Theories of political culture have typically refrained from a reinterpretation of the idea of civilisations, as a few well-known traditional approaches to this concept have been severely criticized. Yet, one may probe into the relevance of the concept of a set of civilisations for mankind in the period of globalisation. However, it is not the Weber thesis linking religion with modern capitalism or economic growth that appears most promising today when enquiring into cultural effects. Instead, it is the spread of respect for the rule of law regime, which has a much longer history than the democratic polity.