Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Richard Robison -- Ch. 1. Interpreting the Politics of Southeast Asia: Debates in Parallel Universes / Richard Robison -- Ch. 2. Southeast Asia: The Left and the Rise of Bourgeois Opposition / Kevin Hewison and Garry Rodan -- Ch. 3. Labour Politics in Southeast Asia: The Philippines / Jane Hutchison -- Ch. 4. Oligarchs and Oligarchy in Southeast Asia / Jeffrey A. Winters -- Pt. 2. States and Regimes -- Ch. 5. Democracy and Money Politics: The Case of Indonesia / Vedi Hadiz -- Ch. 6. Populist Challenge to the Establishment: Thaksin Shinawatra and the Transformation of Thai Politics / Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker -- Ch. 7. Patronage-Based Parties and the Democratic Deficit in the Philippines: Origins, Evolution, and the Imperatives of Reform / Paul D. Hutchcroft and Joel Rocamora -- Ch. 8. Consultative Authoritarianism and Regime Change Analysis: Implications of the Singapore Case / Garry Rodan -- Ch. 9. Vietnam: the ruling Communist Party and the incubation of "new" political forces / Martin Gainsborough -- Pt. 3. Markets and Governance -- Ch. 10. Politics, Institutions and Performance: Explaining Growth Variation in East Asia / Rick Doner -- Ch. 11. Donors, Neo-liberalism and Country Ownership in Southeast Asia / Andrew Rosser -- Ch. 12. The Judicialization of Market Regulation in Southeast Asia / John Gillespie -- Ch. 13. Global capitalism, middle class and the shape the new mega cities of the region / Chua Beng Huat -- Pt. 4. Civil Society and Participation -- Ch. 14. The Limits of Civil Society: Social Movements and Political Parties in Southeast Asia / Edward Aspinall and Meredith L. Weiss -- Ch. 15. Decentralization and democracy in Indonesia: strengthening citizenship or regional elites? / Henke Schulte Nordholt -- Ch. 16. The Post-Authoritarian Politics of Agrarian and Forest Reform in Indonesia / John McCarthy and Moira Moeliano -- Pt. 5. Violence -- Ch. 17. Tackling the Legacies of Violence and Conflict: Liberal Institutions and Contentious Politics in Cambodia and Timor-Leste / Caroline Hughes -- Ch. 18. Testing the boundaries of the state: gangs, militias, vigilantes and violent entrepreneurs in Southeast Asia / Ian Wilson -- Pt. 6. The Region and the World -- Ch. 19. Contested borders, contested boundaries: The politics of labour migration in Southeast Asia / Michele Ford -- Ch. 20. Trade Policy in Southeast Asia: Politics, Domestic Interests and the Forging of New Accommodations in the Regional and Global Economy / Helen Nesadurai -- Ch. 21. Southeast Asian Perceptions of American Power / Natasha Hamilton Hart -- Ch. 22. State Power, Social Conflicts and Security Policy in Southeast Asia / Lee Jones.

Provides a comprehensive analysis of the major themes that have defined the politics of Southeast Asia. Analyses how the dominant political and social coalitions of the region were forged in the Cold War era, and assesses the complex processes of transition towards various forms of democratic politics. How institutions and systems of governance are being forged in an increasingly global environment is discussed and whether civil society in Southeast Asia has really evolved as an independent sphere of social and political activity.