Political Development in Pacific Asia

This book provides a clear and accessible account of political and economic development in Pacific Asia. Adopting a comparative and historical approach, it examines the factors behind the 'East Asian Miracle' which has transformed the economies and societies of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Political Development in Pacific Asia begins by examining the traditional forms of political culture which prevailed in Pacific Asia and which affected, in various ways, post-colonial political development in the region. Subsequent chapters examine the growth strategies pursued by high-performing economies of East Asia and the implications of rapid growth for democratization and civil society. The final chapter explores the place of these economies in a rapidly changing regional and international order.

While Jones gives due attention to the remarkable achievements of the high-performing economies of East Asia, he also addresses the social and political costs of this rapid, state-managed growth. The result is a balanced and nuanced account of political and economic development in Pacific Asia which will be invaluable for students and scholars alike.

Introduction.

1. Political Culture and Political Development in Pacific Asia: the Evolution of the Developmental State.

2. The State They're In: the Political Economy of Pacific Asia.

3. Democratization, Civil Society and the Pacific Asian Nouveaux Riches.

4. Living in Interesting Times: International Relations in the Asia Pacific.

Conclusion.

Bibliography.

Index.

"Jones has written a sophisticated and up-to-the-minute account of the realities of the Pacific Rim, an area that cannot be understood without attending to the cultural traditions he deals with in his first chapter. Just the book for students and businessmen alike, for all who need to get a focus on the countries of the Pacific Rim - culturally mysterious, but economically and politically all too much a part of our world." Kenneth Minogue, The London School of Economics and Political Science

"A most impressive study distinguished by the depth and clarity of its grasp of the distinctiveness of the region's political cultures. The difference this makes is most strikingly apparent in his brilliant, revisionist chapter on the political significance of the new middle classes." Professor Tony Woodiwiss, University of Essex

"David Martin Jones clearly explains the distinctive precepts and practice of state power in North and South-East Asia and how, after the Cold War, it is the relations between these states that are most in question. His knowledge is wide, his arguments persuasive. This is an impressively comprehensive and reliable introduction to confusing and much contested issues." Geoffrey Hawthorn, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge

David Martin Jones is a political scientist, writer and commentator based in the UK and Australia. His research tackles thorny questions of statecraft, conscience and threat. This book provides a clear and accessible account of political and economic development in Pacific Asia. Adopting a comparative and historical approach, it examines the factors behind the 'East Asian Miracle' which has transformed the economies and societies of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Political Development in Pacific Asia begins by examining the traditional forms of political culture which prevailed in Pacific Asia and which affected, in various ways, post-colonial political development in the region. Subsequent chapters examine the growth strategies pursued by high-performing economies of East Asia and the implications of rapid growth for democratization and civil society. The final chapter explores the place of these economies in a rapidly changing regional and international order.

While Jones gives due attention to the remarkable achievements of the high-performing economies of East Asia, he also addresses the social and political costs of this rapid, state-managed growth. The result is a balanced and nuanced account of political and economic development in Pacific Asia which will be invaluable for students and scholars alike.