Patterns of Civilian Control of the Military in East Asia's New Democracies

Bibliographic Data

ID12847644
AuthorsAurel Croissant (0000-0001-9927-3241, corresponding author), David Kuehn (0000-0003-2593-0194)
Year2009
Volume9
Issue2
Pages187-217
Publication date2009-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of East Asian Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1598-2408 • E-ISSN: 2234-6643
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1598240800002988
OpenAlexW2107267111
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited45

Successful institutionalization of civilian control of the military is a necessary condition for the consolidation of democracy. This is particularly relevant for East Asia, where the military used to be a key player in the previous authoritarian regimes. This article analyzes the changes, advances, and setbacks in achieving civilian control in five countries that have made the transition from authoritarian to democratic rule: Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The empirical analysis is built on a conception of civilian control that distinguishes three areas of political decisionmaking: political recruitment and overall public policymaking, national defense, and internal security. The study shows that only in Taiwan and South Korea have civilians succeeded in curtailing military influence in politics. In contrast, in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, the military has shown itself more or less resilient in guarding its prerogatives in the postauthoritarian era. This seriously impedes the democratically elected authorities' effective power to govern in these countries and has led to democratic deterioration in Thailand and the Philippines. The article highlights three arguments to account for the profound difference between the cases: historical legacies of authoritarian rule and the path of democratic transition, the internal security role of the military, and the relationship between development and democratic consolidation

Authoritarianism · China · Consolidation (business · Democracy · Democratic consolidation · Democratization · Development economics · East Asia · Economics · Institutionalisation · Military rule · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Asian Studies and History · Law · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies