Democracy and Authoritarianism in Indonesia and Malaysia: The Rise of the Post-Colonial State FROM THE PUBLISHER
The fact that the Malaysian state has managed to maintain a relatively democratic regime, while an authoritarian regime came to power in Indonesia has never been the focus of historical and comparative analysis despite certain cultural, social, and historical affinities between these two countries. This study looks at how the interplay of three factors, that is, elite cohesion, internal state strength and armed resistance, led to two different outcomes: authoritarian and democratic post-colonial states in Indonesia and Malaysia respectively. The historical background is presented to assess the impact of colonialism on pre-capitalist society in these two colonies. This provides the context in which to understand the development of the Indonesian and Malaysian states in terms of differences in the degree of elite cohesion, state strength, and the nature of urban and rural resistance against the state. In this way two different paths to state forms can be mapped.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Malaysian national Alatas (sociology, National U. of Singapore) investigates why Malaysia has managed to maintain a relatively democratic regime since independence while Indonesia has long suffered under an authoritarian regime. He looks at the interplay of elite cohesion, internal state strength, and armed resistance to the state in the context of historical differences, especially the impact of colonialism on pre-capitalist society. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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