HICKORY, N.C.—In the late 1990s, this furniture-making hub seemed sheltered from the disruptive forces of globalization. Laid-off steelworkers from West Virginia, Tennessee and beyond streamed here for new jobs building beds, tables and chairs for American homes. The unemployment rate fell below 2%. [Bob Davis and Jon Hilsenrath| Wall Street Journal] These days, Hickory is still suffering…

In a rules-based system, the rules are developed to permit the smooth functioning of the members within the system by identifying what can and cannot be done.  Stop signs and traffic lights are common in nearly all societies to permit the movement of people and goods in a manner that both facilitates movement and ensures…