Example: Economy

The economy performs poorly when governed by power logic, because the advantages of rule-based coordination of free action are difficult or impossible to harness—as illustrated by the economic collapse of the communist bloc in the 1980s.

By contrast, China, which has become highly successful in the global economy, has advocated maintaining and protecting global economic rules. In practice, however, China combines power resources with rule-based approaches, thereby undermining global adherence to rules in the long term.