Consolidating Democracy: Resilience and Challenges in Indonesia and South Korea

Description

This book assesses democratic resilience and challenges in (relatively) newly emerging democracies in the Asia-Pacific, which are simultaneously important case studies as newly emerging middle powers. Across all dimensions and measurements, South Korea and Indonesia are consistently the most salient case studies to consider. The two case studies are compared across three sections. First, the relationship between economic development and democratic resilience in Indonesia and South Korea. Second, nature of political culture and societal constructs in the two case studies. The final section looks at the potential peculiarities of the two case studies, which are seen as uniquely challenged: Indonesia by religious persecution and South Korea by political populism. Certainly, democratization is a long and difficult process. This book provides insight into how the two countries have embarked on similar democratization projects. It also delineates the successes and failures from which valuable lessons on democratization can be drawn. Contents List of Contributors Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables 1 Asian Democracy Introduction Case Selection Chapter Overview References 2 Overcoming Economic Stagnation: Indonesia’s Struggle Over Policy Reform in a New Democracy Introduction Theoretical Reviews Twin Crises and Reforming the Indonesian Economy The Private Sector and the Political Economy of the Reformasi Era Fundamental Problem of the Manufacturing Industry Jokowi and the Mission of Deregulation Concluding Remarks References 3 Democratic Resilience in the Midst of Economic Crisis: The Case of South Korea Introduction Dynamics Underpinning Korea’s Contentious but Continued Democracy Government Response to Economic Crisis (Asian Financial Crisis) Government Response to Economic Crisis (COVID-19 Pandemic) Cultural Factors Supporting Democracy What’s the Alternative? Concluding Remarks References 4 The Resilience of Democracy and Social Movements in Indonesia Introduction Social Movement and the State Workers’ Movements in Indonesia Encouraging Participatory Policy Formulation Participating in Electoral Politics Obstacles and Challenges Concluding Remarks Notes References 5 South Korea’s Progress in Dual Democratization: Social Conflict and Democratic Integration Introduction Democracy and Democratization The Korean Experience of Political Democratization The Korean Experience of Socio-Economic Democratization The Korean Experience of Socio-Cultural Democratization Concluding Remarks References 6 Strategizing Religious Oppression: Christianity and Indonesia’s Democracy Resilience Background A Flawed Democracy and Christianity-Muslim Tension Strategies Amidst the Oppression Challenges Within Internal Consolidation Concluding Note References 7 Populism: Does It Support or Undermine Democracy? A Case Study of Democratic Resilience in South Korea Introduction Background Debate Cultural Basis of Populism Interaction Between Authoritarian Regime and Populism The Dialectic of Modernization and Populism Democratic Resilience and Two Populist Movements Conceptual Design for Empirical Study Two Dimensions of Liberalism and Populism Two Populist Movements and Democratic Resilience Concluding Remarks References 8 An East Asian Democratic Miracle? Challenges and Resilience Introduction The Rise of the Asia-Pacific and East Asian Miracles Points of Comparison Conclusion References Index