PPA - Authoritarianism Flashcards
What is the main argument?
That democracy is not unpopular as an idea but strict regime control has prevented it from taking root
How can we prove this and which thinker backs this up?
Regimes use pretences of democracy for legitimacy, Gandhi and Lust-Okar show that regimes survive longer with pretence of elections
What is Lipset’s original formulation of modernisation theory?
that socio-economic development sets off an array of profound social changes, urbanisation, industrialisation, wealth, education, that come together to produce democracy
which four theories explain why this doesn’t apply to Singapore and Malaysia?
Schedler - Menu of Manipulation, Slater - state-building, Case - Inter-elite relationships, Rodan - Middle Classes
what do restrictive party laws do?
limit voter choice
what do restrictive media laws?
limit formation of preference
what do corruption and vote buying do?
limit expression of preference
how are consequences of choice manipulated?
electoral results are extremely disproportionate
How does the Menu of Manipulation help?
array of institutional restrictions allow the regime to embark upon a path of risk-free democracy
What is the largest amount of seats not won by PAP in Singapore and when?
6 in 2011
in 2013 Barisan got 60% of seats but with how much of the vote?
47%
what encouraged state building in Singapore and Malaysia according to Slater, and where did they come from?
Radicalised labour movements that stemmed out of the resistance to Japanese Occupation
when and why did UMNO impose martial law?
In 1969 due to leftists riots stemming from turbulent class and ethnic relations
What methods did PAP use to prevent leftist threat?
Political coercion and systematic arrests against communists, in party and outside
Which event does Slater believe led to the authoritarian style of government in Singapore?
Failed attempt at incorporation into Malaysia, 1963-65
As a result of leftist threat, what do both parties have?
Huge economic powers (from compulsory contributions) and coercive powers (police forces built to combat leftist threat)
Why does case think democracy hasn’t been popular?
Inter-elite relations and conflicts
How does Case’s argument apply to Singapore?
The state made business elites but then incorporated them in bureaucracy and party, making them indifferent to democracy?
What kind of entrepreneurship is present in Singapore, and where else has the nation got money from?
Public-sector entrepreneurship and they get money from direct investment from TNCs
How does Case’s argument apply to Malaysia?
ethnically segmented elites, Malays rely on UMNO for employment, Chinese rely on UMNO for their own private businesses
What did the New Economic Policy (NEP) do and how was it affected by the economy?
NEP promoted Malay business, but the price of petroleum crashing in the 1980s meant that patronage had to be reined in. This isolated both ethnic groups, but economy recovered and calls for democracy disappeared
What is Rodan’s argument?
that the middle classes in these countries are not the propellers of democracy
Apply Rodan’s argument to Singapore?
the state is a middle-class state, private business is dominated by foreign companies, meaning that the roots for success are through meritocratic (not nepotistic) public sector
Apply Rodan’s argument to Malaysia
Middle Class shaped partly by economic development, and partly by state (promotion of Malays due to NEP). Middle Class not unified, majority Malays favoured hugely, thus supporters of regime
Finally, generally why is socioeconomic modernisation not likely to change anything in Singapore and Malaysia?
Singapore can hardly get more developed, more money is unlikely to do anything. Ethnic tensions will not disappear with financial resources, especially when one group is favoured so much
