The Struggle for Democracy in Asia – Regression, Resilience, Revival. Bertelsmann Stiftung Asia Policy Brief April 2020.

Croissant, Aurel (2020) The Struggle for Democracy in Asia – Regression, Resilience, Revival. Bertelsmann Stiftung Asia Policy Brief April 2020. [Policy Paper]

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Abstract

Worldwide, democracy is under pressure. The slow but steady erosion of democracy in many places in the last decade seems to be accelerating since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic. As political leaders seize powers to fight the virus, worries grow if they will give up accrued powers readily once the crisis eventually subsides. In addition, the uneven performance of many democracies in fighting the pandemic rekindles questions about the superiority of political systems and if authoritarian governments do a better job in handling this or other mega challenges than democratic governments. The Asia-Pacific region is of crucial importance for the future of democracy and its global contestation with autocracy in the twenty-first century. The region is not immune to the impositions of authoritarian populism and other illiberal threats to democracy. Yet, it provides both major examples of democratic regression and failure as well as inspiring stories of democratic resilience and revival.

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