ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the theories that have been advanced in explains the rise and fall of civilizations. They are valuable in general, while others contribute to an understanding of the process by which these variables can be isolated and studied. 'The Viability of States', applies the concept to different types of state models. The types include authoritarian, doctrinaire liberal, empires and supra-national entities, and mixed models. Constitutional flexibility, in the sense of the hard or the soft constitution, is distinct from the narrower question of democracy, and is therefore foreseeable in any constitutional model. The book explains the degree to which constitutional flexibility, rather than broader societal and environmental factors, may have led to the rise of 'successful' states, and to the decline of 'unsuccessful' states, by promoting stability. Economic growth is one, but not necessarily the sole, criteria of success.
