Political Party Systems And Democratic Development In East And Southeast Asia

This second volume examines party structure and development in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan

First published in 1998, this is the second of two volumes which will be of great value to scholars and students of politics in East and Southeast Asia. A rich, readable reference tool, they offer extensive surveys of the history, structure, culture, legal context, and financing, as well as the progress, travails, and prospects, of political parties and electoral systems in 13 countries. The excellent introduction and the detailed country case studies demonstrate the wide range of political experiences in Asia. Rather than affirm the thesis of a common set of "Asian values" hostile to democracy, they show that in much of East and Southeast Asia, people want the political choice and accountability that come from free and fair electoral competition with open, effective political parties.

First published in 1998, this is the second of two volumes which will be of great value to scholars and students of politics in East and Southeast Asia. A rich, readable reference tool, they offer extensive surveys of the history, structure, culture, legal context, and financing, as well as the progress, travails, and prospects, of political parties and electoral systems in 13 countries. The excellent introduction and the detailed country case studies demonstrate the wide range of political experiences in Asia. Rather than affirm the thesis of a common set of "Asian values" hostile to democracy, they show that in much of East and Southeast Asia, people want the political choice and accountability that come from free and fair electoral competition with open, effective political parties.

This second volume examines party structure and development in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

Some fledging democracies in the world have encountered setbacks due to political parties trying to grapple with the expectations of sophisticated electorates and introducing gradual political reforms over the years. This book describes how democracy is evolving in East Asia and how it assumes different forms in different countries, with political parties adapting and evolving alongside. It has a two-fold intent. First, it contends that the existing variety of party systems in East Asia will endure and may even flourish, rather than converge as liberal democracies. Second, it highlights the seeming political durability of one party systems — unlike two-part or multi-party systems in the US and Europe — and their enduring predominance in countries such as Cambodia, China, Singapore and Vietnam. Contents:Introduction (L F Lye & W Hofmeister)One Party System:Is Democratization Compatible with China's One-Party System? (Y-N Zheng & L F Lye)The Vietnamese Communist Party and Renovation (Doi Moi) in Vietnam (D L Thuy)One Party Dominant System:Cambodia: A Hegemonic Party System in the Making (S Peou)The People's Action Party and Political Liberalization in Singapore (K P Tan)The End of One-Party Dominance and Japan's Emergence as a “Common Democracy” (P E Lam)Multi-Party System:Thai Political Parties in the Age of the Great Divide (P Chachavalpongpun)Last Chapter of an Uneasy Partnership: The Loss of Jusuf Kalla in the 2009 Presidential Election (S Hadi)Political Parties and Party System in Korea after Democratization: Cartelized Party System and Oscillations Between Two Models (S-H Lim)Priorities for Philippine Political Parties: Mass Membership, Political Education, and Party Development Law (D T Gonzalez)Taiwan's Democratization and the Freezing of the Party System (H-Y Shyu)Two Key Stumbling Blocks for Hong Kong's Democratization: Personal Vote and Beijing's Policies (H Y Li) Readership: Students and academics studying and teaching political science and history, with particular emphasis on the Asian context; executives in the media and non-profit organizations, policy makers in governments and non-government organizations. Keywords:Democracy;Democratisation;Political Parties;Party Systems;East Asia;Civil Society;Non-Governmental Organizations;Multi-Party System;One-Party System;One-Party Dominant System;AuthoritarianismKey Features:Challenges predictable views of the development of party systems and political parties in East AsiaShowcases the prevailing historical, political and socioeconomic conditions of East Asian countriesReviews: “This is an impressive and comprehensive book. The case studies in this book also add credence to the thesis that a stable party system contributes to democratic consolidation.” Democratization

Assessing the trajectory of democratization in East Asia, this volume offers a systematic and tightly integrated analysis of party-system development in countries across the region. The authors utilize unprecedented cross-national survey data to examine the institutional structure of party systems, the range of choices these systems represent, and their connection to voting preferences. They also investigate the consequences of partisanship for citizen support of the democratic process. While revealing that party development in the region is still incomplete, the book highlights areas of progress as it explores the potential for enhanced representation.

Some fledging democracies in the world have encountered setbacks due to political parties trying to grapple with the expectations of sophisticated electorates and introducing gradual political reforms over the years.This book describes how democracy is evolving in East Asia and how it assumes different forms in different countries, with political parties adapting and evolving alongside. It has a two-fold intent. First, it contends that the existing variety of party systems in East Asia will endure and may even flourish, rather than converge as liberal democracies. Second, it highlights the seeming political durability of one party systems ? unlike two-part or multi-party systems in the US and Europe ? and their enduring predominance in countries such as Cambodia, China, Singapore and Vietnam.