The new political economy of Southeast Asia / edited by Rajah Rasiah, Johannes Dragsbaek Schmidt.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Rajah Rasiah and Johannes Dragsbaek Schmidt -- Industrialization in the second-tier NIEs / Rajah Rasiah -- The 1997 economic crisis, reform and Southeast Asian growth / Chris Dixon -- Revisiting shared growth and examining horizontal inequality / Anis Chowdhury and Iyanatul Islam -- Industrial relations and labour market conditions / Rene Ofreneo and Peter Wad -- Urban and industrial environmental reform in Southeast Asia / David A. Sonnenfield and Arthur P.J. Mol -- Civil society and distributional conflicts in Southeast Asia / Johannes Dragsbaek Schmidt -- Rationale for free trade agreements (FTAs) in Southeast Asia / Sanchita Basu Das and Aekapol Chongvilaivan.

This well-researched book examines the dramatic transformation of Southeast Asian countries from agricultural and mining economies to industrial nations. In doing so, it explores the effects of development policy on a number of interdisciplinary issues, and the emergence of new social and political pressures created by industrialization. These include their heightened vulnerability to complex economic crises, their use of sophisticated instruments in the labour process and increased awareness of environmental issues. The distinguished authors present a regional and cross-border focus on transnational actors and institutions, and the policy issues and problems which have a wider impact on spatial configurations in the region. This insightful study will appeal to researchers, academics and policymakers working on the economics and development of Southeast Asia.