Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, yet over
time most developed new political institutions which included a central
state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all
citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to
their constituents. We take these institutions for granted, but they
are absent or are unable to perform in many of today's developing
countries--with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.

Francis Fukuyama, author of the bestselling "The End of History and
the Last Man "and one of our most important political thinkers, provides
a sweeping account of how today's basic political institutions developed.
The first of a major two-volume work, "The Origins of Political Order"
begins with politics among our primate ancestors and follows the story
through the emergence of tribal societies, the growth of the first modern
state in China, the beginning of the rule of law in India and the Middle
East, and the development of political accountability in Europe up until
the eve of the French Revolution.

Drawing on a vast body of knowledge--history, evolutionary biology,
archaeology, and economics--Fukuyama has produced a brilliant,
provocative work that offers fresh insights on the origins of democratic
societies and raises essential questions about the nature of politics
and its discontents.

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