The advent of information technology ushered in new forms of political power. Machines play crucial roles in how states see, understand and act, and scrutiny of these processes lies at the heart of Identify and Sort. It frames debates about 'IT' in world politics, explaining how industrial sorting systems employed by political actors are renegotiating the social contract between individuals and the state. Ansorge takes the reader on a global expedition that tracks the historical antecedents of digital power, from Aztec and Inca rituals, to medieval filing systems, to a grandiose 1930s design...