemplifies a certain American sclerosis, technology is not part of this stagnation. Quite the contrary: The sector by its nature embraces change and progress. Indeed, the top six firms by market capitalization in the...

About the Author

Katherine Boyle is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

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