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Economic Development and Democratization

Economic Development and Democratization

Early development theory held certain tenets to be truths about how development was to proceed in countries that were not yet industrialized. The assumption was, for example, that the first priority was to create infrastructure, such as roads, dams, and airports, to support an industrial economy. Development theory has been refined, and in some instances changed, as the development process has proceeded in a number of different types of countries around the world. There are still some principles that are basic tenets of traditional development theory. One of these is the idea that population growth tends to fall as development increases and per capita income rises. Another is the belief that economic development promotes democratization. The focus in this paper is on East Asian development and whether development in several countries in that region of the world has promoted democratization or not.

The main focus in this study is on the experience of Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These are very different countries. Singapore had been managed by the British for many years before it was given its independence. Thailand long experienced rule by a king. Malaysia and Indonesia have large Muslim populations. Yet in some respects, each started from the same basic position. They were all occupied by the Japanese during World War II, experiencing much hardship. The latter three have all experienced considerable political turmoil, including internal movements of rebellion. Interestingly enough, according to both Chan (1993) and Ebrey (1991), all are also essentially led economically by Chinese elites, which are economically dominant in ways that do not represent their numbers in the population, except for Singapore. According to both authors, the heritage of Confucianism may have served the Chinese well by providing them with characteristics that enabled them to suc...

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Economic Development and Democratization. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 07:31, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1691939.html