Well-performing societies had both  the rule of law was necessary, but norms respected by all citizens had greater flexibility. One couldnt encode in laws everything implied by good behavior. The world was just too complex and ever-changing. Are we willing to give up on our democracy to get them? It involved norms as well as laws. When I was chief economist of the World Bank some 20 years ago, we would lecture countries about creating good institutions, and at the time we looked to the United States as a model and paragon.
The rulers of the world bank had better things to say about the United States.
( z0 have :ARG0 ( z1 person :ARG0-of ( z2 rule :ARG1 ( z3 organization :name ( z4 name :op "World" :op "Bank" ) ) ) ) :ARG1 ( z5 say :ARG0 z1 :ARG1 ( z6 thing :ARG1-of ( z7 have-degree :ARG2 ( z8 good :ARG1 z6 ) :ARG3 ( z9 more ) ) ) :ARG3 ( z10 country :name ( z11 name :op "United" :op "States" ) ) ) )
(z0 / have-03
    :ARG0 (z1 / person
              :ARG0-of (z2 / rule-03
                           :ARG1 (z3 / organization
                                     :name (z4 / name
                                               :op1 "World"
                                               :op2 "Bank"))))
    :ARG1 (z5 / say-01
              :ARG0 z1
              :ARG1 (z6 / thing
                        :ARG1-of (z7 / have-degree-91
                                     :ARG2 (z8 / good-02
                                               :ARG1 z6)
                                     :ARG3 (z9 / more)))
              :ARG3 (z10 / country
                         :name (z11 / name
                                    :op1 "United"
                                    :op2 "States"))))
The rulers of the world bank had better things to say about the United States .
z1 :ARG0-of z2
z4 :op1 3
z3 :name z4
z2 :ARG1 z3
z4 :op2 0
z0 :ARG0 z1
z7 :ARG2 z8
z7 :ARG3 z9
z8 :ARG1 z6
z6 :ARG1-of z7
z5 :ARG1 z6
z0 :ARG1 z5
z5 :ARG0 z1
z11 :op1 2
z10 :name z11
z5 :ARG3 z10
z11 :op2 1