Part IV, Chapter 22-23 Summary and Analysis

Part IV is called "Accountable Government." It opens with Chapter 22, "The Rise of Political Accountability." Fukuyama defines accountability as when rulers feel they are responsible to the ruled and place the interest of the people over their own. Fukuyama provides some examples of this definition and proposes to examine four differing results from European states relating to accountability. The first is "weak absolutism" as appeared in France and Spain, the second "Successful absolutism" as appeared in Russia, the third is "failed oligarchy" as occurred in Hungary and Poland, and the fourth "accountable government" as arose in England and Denmark.

Chapter 23 is called "Rente Seekers" and looks at the example of France. In the final years of the French monarchy in the 18th century, the monarchy was deeply in debt. The king held a central power...