Where kings still rule, the prosperity of the people depends in large part on the quality of the kings.  If they have a good king, then they probably will have a good kingdom. If the king is a wise leader, then his kingdom probably prospers as a result.

In comparison, building a nation should be different. Not the greatness or wisdom of one. Not the “it all depends on me”. Rather, nation building answers to some critical questions for building a great and prosperous one. The questions are:

§         What processes must be created that will give the nation good leadership for thousand years in the future?

§         What defines the endurance of the nation to build?

§         On what values to build the nation?

§         What guidelines and mechanisms to construct to bring up the kind of nation envisioned?

Nation building is anchored on creating a constitution and laws to which all present and future leaders will be subservient, a constitution and laws that are based on human ideals and values.

                        Reference: Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras