Decoupling governance and democracy: The problem of authoritarian improvement in Southeast Asia | Brookings

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A wealth of latest educational analyses and standard discussions about democratic backsliding the world over have recognized Southeast Asia as a area that’s notably susceptible to democratic decline. Taking inventory of the comparative experiences of the 11 international locations within the area, this essay argues that Southeast Asia is characterised by the decoupling of governance and regime sort: there may be little proof that democracy is related to the standard of governance, nonetheless measured, throughout international locations or over time. Furthermore, there isn’t a proof of region-wide democratic erosion in Southeast Asia, in both the quick or the medium time period.

These findings have implications for understanding how the so-called Beijing mannequin of authoritarian capitalism is shaping the area. The problem of authoritarian improvement has a protracted historical past in Southeast Asia, and the Chinese language progress expertise is however the newest instance of an authoritarian developmentalist regime that challenges the prevalence of democracy for producing a steady platform for financial progress. China’s financial insurance policies and diplomatic actions don’t instantly encourage authoritarian capitalism or incentivize international locations to comply with a specific nationwide political or financial mannequin. As a substitute, its affect is oblique, in keeping with a standard emphasis throughout the area on a comparatively small set of points in financial improvement, construed as a technocratic or managerial downside quite than an issue of democratic politics.

Relatively than making an attempt to “re-couple” democracy and accountability inside Southeast Asia, advocates for higher governance and democracy in Southeast Asia ought to acknowledge that the 2 could also be pursued individually. This implies, first, a slim deal with what accountable governance would possibly imply in less-than-democratic settings. Second, quite than mounting an argument that democracy produces accountability and efficient governance, advocates ought to defend democracy as a course of and mechanism by means of which to assist particular person rights, liberties, and freedoms. These could also be improved even below regimes that don’t oversee meaningfully aggressive elections, and even when they don’t enhance governance outcomes in electoral democracies.