Liberalism, Democracy, And Development

Sylvia Chan examines the claim that liberal democracy on the Western model is the paradigm to which developing countries should aspire to provide good governance and economic success. The success of some countries, notably in Asia, which do not conform to that model has led many to question that link. Chan argues that these successful developing nations have enjoyed the economic and social liberties necessary to encourage economic development, without the need to adopt the formal democratic institutions and cultural values of the West. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 9 Abbreviations 11 Introduction 13 Yet another book on ‘liberal democracy’? 13 Isn’t it true anyway that the financial crisis of 1997–8 put an end to the ‘Asian miracle’? 15 1 The question: is ‘liberal democracy’ good for economic development? 22 1.1 The context 25 1.2 The pro-‘liberal democracy’and anti-‘liberal democracy’ camps: situating the democracy–development debate within the... 34 1.3 Focusing on the democracy–development connection 39 1.4 Focusing on Asia 42 Part I The present context of democratisation and decomposing ‘liberal democracy’ 49 2 Decomposing ‘liberal democracy’ 51 2.1 ‘Economic’, ‘civil’ and ‘political’ liberties 51 2.2 The three-fold architecture 56 2.3 A summary of points 64 2.4 Advantages of the new framework 65 3 Democratisation: between the ‘liberal’ and the ‘democratic’ 69 3.1 The possibilities, limits and conditions of democracy: the three stages of theorising on democratisation and the five... 71 3.1.1 ‘Pre-conditions’ 71 3.1.2 ‘Political crafting’ 74 3.1.3 ‘Structured contingency’ 80 3.1.4 Five types of limiting factors 82 3.2 Thinking in terms of ‘converging’ and ‘diverging’ forces and noting their effect on the ‘liberal’ and ‘democratic’... 89 3.2.1 ‘Global’, international forces 90 3.2.2 Institutions and the state as the ‘mediator’ of international forces 100 3.2.3 The effect of more historically particular forces 105 3.3 Further differentiating these forces 111 Par t II The democracy–development debate: old problem, new thinking 125 4 Constructing an empirical explanation 129 4.1 Macro vs micro 129 4.2 Using cases to explain 137 4.3 Using the Asian cases to explain the democracy–development connection 139 5 The democracy–development debate reconsidered 142 5.1 Some preliminary points 142 5.2 The ‘goodness’ of ‘liberal democracy’ for economic development 144 5.2.1 The conditions: ‘security’, ‘stability’, ‘openness and information’ 144 5.2.2 Unpacking further 157 5.3 The counter-argument: ‘trade-off’ 166 5.3.1 The connection with authoritarianism 166 5.3.2 Explaining the Asian success: free market, developmental state, state autonomy, authoritarianism 182 5.4 Between the two sides 200 6 Reconstructing an explanation of the Asian success 203 6.1 Setting the agenda I: towards a more inclusionary institutionalism 203 6.2 Setting the agenda II: a different mix of liberties and a different set of institutions–institutionalisation of... 211 6.3 Setting the agenda III: achieving ‘security’, ‘stability’ and ‘openness and information’ in Japan and the East Asian NICs 224 6.4 Towards a wider conception of state strength 231 6.5 The democracy–development relationship in the Asian case 240 7 Conclusion: moving beyond the question of ‘liberal democracy’ 242 7.1 Summarising 242 7.2 Towards a new Asian model? 247 Bibliography 249 Index 283 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Abbreviations......Page 11 Yet another book on ‘liberal democracy’?......Page 13 Isn’t it true anyway that the financial crisis of 1997–8 put an end to the ‘Asian miracle’?......Page 15 1 The question: is ‘liberal democracy’ good for economic development?......Page 22 1.1 The context......Page 25 1.2 The pro-‘liberal democracy’and anti-‘liberal democracy’ camps: situating the democracy–development debate within the.........Page 34 1.3 Focusing on the democracy–development connection......Page 39 1.4 Focusing on Asia......Page 42 Part I The present context of democratisation and decomposing ‘liberal democracy’......Page 49 2.1 ‘Economic’, ‘civil’ and ‘political’ liberties......Page 51 2.2 The three-fold architecture......Page 56 2.3 A summary of points......Page 64 2.4 Advantages of the new framework......Page 65 3 Democratisation: between the ‘liberal’ and the ‘democratic’......Page 69 3.1.1 ‘Pre-conditions’......Page 71 3.1.2 ‘Political crafting’......Page 74 3.1.3 ‘Structured contingency’......Page 80 3.1.4 Five types of limiting factors......Page 82 3.2 Thinking in terms of ‘converging’ and ‘diverging’ forces and noting their effect on the ‘liberal’ and ‘democratic’.........Page 89 3.2.1 ‘Global’, international forces......Page 90 3.2.2 Institutions and the state as the ‘mediator’ of international forces......Page 100 3.2.3 The effect of more historically particular forces......Page 105 3.3 Further differentiating these forces......Page 111 Par t II The democracy–development debate: old problem, new thinking......Page 125 4.1 Macro vs micro......Page 129 4.2 Using cases to explain......Page 137 4.3 Using the Asian cases to explain the democracy–development connection......Page 139 5.1 Some preliminary points......Page 142 5.2.1 The conditions: ‘security’, ‘stability’, ‘openness and information’......Page 144 5.2.2 Unpacking further......Page 157 5.3.1 The connection with authoritarianism......Page 166 5.3.2 Explaining the Asian success: free market, developmental state, state autonomy, authoritarianism......Page 182 5.4 Between the two sides......Page 200 6.1 Setting the agenda I: towards a more inclusionary institutionalism......Page 203 6.2 Setting the agenda II: a different mix of liberties and a different set of institutions–institutionalisation of.........Page 211 6.3 Setting the agenda III: achieving ‘security’, ‘stability’ and ‘openness and information’ in Japan and the East Asian NICs......Page 224 6.4 Towards a wider conception of state strength......Page 231 6.5 The democracy–development relationship in the Asian case......Page 240 7.1 Summarising......Page 242 7.2 Towards a new Asian model?......Page 247 Bibliography......Page 249 Index......Page 283 Many commentators have assumed a close connection between liberal democracy and economic development. In this book, Sylvia Chan questions this assumption and suggests a new theoretical framework, in which liberal democracy is'decomposed'into economic, civil and political dimensions that can be combined in different ways, allowing for a range of'institutional matrices'. She then shows, in a case study of Japan and the Asian newly industrialising countries, how these seemingly less democratic countries have enjoyed a unique mix of economic, civil and political liberties which have encouraged economic development, without the need to share the institutional structures and cultural values of the West. Chan's model therefore provides a re-evaluation of the institutional capacities needed to sustain a competitive economy in a globalising world, and develops a more sophisticated understanding of the democracy-development connection. "Many commentators have assumed a close connection between liberal democracy and economic development. Sylvia Chan questions this assumption and suggests a new theoretical framework, in which liberal democracy is 'decomposed' into economic, civil, and political dimensions that can be combined in different ways, allowing for a range of 'institutional matrices'. She then shows, in a case study of Japan and the Asian newly industrialising countries, how these seemingly less democratic countries have enjoyed a unique mix of economic, civil and political liberties which have encouraged economic development without the need to share the institutional structures and cultural values of the West. Chan's model therefore provides a re-evaluation of the institutional capacities needed to sustain a competitive economy in a globalising world, and develops a more sophisticated understanding of the democracy-development connection."--Jacket Chan examines the claim that developing countries should aspire to the Western model of liberal democracy for good governance and economic success. She argues that these successful developing nations have enjoyed the economic and social liberties necessary to encourage economic development, without adopting the institutions and values of the West