New democracy and autocratization in Asia

Abstract

The 2008 financial crisis and, more recently, the COVID–19 pandemic are the hallmarks of the ‘new normal’: long-term recession and economic inequality. These crises have challenged the stability of democratic institutions and enabled an expansion of state power. From populist movements to coups d’état, democracies in Asia and across the world have been in decline, while ‘autocratization’ has been gaining momentum. Will the ongoing erosion of democracy lead to an increase in authoritarian systems? Or will it compel existing democratic systems to improve and consequently (further) consolidate their popularity? These are critical questions discussed in Kuyoun Chung and Wonbin Cho's edited volume, New democracy and autocratization in Asia. While mainstream comparative politics relies on regular, free and fair elections and other procedure-oriented indicators in order to assess the quality of democracies, this volume demands a more comprehensive understanding. The editors propose the concept of ‘new democracy’, through which the contributors consider the procedural quality of democracy and its results. The introductory chapter extensively covers the literature on minimalist and maximalist definitions of democracy, and the editors opt for the latter, which relates ‘the political system to the social context that encompasses the economy and environment’ (p. 3). In particular, the volume highlights the importance of guaranteeing ‘that all individuals have equal influence on the political process’ (p. 34). This approach is echoed in the chapters that discuss the importance of women's representation, income inequality and welfare systems in assessing the sustainability of Asian democracies.