The countries of Southeast Asia, most of which won their independence after World War II, have had varying degrees of success in establishing governments and political systems that have achieved political legitimacy in the eyes of their citizens. Because these countries have much in common and at the same time differ in important ways - with their political arrangements varying from Leninist state to monarchy, personal dictatorship to quasi-democracy - they offer what might be considered a naturally occurring political science experiment. This book studies political legitimacy in seven Southeast Asian countries - Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Among the questions it addresses are: what is the meaning and nature of legitimacy? what are its constituent elements? on what basis is authority claimed, acknowledged, resisted? why do legitimation projects succeed or fail? It presents specific conclusions on political legitimacy in Southeast Asia and provides a framework for the study of political legitimation in other countries.
Muthiah Alagappa is Distinguished Senior Fellow at the East-West Center. He is the editor of Asian Security Order: Instrumental and Normative Features (Stanford, 2003), Coercion and Governance: The Declining Political Role of the Military in Asia (Stanford, 2001), Asian Security Practice: Material and Ideational Influences (Stanford, 1998), and Political Legitimacy in Southeast Asia: The Quest for Moral Authority (Stanford, 1995).
Contributors A note on Thai and Vietnamese names Introduction Muthiah Alagappa Part I. Legitimacy: Explication and Elaboration: 1. The anatomy of legitimacy Muthiah Alagappa 2. The bases of legitimacy Muthiah Alagappa 3. Contestation and crisis Muthiah Alagappa Part II. Legitimacy: Case Studies: 4. Malaysia: aspects and audiences of legitimacy William Case 5. Singapore: political legitimacy through managing conformity Cho-Oon Khong 6. The Philippines: the languages of legitimation John T. Sidel 7. Burma: the depoliticization of the political Chaeo-Tzang Yawnghwe 8. Thailand: the evolution of legitimacy Saitip Sukatipan 9. Indonesia: historicizing the New Order's legitimacy dilemma Mochtar Pabottingi 10. Vietnam: the changing models of legitimation Thaveeporn Vasavakul Part III. Conclusion and Observations: 11. Seeking a more durable basis of authority Muthiah Alagappa Notes Bibliography Index.
"An important contribution to reflection on legitimacy and democratization as well as to the study of Southeast Asian politics... The book aids our grasp of the problem of legitimacy, and carefully details the way in which it is being played out in one part of the world." - Journal of Democracy
