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

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1993). On the other hand, Singapore, too, had a brief period of democracy, but much later, during the mid1960s. Under rule of the British it was guided toward democratic institutions, joining the Malaysian Federation in 1963, but declaring its independence from Malaysia in 1965. However, in order to stabilize the country and suppress dissent, the leading party the PAP took control in 1968 and has not allowed any significant opposition since that time. For Malaysia, the situation was somewhat different. As Ichimura and Morley (1993) noted, it, too, began as a democracy guided by British principles. It had a constitutional monarchy and an elected parliament. Although Ichimura and Morley indicate that its solution was quite different from that of Singapore, it actually seems to have some similarities. In Singapore, the PAP established ascendance, detained or coopted the opposition and maintained its power. In Malaysia, too, an alliance of forces, including the Malay, Chinese, and Indian political/ethnic parties has established a hegemonic control over the country, while also suppressing dissent, sometimes quite violently. Within Malaysia, there has been more emphasis on suppression than on democratization from the begin

Category: Economics - E