[huffmsa]

Yes. It's easier to run an entirely unified society in a centralized fashion than it is to run a free-for-all.

Your monoculture must necessarily be authoritarian to enforce the cultural and ideological policies.

It's also extremely fragile. Cut off the head and everything turns to anarchy. Which is what has happened over and over throughout China's history.

Versus somewhere on the polar opposite end like Switzerland where the national government is basically non-existent and could disappear tomorrow and there wouldn't be much disruption.