Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

It is essential for all Asian countries to focus on improving governance and transforming institutions in order to meet the challenges of the coming decades. The recent deterioration in the quality and credibility of national political and economic institutions in a large number of Asian countries is a key concern and a reason why Asia’s rise should not be seen as preordained. Transparency, predictability and accountability are key elements to establishing long-term domestic legitimacy of authorities. These make governance and institutional dimensions, even over a 40 year time horizon, a good basis for discussing the broad direction of Asia, and stakeholders should not wait for too long to start preparing for 2050. This article discusses the drivers for change, and the demand side for changes or reforms in governance, and institutions, and it subsequently addresses possible ways forward.

Keywords

Governance institutions drivers for change Asia

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Acemoglu, Daron , Simon Johnson & James Robinson . (2001). The colonial origins of comparative development. American Economic Review, 91(5), 1369–1401.

Asian Development Bank. (2010). Key indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2010, Special Chapter: The rise of Asia’s Middle Class. ADB: Manila.

Centennial Asia Advisors Pvt. Ltd. (2010). Assessment of the Singapore economy. Singapore: Centennial Asia Advisors.

Chu Yun-han & Min-hua Huang . (2011). A synthetic analysis of sources of democratic legitimacy, 2007. Working Paper Series No. 41. Asian Barometer. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from http://www.asianbarometer.org/newenglish/publications/workingpapers/no.41.pdf

Earle, Lucy & Zoë Scott . (2010). Assessing the evidence of the impact of governance on development outcomes and poverty reduction, Governance and Social Development Research Centre. Retrieved May 19 from www.gsdrc.org/go/emerging-issues#Governance

Easterly, William R. (2001). The elusive quest for growth: Economists’ adventures and misadventures in the tropics. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Emmott, Bill . (2008). Rivals: How the power struggle between China, India, and Japan will shape the next decade. London: Allen Lane.

Goldstone, Jack . (2010). The new population bomb. Foreign Affairs, January /February 2010.

Kaufmann, Daniel, AartKraay & Massimo Mastruzzi . (2006). Measuring corruption: Myths and realities. citing Mauro, Paolo, 1995. Corruption and Growth. Retrieved on May 18 from http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/anticorrupt/corecourse2007/myths.pdf

10.

Levy, Brian & Francis Fukuyama . (2010). Development strategies—Integrating governance and growth. Policy Research Working Paper 5196. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

11.

Levy, Brian . (2010). Development trajectories: An evolutionary approach to integrating governance and growth. Economic Premise # 15. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

12.

Linn, Johannes, F. (2011). Regional integration and cooperation in Asia. Background paper to Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian Century 2011. Washington and Manila: Centennial Group and Asian Development Bank.

13.

Nathan, Andrew J. (2007). Political culture and diffuse regime support in Asia. Working Paper Series No. 43, Asian Barometer.

14.

North, Douglass C. , John J. Wallis & Barry Weingast . (2009). Violence and social orders: A conceptual framework for interpreting recorded human history. New York: Cambridge University Press.

15.

North, Douglass C. (2005). Understanding the process of economic change. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

16.

Ostrom, Elinor . (2009). Beyond markets and states: Polycentric governance of complex economic systems. Nobel Prize lecture. Retrieved May 18 from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economics/laureates/2009/ostrom-lecture.html

17.

Pellegrini, Anthony . (2011). “A new approach to urbanization.” In Kohli, Sharma and Sood (eds), Asia 2050—Realizing the Asian Century. Washington, DC: Sage Publishers.

18.

Pistor, Katharina & Philip A. Wellons . (1999). The role of law and legal institutions in Asian economic development 1960–1995. Prepared for the Asian Development Bank. Oxford University Press, NY.

19.

Reich, Robert B. (2010). Aftershock: The next economy and America’s future. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

20.

Williams, Andrew & Abu Siddique . (2008). The use (and abuse) of governance indicators in economics: A review. Economics and Governance, 9, 131–175.

21.

World Bank, Worldwide Governance Indicators. (2010). Retrievable from http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/sc_country.asp

The Challenge of Governance and Institutions for Asia

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References