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.
Someone was elected to the United States today.
( z0 elect :ARG1 ( z1 someone ) :ARG2 ( z2 country :name ( z3 name :op "United" :op "States" ) ) :time ( z4 today ) )
(z0 / elect-01
    :ARG1 (z1 / someone)
    :ARG2 (z2 / country
              :name (z3 / name
                        :op1 "United"
                        :op2 "States"))
    :time (z4 / today))
Someone was elected to the United States today .
z0 :ARG1 z1
z3 :op1 1
z2 :name z3
z0 :ARG2 z2
z3 :op2 0
z0 :time z4