Introduction to Asian Politics

All inquiries for this course should be directed to the lecturer: Liam.gammon@anu.edu.au In Asia, the world's most rapidly growing region, politics and political regimes are diverse. Asia is home to stable communist regimes, there are constitutional monarchies and military-based authoritarian governments, as well as young and vibrant democracies. The region has also been marked by important political transformations where seemingly entrenched systems have been overturned, such as Indonesian’s transition to democracy or Thailand’s return to authoritarianism. How should we understand the immense political variation that characterises this critical part of the world? In this course, we leverage key concepts from comparative political science in order to examine and explain the nature of contemporary Asia's political systems and recent political transformations. The course has two main purposes: first, to introduce students to major theoretical ideas, paradigms and categories within political science; and, second, to apply these theories to the political dynamics of our region. During the course, students will hear from a range of scholars with expertise in the domestic politics and international relations of North, South, and Southeast Asia, and we will cover a range of topics, including democratisation, authoritarianism, social activism, identity politics, and regional conflict. In this way, students will emerge with broad knowledge of both politics as a discipline and political developments within Asia.