The volatile and uncertain future of democracies in Asia

This chapter is the introductionary chapter to address the problematique of this book and set up the framework of typological analysis. First, the emerging democracies of Asia are facing many new challenges in nation-building which have given rise to different types of democratic regimes with unique features. This chapter argues the unique characteristics of Asian democracies mean that in the future democracy is likely to develop in ways that are different from how it has developed in Europe and America and to be more diverse and dynamic. Second, regarding the underlying mechanism of comparative studies among Asian democracies, this chapter aims to tackle the crucial issue of the future of democracy in Asia by recognizing its volatile nature. The course of democratization as experienced by various Asian states has indeed been unpredictable and it is likely to continue that way. The typological approach is an effort to convey how democratization has been pursued in different Asian countries over the past decade or so. This chapter identifies four discernible types of democracy: (1) democracies that are being consolidated, such as Taiwan and South Korea; (2) precarious democracies, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines; (3) states that are experiencing setbacks and a retreat from democracy, like Thailand and Myanmar; and (4) states that are still resisting democracy, in this case, China. Apart from demonstrating typological analysis as the conceptual framework of this book, this introductory chapter further summarizes the highlight of each chapter included in this book.