SOAS Research Online

Abstract

East Asia, which proudly self-identifies as the “non-West,” offers rich empirical evidence to test the validity of Western theories of democracy, and to generate new theories on the contested subject. In addition to asking why the political realities in East Asia do not conform neatly to the expectations of Western theories of democracy, students of international politics should also enquire if there is an East Asian framework of democracy, both in theory and practice. Researching these questions has the potential to shed light on the possible biases, implicit assumptions and explanatory boundaries of Western theories of democracy. Furthermore, it could contribute vocabularies to make sense of the perplexing politics in a region that is not only the world’s fastest growing, but also geopolitically salient. Adopting a cultural analytical framework, this chapter maintains that there is an East Asian Theory of Democracy, which is embraced by regional elites and ordinary citizens attitudinally.