The Volatility and Future of Democracies in Asia (Politics in Asia)

This book explores the volatile and uncertain future of democracies in Asia through typological analysis of the diverse patterns of Asian countries.

Detailed analysis and extensive case studies featured throughout this edited volume unveil democracies in the process of being consolidated, such as Taiwan and South Korea; precarious democracies, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines; states that are experiencing setbacks and a retreat from democracy, such as Thailand and Myanmar; and finally, states that are still resisting democracy, including China. Key findings articulate that Asian democracies do not follow existing models or patterns―such as that of Western democracy―but are instead lively, emergent works in progress. Environments in which democracy is practiced in Asia reflect local people’s pluralistic imagination of democracy; hence a comparative thematic approach is adopted. Contributors originate from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand, each presenting regional insights into the unique challenges and movements of their respective nations, from staging protests in Bangkok to military coup in Myanmar.

Opening new dialogue in the study of democracy, The Volatility and Future of Democracies in Asia will appeal to students and scholars of political science, comparative politics, international development, democracy studies, and Asian studies more broadly.

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Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao is Adjunct Research Fellow of Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, and Chair Professor of Hakka Studies, National Central University. He is also the chairman of Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF), Executive Committee of Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), National Cheng-Chi University, and Consortium of Southeast Asia Studies in Asia (SEASIA). He currently serves as Senior Advisor to the President of Taiwan since 2016. Most recently, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Taiwan Studies to be published by Brill in 2022. His recent publications are “New Social and Political Trends in Hong Kong and Taiwan” (co-editor, 2020); “The Networks of the Hakka Ethnic Associations in Southeast Asia” (co-editor, 2020); “Taiwan Studies Revisited” (co-editor, 2019); and “Middle Class, Civil Society and Democracy in Asia” (editor, 2019).

Alan Hao Yang is the distinguished Professor of Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies and Deputy Director of Institute of International Relations in National Chengchi University (NCCU), Taiwan. He also serves as Executive Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS) at NCCU and of Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation (TAEF). Dr. Yang has been nominated as a senior fellow of George HW Bush Foundation for US-China Relations in the United States since 2021. His research interests cover international relations theories, Track II Diplomacy and think tank politics, ASEAN and comparative regionalisms, China–ASEAN relations, soft power and foreign policy analysis with specific focus on Confucius Institutes, the politics of resistance in Southeast Asia, and disaster preparedness in Asia. His latest publications include “Building a Disaster Resilient Community in Taiwan: A Social Capital Analysis of the Meizhou Experience,” (2020) and “The Politics of Resistance in Southeast Asia: The Typological Analysis of Local Resistance against China’s Economic Penetration” (2021).