Write a 1,300-word essay in 12-point Times New Roman font and cited in Chicago N-B. How much difference do Southeast Asian leaders make in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia? Introduction: In East and Southeast Asia, political leadership shapes policy directions, economic strategies, and international relations. These nations’ prime ministers and presidents serve as the figureheads of political power and are often perceived as the primary decision-makers. Yet, the degree to which they wield influence over their countries can vary significantly. Thesis: How much Domestic influence do Southeast Asian leaders have? Does the power of Southeast Asian leaders vary in predictable ways or more randomly from case to case? When does it make a difference? Several factors include political systems, party dynamics, bureaucratic structures, and external pressures such as global geopolitics. This essay will define when and how presidents, prime ministers, and Monarchies with ceremonial presidents in Southeast Asia can impact policy on a case-by-case basis. Method: In Southeast Asia, the influence of a president or head of state often varies based on a combination of constitutional powers, political structures, and individual leadership qualities. The key factors that affect their influence can vary unpredictably and will be interrogated separately on a case-by-case basis. The methods for defining Leadership in Southeast Asian countries and when they make a difference will be illustrated using five categories. First, contrast constitutional powers with presidential and parliamentary systems in Indonesia and the Philippines against Monarchies with ceremonial presidents in Thailand and Malaysia. Second, the short length of constitutional powers is contrasted with the longer length of monarchies. Third, military involvement and economically driven power players influence political factors in constitutional powers and monarchies. Fourth, it is not solely a realist argument where the domestic partnership meets the international relationship with regional influence and historical alliance structures. Fifth, how each leader’s perception molds their popularity and results in seemingly limitless political decision-making power. Sources: Philippines Julio C. Teehankee, series on authoritarian survival, dispersion, and contamination in the Philippines. Single PDF including portions of the following articles (approx. 8 pp. of text) Kent Calder, Embattled Garrisons (Princeton University Press, 2007), pp. 92-96, 130-136, 148-152, and 166-175 Marco Bunte and Mark R. Thompson, “Perilous Presidentialism in Southeast Asia?” Contemporary Politics 24:3 (2018), 251-265. Francis Fukuyama, Bjorn Dressel, and Boo-Seung Chang, “Facing the Perils of Presidentialism?” Journal of Democracy 16 (2005), 102-116 Indonesia Edward Aspinall, Diego Fossati, Burhanuddin Muhtadi, and Eve Warburton, “Mapping the Indonesian Political Spectrum,” New Mandala (24 April 2018), https://www.newmandala.org/mapping-indonesian-political-spectrum/ Greg Fealy, Sally White, and Burhanuddin Muhtadi, “Counter-polarisation and Political Expediency,” New Mandala (1 July 2022), https://www.newmandala.org/counter-polarisation-and-political-expediency/ . Only the introduction on pp. 1-2 and the final paragraphs (from “Whereas the survey…”) Ben Bland, “Indonesia’s Democracy is Stronger Than a Strongman: Why Prabowo Would Find It Hard to Rule as an Authoritarian,” Foreign Affairs (13 February 2024), https://www.foreignaffairs.com/indonesia/indonesias-democracy-stronger-strongman Diego Fossati, “Illiberal Resistance to Democratic Backsliding: The Case of Radical Political Islam in Indonesia,” Democratization 31:3 (2024), 616-637. Thailand Pavin Chachavalpongpun, “Why Isn’t Thailand’s Middle Class Fond of Democracy,” Global Asia 12:2 (2017), 84-89 Paul Chambers, “Khaki Capital and Coups in Thailand and Myanmar,” Current History 120:827 (September 2021), 221-226 Dan Slater, Lucan A. Way, Jean Lachapelle, and Adam E. Casey, “The Origins of Military Supremacy in Dictatorships,” Journal of Democracy 34:3 (July 2023), 5-20. Please focus on the conceptual and E/SE Asia portions; feel free to skip the portions on non-E/SE Enze Han, “Entrenching Authoritarian Rule and Thailand’s Foreign Policy,” Asia Policy 17:4 (October 2022), 181-198 Malaysia Dan Slater, “Strong-state Democratization in Malaysia and Singapore,” Journal of Democracy 23:2 (2012), 19-33. Only pp. 21-25 (“Hobbesian Origins” section).
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