Francis Fukuyama
Francis Fukuyama
Yoshihiro Francis Fukuyamais an American political scientist, political economist, and author. Fukuyama is known for his book The End of History and the Last Man, which argued that the worldwide spread of liberal democracies and free market capitalism of the West and its lifestyle may signal the end point of humanity's sociocultural evolution and become the final form of human government. However, his subsequent book Trust: Social Virtues and Creation of Prosperitymodified his earlier position to acknowledge that culture cannot...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionEconomist
Date of Birth27 October 1952
CountryUnited States of America
broad change democracy depends force happens history marxist pace political power process result societies ultimately understanding
I've always had a Marxist understanding of history: democracy is a result of a broad modernization process that happens in every country. Neocons think the use of political power can force the pace of change, but ultimately it depends on societies doing it themselves.
I'm a tenured professor. But I'd get rid of tenure.
good
In general, Americans are not very good at nation-building and not very good colonialists.
academy advances approaches economists fields funeral joke system tenure time turned wholesale
The rationale for tenure is still valid. But the system has turned the academy into one of the most conservative and costly institutions in the country. Yes, conservative: Economists joke that their discipline advances one funeral at a time, but many fields must wait for wholesale generational turnover before new approaches take hold.
course crazy figured good life trade
I've figured out in the course of my life that the one thing I'm good at doing is writing books, and it would be crazy to trade that in for something else.
basically beneficial historical history large linear proceed
I'm basically an optimist because I do think there's this historical modernisation process, and by and large it's been very beneficial to people. But there are blips. History doesn't proceed in a linear way.
below both bottom civil democratic desire directions driven elite example georgia global hand happens korea leaders obviously open popular pressure pressures produces push required single strategy successful supported systems terms though top ukraine wants works
There is, ... no single global strategy that works in terms of democratic openness. Sometimes it happens from the bottom up and sometimes it happens from the up down, and to be successful it usually has to work in both ways. There has to be elite that wants change, though that desire can be supported and driven by popular participation. For example in Chile, the Philippines and Korea it required pressure on leaders on top to open up their systems and those pressures couldn't have come only from civil society. In Ukraine and Georgia on the other hand there was obviously a big push from below -- pressure in both directions is necessary. There is not one single strategy that produces democratic transition.
democratic left meaningful military totality
the totality of U.S. military interventions have not left lasting, meaningful democratic institutions.
word
We wanted our own magazine, ... I don't think they copyrighted the word 'Interest.'
east european fixing middle west
Fixing the Middle East is only part of the problem. It is a West European problem, too.
curious debates deny fact quite stands tried
The one curious thing - I don't know quite where he stands right now is - he really was not a neoconservative in a way, and in fact I think he's tried to deny he was a neoconservative, if you go back to all the debates of the 1990's.
abuse easy role
It's easy to misunderstand and abuse the role of culture,
accept arab assume bush change decision democratic east expansion gradual great groups hoping major middle opportunity outcome policy political premature president process reform shift statements suggesting wait whatever willing
President Bush has made some statements suggesting the US would accept whatever democratic outcome comes. Should the US be willing to do that, it suggests a major change in their position. But I think it is a little premature to assume that any real decision has been made. I think what they -- in the US administration -- are hoping for is a more gradual reform process in the Arab world, a more gradual expansion of political participation which Islamist groups do not use as an opportunity to come to power. So while I think there has been a shift in the US Middle East policy we will all have to wait to see how great that shift has been.
responses separate
These aren't two separate problems. In many instances the responses are the same.