villehwa.blogg.se - The origins of the political order

Part 1: The Origins of Governmentįukuyama’s central goal is to explain the development of the state-by which he means a centrally organized institution that creates and enforces laws within a defined territory. In Parts 2-4, we’ll explore each of Fukuyama’s three pillars (state, rule of law, and accountability). In Part 1, we’ll examine the fundamental social dynamics that led to-and complicated-the development of modern governments. This overview is divided into four parts. The Origins of Political Order was released in 2012 as the first of two volumes-the second, 2014’s Political Order and Political Decay, picks up where Origins leaves off by explaining political developments from the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century to the present. The book is written for a general audience, though it assumes readers have a strong interest in contemporary and historical politics and at least some background in political theory.įukuyama is a political economist best known for The End of History and the Last Man (1992). Fukuyama contends that understanding these principles will help government agencies and political observers understand why some contemporary countries struggle to implement or sustain healthy, functional, and free institutions-an understanding that will presumably lead to better policies. The book explores how each of these traits evolved throughout various historical cultures and argues that the weakness or absence of one or more of these components leads to either authoritarianism or government collapse. Accountability, which means that a state respects the rights and needs of its citizens, to whom it must ultimately answer.

The rule of law-the belief in an ordering principle higher than the state itself by which the state must abide if it’s to remain legitimate.

A strong state capable of wielding military power, collecting taxes, and enforcing laws.

In The Origins of Political Order, Francis Fukuyama argues that there are three main components of a stable democratic society: The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama Keep reading for an overview of the book. Fukuyama is interested in how and why contemporary liberal democracies emerged. The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama explores the development of political systems from prehistory to the eve of the American and French revolutions in the late 18th century. How and when did government develop as an institution? How are governments held accountable? What makes a democracy stable? Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Origins of Political Order" by Francis Fukuyama.