Economic Crisis and Regime Change: A Study of Indonesia and Malaysia
Abstract
Economic Crisis and Regime Change: A Study of Indonesia and Malaysia SAGE Publications, Inc.2002DOI: 10.1177/002088170203900404 Harsh V. Pant Department of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana (USA) The relationship between socio-economic development and democracy has emerged as one of the most important issue areas in international political economy. Many scholars have argued that socio-economic development leads to democracy because of various factors. A contrary view contends that socio-economic development does not necessarily bring democracy though it might help democratic states as such. One can also assume that socio-economic decline or, more specifically, economic crisis can cause regime change. This article makes an attempt to examine this link between economic crisis and regime change. The question as to whether and how this linkage works has been examined by focusing on two countries in Southeast Asia-Indonesia and Malaysia. The former presents a case of regime change while the latter that of stability in the face of similar socio-economic decline at around the same time. Theoretical Postulates . Much of the literature on the determinants of political regime and regime change has focused on broad structural factors supposed to be conducive to either authoritarianism or democracy. These factors