The State of Democracy in Asia and the Pacific 2021: Old Resilience, New Challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Collective Rights ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
Institutional Frameworks ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Legal Constraints

The Covid-19 pandemic initially broke out in the Asia and the Pacific region in late 2019, with the first cases in Wuhan, China. The pandemic has served as a magnifier of pre-existing democratic strengths and weaknesses within governing systems around Asia and the Pacific. In the majority of cases, the region’s hybrid and authoritarian regimes tightened their grip on society in response to the pandemic. Quality of democracy continued to decline in number of region’s democracies. Despite these challenges, in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Asia and the Pacific region has demonstrated impressive democratic resilience and innovation. In contrast to other regions, several countries already had legal and institutional frameworks in place tailored to dealing with global health emergencies and were able to activate these rapidly. Importantly, experiences by several Asian countries have highlighted the fact that such a crisis can be contained while respecting legal constraints and coordinating across an array of elected and unelected institutions. All democracies needed to balance between individual and collective rights. This Report provides lessons and recommendations that governments, political and civic actors, and international democracy assistance providers should consider in order to counter the concerning trends in the erosion of democracy, and to foster its resilience and deepening.

scholarly journals The Quality of democracy in Asia-Pacific: issues and findings

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 491-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo Morlino ◽  
Björn Dressel ◽  
Riccardo Pelizzo
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Research ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Rule By Law ◽  
Detailed Explanation ◽  
Main Determinants

In the comparative research we present here as the introduction to a set of case studies, we first assess the quality of democratic procedures, content and outcomes in eight countries in the Asia-Pacific region on the basis of quantitative and qualitative data. Second, we investigate whether, to what extent, and how democratic qualities relate to one another. These investigations are carried out by applying an analytical framework that we developed elsewhere. In contrast to our previous empirical findings demonstrating that all the qualities go hand in hand, that participation and competition are the main determinants of democratic qualities, and that the democratic qualities form a funnel of causality, the present study suggests a different set of conclusions. In the Asia-Pacific region, the democratic qualities are weakly related to one another, do not form a funnel of causality, and participation and competition are not the main drivers of democratic quality. The data presented in the empirical section of the paper claim the existence of an Asia-Pacific exceptionalism. By carefully examining the cases included in our sample, we provide a detailed explanation for why, at least as far as democratic qualities are concerned, the Asia-Pacific region may be exceptional and unique. We reach the conclusion that responsiveness could be achieved by a transition from a rule by law – often coupled with the prominence of patronage, patrimonialist practices and privileges for the elite – to a proper rule of law.

Malaysia’s Posture in the Indo-Pacific Construct

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-191
Author(s):  
Tharishini Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Regional Security ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
International Affairs ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Complex Theory ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Wait And See ◽  
The Indian Ocean ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

The Indo-Pacific (IP), the region covering the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Region, is concurrently shaping the posture of international affairs. As a littoral state and critical partner in the IP construct, Malaysia’s responses to this stance are inevitable due to its geostrategic location in the construct. This article argues that Malaysia’s posture vis-à-vis the IP as that of a ‘neutralist’. The discussion is divided into two sections. The first section describes weaknesses in the quadrilateral security dialogues (Quad) centrality using the features of regional security complex theory (RSCT). The second section discusses Malaysia’s neutrality vis-à-vis the IP construct. The article argues that, while opportunities can be seen in terms of strengthening the existing relations and tapping into new areas of partnership, Malaysia may face challenges in the form of marginalisation and entrapment. Apprehension is still prominent; therefore, the concept is in a ‘wait and see’ mode. The article concludes that the catalyst is found by drawing a more effective vision of the concept and is the key, particularly if the IP aspires to attract and appeal to Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia.

scholarly journals Improving the quality of maternal and newborn care in the Pacific region: A scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 100028
Author(s):  
A.N. Wilson ◽  
N. Spotswood ◽  
G.S. Hayman ◽  
J.P. Vogel ◽  
J. Narasia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Maternal And Newborn Care ◽  
Maternal And Newborn

Russian tourist product: consumer expectations of interrnational tourists

10.12737/7464 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Татьяна Кривошеева ◽  
Tatiana Krivosheeva
Keyword(s):  
World Bank ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
Transport Component ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The World ◽  
European Markets

This article presents the results of the analysis of preferences and motivations of tourists from the main existing and prospective tourist arrivals in Russia, which was conducted by the method of content analysis based on publications of the UNWTO, the World Bank, Eurostat, the European Union, the Federal State Statistics Service, the national tourism administrations, international tourism conferences, scientific and practical work. In the process of the study identified were two groups of research texts: a group of texts about the preferences and motivations of tourists from Europe and America, and a group of texts about the preferences and motivations of tourists from Asia. Results are also presented by geographical areas "Europe and America" and "Asian countries." The study was conducted with the aim of optimizing the preparation of proposals for the formation of the federal policy of promoting Russian tourist product. As a component of the result the author suggest a common approach to marketing efforts to promote Russian tourist product in the European markets and the markets of Asia and the Pacific Region. The approach is to identify priority types of tourism for potential consumers of Russian tourist product, to construct the ratings of distribution policy priorities in the allocation of key expectations from the stay in Russia for the purpose of tourism, to plan route networks and features of the transport component, as well as the to urgently reduce visa formalities for priority markets.

Phytochemical and pharmacological review on Morinda citrifolia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Author(s):  
Jubilee R ◽  
Elakkiya M ◽  
Ganapathy P ◽  
Elakiya M ◽  
Dinesh Kumar V ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asian ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Morinda Citrifolia ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Edible Fruit ◽  
Chemical Agents ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
Immune Booster

Morinda citrifolia as the names suggests it is generally grown or harvested for fruits and the distribution of chemical constituents are also in other parts of the plants. The plant is native of South Asian countries and Western American lands in the pacific region. This plant has generally been used as a culinary vegetable and an edible fruit too and also considered as a natural immune booster and health enhancers. The plant was extracted to give most of the chemical constituents that possess anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anti-tumour, antifungal, antiviral and anthelminthic activities. There had been significant uses that industries also employ as insecticidal agents and as chemical agents and catalyst. In this review, the details about the events, applications and studies that are performed on the plant were discussed.

Manajemen Ekonomi Outopilot: Kegagalan Negara Mencari Identitas?

Liquidity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-152
Author(s):  
Mukhaer Pakkanna
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
National Economy ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Democracy ◽  
Economic Democracy ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Economic Disparities ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Production And Distribution

Political democracy should be equivalent to the economic development of the quality of democracy, economic democracy if not upright, even the owner of the ruling power and money, which is parallel to force global corporatocracy. Consequently, the economic oligarchy preservation reinforces control of production and distribution from upstream to downstream and power monopoly of the market. The implication, increasingly sharp economic disparities, exclusive owner of the money and power become fertile, and the end could jeopardize the harmony of the national economy. The loss of national economic identity that makes people feel lost the “pilot of the state”. What happens then is the autopilot state. Viewing unclear direction of the economy, the national economy should clarify the true figure.

Investment climate and government turnover in russian regions

2014 ◽  
pp. 88-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Syunyaev ◽  
L. Polishchuk
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Russian Regions ◽  
Investment Climate ◽  
Regional Data ◽  
Endogenous Property Rights ◽  
The Impact

We study the impact of Russian regional governors’ rotation and their affiliation with private sector firms for the quality of investment climate in Russian regions. A theoretical model presented in the paper predicts that these factors taken together improve “endogenous” property rights under authoritarian regimes. This conclusion is confirmed empirically by using Russian regional data for 2002—2010; early in that period gubernatorial elections had been canceled and replaced by federal government’s appointments. This is an indication that under certain conditions government rotation is beneficial for economic development even when democracy is suppressed.

Trust in the Police: Cross-country Comparisons

2012 ◽  
pp. 24-47
Author(s):  
V. Gimpelson ◽  
G. Monusova
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Authoritarian Regimes ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
The Public ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Police Activity

Using different cross-country data sets and simple econometric techniques we study public attitudes towards the police. More positive attitudes are more likely to emerge in the countries that have better functioning democratic institutions, less prone to corruption but enjoy more transparent and accountable police activity. This has a stronger impact on the public opinion (trust and attitudes) than objective crime rates or density of policemen. Citizens tend to trust more in those (policemen) with whom they share common values and can have some control over. The latter is a function of democracy. In authoritarian countries — “police states” — this tendency may not work directly. When we move from semi-authoritarian countries to openly authoritarian ones the trust in the police measured by surveys can also rise. As a result, the trust appears to be U-shaped along the quality of government axis. This phenomenon can be explained with two simple facts. First, publicly spread information concerning police activity in authoritarian countries is strongly controlled; second, the police itself is better controlled by authoritarian regimes which are afraid of dangerous (for them) erosion of this institution.

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