POLITICAL BOOMS: LOCAL MONEY AND POWER IN TAIWAN, EAST CHINA, THAILAND, AND THE PHILIPPINES

Why have Taiwan, rich parts of China, and Thailand boomed famously, while the Philippines has long remained stagnant both economically and politically? Do booms abet democracy? Does the rise of middle “classes” promise future liberalization? Why has Philippine democracy brought no boom and barely served the Filipino people?

This book, unlike most previous studies, shows that both the roots and results of growth are largely political rather than economic. Specifically, it pays attention to lo...