Publisher's Synopsis
What does democracy look like in Pacific Asia? Can democratic governance in the region survive the challenges of corruption, violence, and soft authoritarianism? What impact are economic pressures likely to have? These are among the broad questions tackled in ""Pacific Asia in Quest of Democracy"", a comparative study of democratic structures and practices in Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Roland Rich offers an original approach to a series of traditional topics: the institutions and legal underpinnings of democracy, the roles of political parties and politicians, the significance of a changing political culture. He also draws on his long experience living and working in the region to explore the public conversations taking place and the media that facilitates them. His elegantly written work suggests that, although the countries of Pacific Asia lack a long democratic tradition, much more significant are the innovative democratic design and the enthusiasm for democratic participation exhibited there.
