Looking at eight case studies of Asian democracies, the contributors to this volume analyze the role of political parties in stabilizing and institutionalizing democracies.
How have democracies such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines survived against the odds, despite struggling economic performance and highly unequal distribution of income? How have formerly authoritarian regimes in places like South Korea and Taiwan evolved into stable democracies? The contributors to this volume examine these case studies, along with Mongolia, Malaysia, and India, arguing that the common element is the extent to which political parties, including opposition parties, have become institutionalized and act as stabilizers on democracy. They contend that the role of political parties has been significantly underestimated in comparison with structural elements, which are insufficient to explain how these democracies have persisted.
An essential resource for students and scholars of Asian politics, especially those with a focus on comparative politics, political parties, and institutions.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Funded by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.
1. Introduction: Taking a Second Look at Asian Political Parties Julio C. Teehankee, Rey C. Padit and Jung Hoon Park 2. In the Name of Minjoo: Roles of Pro-Democracy Parties in Democratic Transition and Progress in South Korea Jung Hoon Park 3. The Effects of the Changing National Identity of the Taiwanese People on the Party Politics of Taiwan Tommy Chung-yin Kwan 4. Party Politics, Unexpected Democratization, and Hopeful Consolidation in Mongolia Delgerjargal Uvsh 5. Electoral Rules Effect: Explaining the Party System Stability in Democratic Indonesia Noory Okthariza 6. Neither Poorly Organized, Nor Well Established: Conceptualizing and Exploring the Dynamics of Moderately Institutionalized Hybrid Party System in Malaysia Muhamad M.N. Nadzri 7. Party-Movement Interaction in a Contested Democracy: The Philippine Experience Arjan Aguirre 8. Transforming Ethno-Regional Parties in Northeast India V. Bijukumar 9. Sri Lanka’s Bipolarized Multiparty System: Democratizing the Selection of Rulers, not their Rule Pradeep Peiris 10. Conclusion: Movements, Parties, and Asian Democracies Against the Odds Julio C. Teehankee
Julio C. Teehankee is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at De La Salle University, Philippines. Christian Echle is the Head of Department for Asia and the Pacific, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany.
