More broadly, the ability of any nation to wield power on a sustained basis--whether military, economic, political, or moral-depends upon multiple additional factors, including
its ability to form intelligent policies and implement them effectively in a timely manner, which usually requires reason-based transparent decision making and the forging of a domestic consensus in support of policies particularly if they require a long term commitment. The Marshall Plan, for example, would not have been possible without bipartisan support in the Congress and the willingness of the American people to commit significant resources to a visionary plan that required decades to implement.