Covenant Model versus Force Model, The Past and Outlook

This book introduces a new theory as a response to what has been considered as the universal model of political order with which there exist three institutional elements, namely a state, the rule of law, and government accountability. The theory also echoes on the discussions regarding the forming sequence of these elements and the importance of coexistence of all the elements. The book explores the formation of political orders of both Europe-America and China paths, and uses the case specific interpretations from the fields of history, economics and political science, in particular for the case of ancient China as the predecessor of contemporary China. It proposes a new theory that is different from the one offered by the mainstream theory and its model. The description of such well known model for European-American system can be modified as the "covenant" model to fit in this new theory, and the Chinese system can only be interpreted as the "force" model of the theory. It further applies the new theory by taking an outlook on both systems to either identify existing deficiencies or point out spots for possible institutional innovations.