Suchergebnisse

"The current combination of electoral systems in the Philippines essentially guarantees the perpetuation of weak and incoherent political parties. As long as parties are weak and lacking in coherence, the primary focus of political contention is much more likely to be on patronage and pork than on policies and programs. As political reformers seek to address these fundamental problems of the Philippine polity, there is no better place to start than through a well-constructed set of changes to the electoral system. In this volume, expert contributors survey major types of electoral systems found throughout the world, explain their powerful influence on both democratic quality and development outcomes, and explore the comparative political dynamics of reform processes. A recurring theme is the virtue of a mixed electoral system involving some element of closed-list proportional representation -- known internationally as one of the most effective means of building stronger and more coherent political parties. This, in turn, can be expected to encourage the emergence of a more policy-oriented (and less patronage-driven) polity"--Publisher's website

By any metric, COVID-19 has disrupted Southeast Asia immensely, affecting even those countries that have fared comparatively well. Master narratives of the course of the pandemic across the region have been inescapable: which countries sprang into action and which lost time in denial or dithering; which implemented testing and contact-tracing and which remain short on tests and strategies even now; where the death toll and economic costs have been devastating and where they have not been quite so terrible.... Local actors can mobilize to implement, amplify, or subvert official directives from the centre. And it is at the local level where we observe the biggest gaps between aspirations and outcomes, as health workers deal with patients and communities, and workers and businesses struggle with the economic repercussions of the pandemic.The essays that follow aim to deepen understanding of the politics of the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia, specifically in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, shifting from the national level and instead looking closely at experiences in 13 urban centres across the region. ...Contemp Southeast Asia / GIGA)

The travails of promoting peace and prosperity in Mindanao / Paul D. Hutchcroft -- Can the gains be sustained? assessing the first five years of the Aquino administration / Ronald D. Holmes -- War and peace in Muslim Mindanao / Patricio N. Abinales -- The role of international actors in the search for peace in Mindanao / Steven Rood -- Forging a peace settlement for the Bangsamoro / Miriam Coronel Ferrer -- Building the Bangsamoro government / Abhoud Syed M. Lingga -- The Mamasapano detour / Edilberto C. de Jesus, Melinda Quintos de Jesus -- Human development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao / Toby C. Monsod -- The shadow economy and strongman rule in Mindanao / Francisco J. Lara, Jr