Behind the Facade
Subtitle: Elections under Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9781438462875
Subjects: Elections, asia; Authoritarianism; Cambodia, politics and government; Burma, politics and government; Singapore, politics and government
Description: Behind the Façade" examines the question of why authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia bother holding elections. Using comprehensive case studies of Cambodia, Myanmar, and Singapore, Lee Morgenbesser argues that elections allow authoritarian regimes to collect information, pursue legitimacy, manage political elites, and sustain neopatrimonial domination. He demonstrates how these functions are employed to manage the complex strategic interaction that occurs between dictators, political elites, and citizens. Far from being mere window dressing or even a precursor to democracy, flawed elections, Morgenbesser concludes, are paramount to the maintenance of authoritarian rule.