Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
Liberty is not a natural condition but a precarious achievement born from a relentless, delicate struggle between the power of the state and the power of society.
A "Despotic Leviathan" arises when a state is overly strong, enabling it to maintain order and drive short-term growth while ultimately suppressing individual liberty and stifling the creativity needed for sustained innovation.
An "Absent Leviathan" occurs when the state is too weak to enforce laws, leaving society trapped in violence or bound by a restrictive cage of cultural norms that limit human potential.
Liberty flourishes under a "Shackled Leviathan" where a capable state is continuously held accountable by an equally mobilized and vigilant civil society.