Political development in Pacific Asia / David Martin Jones.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Political Culture and Political Development in Pacific Asia: The Evolution of the Developmental State. Classical Pacific Asian understandings of political identity. The metamorphoses of tradition in post-colonial political development. The reinvention of tradition and the problem of development -- 2. The State They're In: The Political Economy of Pacific Asia. The Japanese model. The political economy of Northeast Asia. A tale of two cities: Hong Kong and Singapore. Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia: ersatz capitalism in Southeast Asia. The overseas Chinese and ersatz capitalism in Southeast Asia. The difficulty of Asia Pacific economic cooperation in the new world trading order. Conclusion: cooperation versus protectionism in the Pacific Basin -- 3. Democratization, Civil Society and the Pacific Asian Nouveaux Riches. The middle-class culture of dependency in contemporary Pacific Asia. Maintaining the balance: state strategy towards the illiberal middle class in Pacific Asia.

Conclusion: democratization and its discontents -- 4. Living in Interesting Times: International Relations in the Asia Pacific. Pacific Asia and the Cold War, 1950-1992. The problematic balance of power in Pacific Asia in the post-Cold War era. Conclusion.

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.