Political Order and Political Decay

by Francis Fukuyama

paperback, 688 pages

Published Oct. 13, 2015 by Francis Fukuyama, FSG Adult.

ISBN:: 978-0-374-53562-9

(6 reviews)

"The second volume of the bestselling landmark work on the history of the modern state Writing in The Wall Street Journal, David Gress called Francis Fukuyama's Origins of Political Order "magisterial in its learning and admirably immodest in its ambition." In The New York Times Book Review, Michael Lind described the book as "a major achievement by one of the leading public intellectuals of our time." And in The Washington Post, Gerard DeGrott exclaimed "this is a book that will be remembered. Bring on volume two." Volume two is finally here, completing the most important work of political thought in at least a generation. Taking up the essential question of how societies develop strong, impersonal, and accountable political institutions, Fukuyama follows the story from the French Revolution to the so-called Arab Spring and the deep dysfunctions of contemporary American politics. He examines the effects of corruption on governance, and why some societies have been successful at rooting it out. He explores the different legacies of colonialism in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and offers a clear-eyed account of why some regions have thrived and developed more quickly than others. And he boldly reckons with the future of democracy in the face of a rising global middle class and entrenched political paralysis in the West. A sweeping, masterful account of the struggle to create a well-functioning modern state, Political Order and Political Decay is destined to be a classic"--

6 editions

Vincent Tijms reviewed Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama

Review of 'Political Order and Political Decay' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

It was a pleasure to join the clear mind of Francis Fukuyama in this second volume of his work on political order. Whilehis first volume ([b:The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution|9704856|The Origins of Political Order From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution|Francis Fukuyama|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317064084s/9704856.jpg|14593088]) argued in favor of a triad of rule of law, effective statehood and accountability, he used this second volume to show how different balances between these three elements have led to wildly varying political outcomes in the modern age.

Given the exhaustive nature of the political order project, I am pretty sure both books offer something for everyone. Personally, I found it quite interesting to read a strong defense of bureaucracy or, to be more precise, autonomous bureaucracy. Fukuyama's arguments in favor of a strong state should be taken to heart by minarchists and anarchists alike, especially since he argues that some of the popular alternatives to state power (e.g. decentralized judicial systems) lead to capture of the political process by interest groups or to other forms of political decay. It will be interesting to read [b:The Utopia of Rules: On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy|22245334|The Utopia of Rules On Technology, Stupidity, and the Secret Joys of Bureaucracy|David Graeber|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417415465s/22245334.jpg|41620170] with Fukuyama's arguments in mind.

One problem of Political Order and Political Decay is that is it poorly edited. A work of this scope can only be written with a good team overseeing structure, and that clearly didn't happen. Key insights were repeated over and over again, while some discussions were so short they could just as well have been skipped (the section on the Arab Spring was particularly superficial and disappointing). However, these shortcomings shouldn't deter anyone: both this book and The Origins of Political Order are fascinating reads for the politically and historically inclined.

chadkoh reviewed Political Order and Political Decay by Francis Fukuyama

Review of 'Political Order and Political Decay' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This volume gets into the weeds in determining the mechanics of political order. Building on the three pillars of political order established in the previous book (institutions, accountability, rule of law) Fukuyama moves on to the various forms that governments and bureaucracies take. There are a whole series of comparative analyses between countries during at different points in history. In the end, he presents a sort of algorithm for political stability, with variables depending on a specific country's circumstances. Based on this Fukuyama lays out an argument that the US is undergoing political decay.

While thought-provoking, this is a much more detail-oriented book than the first volume which is more high level. Thus I think this one is a bit harder to get into. It deserves careful study, and I am sure it will be assigned as a text for public policy/policsci courses as a follow-up to Huntington.

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April 20, 2015

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