Private Prerogative, Public Purpose: Political Entrepreneurship and Management in Frederick the Great's Anti-Machiavel

Abstract

I contribute to the literature on public entrepreneurship and management by analyzing the role of the political entrepreneur in Frederick the Great’s Anti-Machiavel. Frederick the Great (Frederick II of Prussia) is best known for turning Prussia into an international power during the mid- to late-18th century. His perspective on governance contains many valuable insights into the nature of political entrepreneurship, the institutions within which it occurs, and its effects on material prosperity. I detail key points from Anti-Machiavel that can advance scholarship on political entrepreneurship, and conclude by discussing how Frederick’s insights into political entrepreneurship can be put to work.