Preface; 1. Understanding political change in Southeast Asia; Part I. Capitalism, Economic Growth and Political Change: 2. Indonesia and Timor-Leste; 3. The Philippines; 4. Malaysia, Singapore; 5. Thailand; Part II. State Socialist Countries and Authoritarian Stability: 6. Vietnam; 7. Cambodia and Laos; 8. Burma/Myanmar; 9. Southeast Asia in the twenty-first century; References; Index.
A powerful new survey of political change in Southeast Asia, exploring why some countries have become democratic while others remain authoritarian.
Jacques Bertrand is Associate Professor of Political Science and a member of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. For the last few years, his research has focused on the effects of democratisation on sub-state nationalist mobilisation in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. He is the author of Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia (Cambridge University Press, 2004) and co-editor of Multination States in Asia: Accommodation or Resistance (Cambridge University Press, 2010).
'At last a book that provides a comprehensive, historically
grounded and up-to-date survey of politics in Southeast Asia.
Covering the historical origins of the diverse regimes that make up
the region, as well as the forces driving political change today,
Political Change in Southeast Asia will be welcomed by both experts
and students of the region. Paying attention to evolving social
structures and complex contingencies, mass social forces and the
actions of elites, Jacques Bertrand captures the complex dynamics
both driving and retarding political change in this fascinating and
politically diverse region.' Edward Aspinall, Australian National
University
'For decades, the study of Southeast Asian politics has remained
confined to single-country studies, with the diversity and
complexity of the region thwarting more broadly conceived and
comparative work. In this magisterial survey, Jacques Bertrand
provides a synthetic account of the variegated patterns of
political change across the full breadth of Southeast Asia.
Bertrand's command of the field, and the clarity and coherence of
his analysis, make for a study unparalleled in breadth of coverage
and depth of insight. Scholars and students of Southeast Asian
politics will remain indebted to Bertrand for this foundational
text for many years to come.' John Sidel, Sir Patrick Gillam
Professor of International and Comparative Politics, London School
of Economics and Political Science
'A political survey of all Southeast Asia is not for the
faint-hearted. Its half-billion people comprise all the world's
major religions, hundreds of ethno-linguistic groups, and among the
world's richest (Singapore) and poorest countries. Its politics
neatly divide between communist-authoritarian, democratic, what
Bertrand calls 'semi-democracies' (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand)
and plain authoritarian (Cambodia and Burma). Jacques Bertrand
manages this task with a sure and experienced hand, judiciously
covering all its eleven countries except Brunei. Students will be
well-served by its comprehensiveness, accuracy and balance.'
Anthony Reid, Emeritus Professor, Australian National
University
'In this much-anticipated new text, Jacques Bertrand makes a clear
case for Southeast Asia as politically distinctive, if not wholly
unique. Adjudicating among dominant explanations for political
change or stasis that stress the role of economic development in
structuring political patterns (and vice-versa), the influence and
interests of elite actors, the strength and priorities of
class-based or other social forces, and cultural features such as
patrimonialism, Bertrand offers a pithy, well-focused, and
accessible introduction to Southeast Asian politics, spanning the
diversity of states in the region through the present day. The book
presents both succinct political histories of each state and a
cogent analytical approach, making it ideal for undergraduate or
graduate classroom use.' Meredith L. Weiss, University at Albany,
State University of New York
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