Chapter 2 argues that given the residual power of national elites protecting the status quo and the ideological agenda of the international state-based order a ‘liberal transition’ – transition without transformation – currently constitutes the ‘outer limit of feasibility.’ To reach this conclusion highlighting world order constraints on transformative change the chapter draws on historical examples (the Marshall Plan, Iran) as well as more contemporary case studies (the Arab Spring, Palestine/Israel). The author argues that the pre-conditions for transformative justice rarely exist in contemporary transitions – these include state capture or building, external support, a strong ideological vision, and top down leadership. The chapter introduces concepts to illuminate this argument, including contrasting transformation-from-without and transformation-from-within.