Do it matter or not: that is the question

Do Asians Understand Democracy? Findings from Surveys

• Tianjian Shi
• Department of Political Science
• Duke University

Debates About Asian Values

• Background
• Collapse of the former Soviet Union
• End of History by Fukuyama
• Interview of Minister Mentor Lee Kew Yue of Singapore by editor of Foreign Affairs Fareed Zakaria. In the Interview, Mr. Lee pointed out that Asian Culture has significant impact on regime type and political development in Asia

What are the Issues?

• Is political culture in Asia really different from Western political culture?
• If the answer is yes, is Asian culture an obstacle to democratic development, as suggested by Mr. Lee?
• Even if Asian culture differs from that of the Western culture, will economic development in Asian societies change such culture?

Problems in Asian Value Debate

• The arguments of both sides rely on theoretical deduction.
• Modernization or structural theory.
• Institutional theory; cultures are shaped by efforts of regime.
• Common problem, no empirical support
• Data become available for the first time in history -- East Asian Barometer Survey.

Do People in Asia Want Democracy?

Traditional Measures

• Which of the following statements comes closest to your own opinion? 
• Democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government.
• Under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable over a democratic one.
• It does not matter whether we have a democratic or a non-democratic regime.

Findings

• The Commitment to democracy for people in Asia is not less than for people in other continents.
• Demands for democracy in China is high, but it is not the highest of Asian societies.
• Demands for democracy in Thailand is of is highest among all Asian Societies.