![]() ![]() Patrimonialism, Fukuyama insists, closes off the road to Denmark. Rulers treat the state as an extension of their family, sharing out the important positions among their relatives. ![]() ![]() The complex societies of antiquity and today’s tribal societies, Fukuyama points out, have one thing in common: patrimonialism. He argues that “depatrimonialization”-basically, getting kinship out of politics-is the key to development. And that means understanding the history of political order.įukuyama is surely right about this, and The Origins of Political Order provides a much-needed primer to this history. ![]() Fukuyama suggests that if politicians outside the West are to lead their countries toward Denmark, rather than toward somewhere like Iran, they need to understand-and replicate-the processes that have worked in the past. As we have seen in the last few months, overthrowing authoritarian rulers (such as the ones who have cursed the Middle East for so long) does not instantly unleash open societies. The problem, though, is that this trinity cannot simply be willed into existence. ![]()
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