Search results

The U.S. and the EU employ sanctions to encourage regime change in Burma. This policy ignores serious problems of state capacity that impede a transition to democracy and would plague any transitional regime. Engagement with the current regime on issues of state capacity would improve the chances for a transition.

Although democratization in Thailand is often seen as an illustration of modernization theory, the extent of middle class support for democracy is actually unclear. The greatest advance for Thai democracy in the 1990s was the passage of the 1997 Constitution, more closely linked to economic globalization than modernization.

Argues that "the state" has more potential for protecting human rights, human security, and international peace than alternative political systems, despite examples of state failure.

Though often touted as promoting positive attributes, here, it is contended that Asian values erode human rights & democracy. Of particular interest are the Confucian Asian values that exist in Singapore. Not only has the government of Singapore forced Confucian values on its own people, it has actively attempted to promote them in other parts of Asia, particularly in the People's Republic of China. When further explored, it becomes evident that the Confucian values system Singapore is promoting has little to do with the traditional customs of the Asian peoples. Instead, Singapore's government has used Confucian ethics & shared values for political & ideological advancement. The government of Singapore has found an ally in Anglo-American political scientists who have oversimplified Asian culture & ignored the way in which democracy & human rights should be applied cross-culturally. Though Singapore appears to be in a good position to accept democracy in the near future, the Asian values argument has allowed Singapore's government to deny its people political & civil rights. If democracy is to truly emerge in Singapore, this practice must stop. K. A. Larsen

Critics claim that lack of professionalism among Afghan provincial leaders undermines the government's legitimacy, creating opportunities for the insurgency. Data on provincial governors show that those most effective at deterring insurgent attacks tend to have qualities associated with "warlords" rather than professionalism. Decentralization could harness these characteristics to improve governance.