Toward a Conceptual Framework on Democracy, National Identity, and Foreign Policy in Asia

Introduction

The optimism about democratization that rose sharply in the second half of the 1980s and stood strong in the 1990s has fallen to its nadir in 2018. There have been many post mortems at each stage of the descent: some have focused on the reversal of development in Russia and the lack of transition to democracy in many former Soviet republics; others have dwelt on the Middle East from the shatt..

Editorial Staff
October 24,2018

Democratization, National Identity, and Foreign Policy in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia presents social scientists with a laboratory for the analysis of the relationship between democratization, national identities, and the consequences for foreign policy behavior. Types of nationalism, modes of nation-building, ethnic makeup, colonial heritage, the structure of governing coalitions, the shape and extent of interest and civil society organizations as well as regim..

Aurel Croissant
Confucianism , defective democracy , Embedded democracy , nationalist outbidding , polyarchy , Sinocentrism
October 24,2018

The Mediating Role of National Identity in Democratization and Lessons from Post-Cold War Foreign Policy in Northeast Asia

Trade wars and security clashes are in the forefront across greater Asia, but we would be remiss to overlook the intensifying struggle over democratization as a factor in international relations. On the one side is China backed by Russia, both intent on foiling not only “color revolutions,” but also democratic processes in general. On the other is the United States, despite the re..

Gilbert Rozman
color revolutions , Confucianism , free and open Indo-Pacific , Primorskii Krai , Russocentrism , Sinocentrism
October 24,2018

The Chinese Model of Law, China’s Agenda in International Law, and Implications for Democracy in Asia and Beyond

A more influential Chinese model of law and approach to international law poses challenges for the rule of law’s contributions to democracy in other states, particularly in East Asia. These challenges stem in part from: the contrast between China’s paradigm for law’s place in domestic governance, and China’s positions on key international legal norms, and the more li..

Jacques deLisle
Beijing Consensus , China Model , Socialism with Chinese Characteristics , Washington Consensus
October 24,2018

Democratization in Asia: Lessons from the Americas

Democracy, or the concept of rule by the people, is the idea of a system of government where individual preferences become public policy. It is called “liberal democracy” when the system protects the rights of individuals. Democracy is valued for both moral and functional reasons. The moral base of democracy is that it gives humans freedom. It gives citizens the power to express ..

Louis Goodman
Beijing Consensus , Liberal democracy , Monroe Doctrine , OAS , Socialism with Chinese Characteristics , Washington Consensus