I'm looking for the first book that I abandoned. Published before 1975. Humanity has populated the stars; thousands of worlds, maybe hundreds of thousands. There is a central government for all this with a top man/woman leader. I don't remember if it's an empire or democracy or what but there is a long established political elite.
There is a prediction of some kind that the next leader will come from outside the usual channels. I'm thinking a backwoods world. I don't think the current leader was all that concerned but the "powers behind the throne" decided to try to locate this person and do something about it.
I was bored to tears with all the political wheeling dealing and then the scene changes to a much more interesting backwoods world. I think it opens with a man shoeing horses. I got the impression of an Amish level technology. It turns out that this world was settled fairly early in mankind's expansion as an experiment. The colony ship was populated 100% with geniuses. The typical work week might be two days working on a farm, a day teaching advanced astrophysics at the university and a couple of days in the lab expanding knowledge way beyond anything the rest of humanity is aware of.
I might be remembering my own opinion, but I think they were maintaining a low profile to avoid all those boring bureaucrats. At any rate, the story leaves that world and I was disappointed enough to drop the book. In the trash.
I thought it might be part of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series but I've read the preludes and up to Foundation and Earth (unfinished) and haven't found it.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
