From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia

Authors: Dan Slater, Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professor of Emerging Democracies, Professor of Political Science, WCED Director, U-M; Joseph Wong, Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Professor of Political Science, University of Toronto. Moderator: Mary Gallagher, Director, International Institute, U-M

Over the past century, Asia has been transformed by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and urbanization—a spectacular record of development that has turned one of the world’s poorest regions into one of its richest. Yet Asia’s record of democratization has been much more uneven, despite the global correlation between development and democracy. Why have some Asian countries become more democratic as they have grown richer, while others—most notably China—haven’t? In "From Development to Democracy," Dan Slater and Joseph Wong offer a sweeping and original answer to this crucial question.