The East Asian Developmental State Model― Its Relevance in the Contemporary World ?―GRIPS Development Forum
August 7, 2023
Yumi Horikane
Meiji University

Outline of the Presentation
1. Concept of the Developmental State
1-1. Origin of the concept
1-2. Development of the model

2. Current Arguments: Durability and Applicability
3. Developmental States in the era of democratic
backsliding21. Concept of the Developmental State
1-1. Origin: The Japanese Miracle
GDP Growth of G5
USAJapan
1980

2000

(West) Germany
UKFrance1967
1967(drawn by Horikane based on Word Dev’t Indicators 2015)3

GDP per capita Growth of G5USA(West) Germany
FranceUKJapan

日本

1987

1960

2015

1960
1980

1987

2000

(by Horikane based on WDI 2015)
4

Chalmers Johnson (1982), MITI and the Japanese Miracle
Role of the state was different: Regulatory vs Developmental
Japanese Model of the Developmental State
1. Existence of a small, inexpensive, but elite bureaucracy
staffed by the best managerial talent available in the system
2. A political system in which the bureaucracy is given sufficient
scope to take initiatives and operate effectively
3. Perfection of market-conforming methods of state intervention
in the economy
No discussion aboutauthoritarianism
4. A pilot organization like MITI⇒⇒ applied to Korea and Taiwan first, and then to others as well
51-2. Development of the model: The East Asian Developmental States
Major components of the Developmental State (DS) Model- theorized mostly based on the East Asian experience in order
to explain their state-led & sustained high growth with equity
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

A determined developmental elite
A powerful, competent and insulated econ. bureaucracy
Relative autonomy of the elite & the state institutions
Strong states and weak/repressed civil society
authoritarianism
Effective management of non-state econ. interests
public-private connectedness/embedded autonomy
Issue of democracy
Repression and legitimacy by (good econ.) performance
External threats(Leftwich 1995 and others)6

DS and Democratization
Growth & Development!

Living standard ↑South Korea,
Taiwan・・・

regime’s legitimacy ↑Education ↑Desire for more
freedom ＆ democracy

Democrat-ization
7

GDP per Capita Growth in Asian Countries

Singapore1993

1997

Japan
Hong Kong

South Korea

Malaysia
ThailandIndonesia
Philippines

8(by Horikane based on WDI 2014)

Growth of GDP per capita in 6 selected countries
South Korea

BrazilMexico

1960

Nigeria
India
Kenya
2015
(by Horikane based on WDI 2015)9

2. Current arguments related to the DS
1. Durability of the model- Some of them are now matured democracies, while others
are still authoritarian.
- Are they, or can they be, still developmental?
- What about the role of the state in the economy, or policy
orientation?
2. Issue of the applicability- Is the model applicable in the contemporary world?
3. Issue of democracy vs. authoritarianism
103. Developmental States in the era of democratic backsliding?
- In most of the successful DS in East Asia, the heydays of themwere under some authoritarian regime(s) within the context of theCold War.
- Some of them were democratized afterwards in the Third Wave ofDemocratization (Huntington 1991).

- Now in the days of democratic backsliding, or de-democratization,and revision of too much “free market,” is the environment goodagain for new DS?
11

Growing GDP per capita in some Asian and African countries (1)China

Botswana

Bangladesh
India
Myanmar
RwandaEthiopia
Zimbabwe(by Horikane based on WDI 2023)

12

Growing GDP per capita in some Asian and African countries (2)VietnamBangladesh
India
Zimbabwe
Myanmar
Ethiopia
RwandaLow Income, average(by Horikane based on WDI 2019(by Horikane based on WDI 2023)
13

QUESTION:
What will happen to these global south countries in
the coming years?

Thank you for listening!
14