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This collection presents a varied picture of the state of democracy in Asia, revealing unique findings from a project entitled the ´Asia Democracy Initiative´ which explored the role of ordinary people in democratization through the rise of expressive social values in Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand.

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1. Introduction; Giovanna Maria Dora Dore and Karl D. Jackson 2. Democracy is not the only game in town: Democratic and Authoritarian Attitudes in Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand; Giovanna Maria Dora Dore 3. Democratization and the Middle Class in Indonesia: Waiting for Godot?; Karl D. Jackson 4. The Decline of Political Participation in South Korea between 2000 and 2011; Jae H. Ku 5. From Subjects to Citizens: Democratic Consolidation in Thailand between 2000 and 20011; Prinat Apirat 6. The Philippines: Who votes, who participates, and why?; Giovanna Maria Dora Dore 7. Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction with Political Leaders in Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand; James Marshall Kirby 8. Conclusions; Jae H. Ku

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"It is refreshing to find a book that assumes that democracies, particularly east Asian ones, are fraught with complexity, popular impatience and backsliding. ... It is recommended to both Asia scholars and students of democratization. ... the book is an excellent addition to the ongoing discussion about the direction and meaning of Asia´s governments of the people." (Joel Campbell, International Affairs, Vol. 91 (6), 2015)

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Prinat Apirat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand James Marshall Kirby, US-Korea Institute SAIS, USA

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