Along with being the focus of global economic interest, Asia is currently one of the most fascinating regions through which to explore the development of democratic government and even the meaning of democracy in middle and lower income countries. Indonesia and Thailand present two particularly intriguing cases. At the end of the twentieth century, Thailand was the most promising democracy in Southeast Asia while Indonesia was just embarking on its second big democratic experiment in circumstances widely regarded as inauspicious. Today, against all expectations, Indonesia is arguably the most promising democracy in Southeast Asia while Thailand seems caught in a deep political malaise. How should we make sense of these cases and, beyond the cases themselves, what can they tell us about the prospects for democratic government and indeed the significance of of democratic government in developing economy contexts. In addressing these issues I will compare both institutional and non-institutional factors.
