Money Politics: Patronage and Clientelism in Southeast Asia

Abstract

Democratic countries in Southeast Asia are deeply affected by a set of interrelated phenomena that is sometimes colloquially known as 'money politics'. Rather than being based on competition between different programmes, in such a system, politics can become highly personalised. Citizens might end up hoping for personal favours from their politicians while having few expectations that the system as a whole will function in their interests. As a result, such practices are a source of considerable disillusionment with democratic politics. Show more