Political Change and Consolidation

This book explores the varying reactions to the political turmoil in Asia in the late 1990s by looking at external pressures from global actors (the IMF and US security policy), popular protests, the nature of the opposition, and elite coalition formation/dissolution at the highest levels of government.

"Amy L. Freedman s book Political Change and Consolidation is an informed and insightful exploration of the dynamics of democratization in the four East Asian countries most affected by the 1997-1998 regional economic crisis. Her comparative analysis is solidly grounded in democratic theory and political economy. The study, while acknowledging the roles of popular protest and forces originating in civil society, identifies intra-political elite perceptions and preferences as the key to explaining the policy reactions of four sets of national decision makers to the domestic and international political pressures generated by economic collapse. In particular, she focuses on the domestic political impacts of the IMF s demands and programs to demonstrate the potency of the international factor in shaping both the pace and the possibilities of consolidation of democratic change." - Donald E. Weatherbee, Donald S. Russell Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of South Carolina"Amy L. Freedman has written a subtle and sophisticated analysis of the relationship between economic turmoil and the democratization process. Through detailed case analysis, she has demonstrated that no single theory will explain the different paths that Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea experienced after the 1997 financial crisis." - David Denoon, Professor of Politics and Economics, New York University"The book is clearly written and has concise historical overviews of each state's path toward democracy... Recommended." - CHOICE

AMY L. FREEDMAN is an Assistant Professor of Government and Chair of Asian Studies at Franklin & Marshall College.