[Lecture] Francis Fukuyama on the Political Order and Political Decay of China and the United States

This is the first part of the S.T. Lee Distinguished Lecture, where Prof Francis Fukuyama talks about his new book on Political Order and Political Decay in political institutions, particularly on China and the US.

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Prof Francis Fukuyama believes that a modern effective state should serve public issues and keep public interest from the private rulers than in patrimonial state. A modern state will be built around three institutions:
1) a state which concentrates and uses power,
2) the rule of law which constrains the powerful, and
3) mechanisms of democratic accountability to ensure that power is used for public rather than private benefit.

China invented state modernity but has failed to develop adequate institutions of constraint, while the American tradition has focused on constraints to state power at the expense of state effectiveness. Prof Francis Fukuyama uses the three constitutions for a modern state to explain what are the advantages and disadvantages for China and the US, and the ability of the two societies to adjust their balance of institutions, which will determine the dominant model for the future.

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In the second part of the lecture, which consists of the Q&A section, Prof Francis Fukuyama accepts and answers questions from the floor related to democracy, culture, state power, trust in nations, strong leadership, and the changes in his views now compared to those written in his previous books.

Cick here to watch the second part of the lecture:    • [Q&A] Francis Fukuyama on the Political Or...