Mark Beeson

The coming of environmental authoritarianism

The East Asian region generally and Southeast Asia in particular have long been associated with authoritarian rule. It is argued that the intensification of a range of environmental problems means that authoritarian rule is likely to become even more commonplace there in the future. Countries with limited state capacity will struggle to deal with the consequences of population expansion, economic development and the environmental degradation with which they are associated. A resurgence of authoritarian rule is made even more likely by Chinas ‘successful’ developmental example and the extent of the regions existing environmental problems. The dispiriting reality may be that authoritarian regimes – unattractive as they may be – may even prove more capable of responding to the complex political and environmental pressures in the region than some of its democracies.

Rethinking regionalism: Europe and East Asia in comparative historical perspective

Abstract Regionally based processes of political and economic integration, security co-operation, and even social identification have become increasingly important and prominent parts of the international system. Nowhere have such processes gone further than in Western Europe. Somewhat surprisingly, similar patterns of regional integration have been steadily developing in East Asia – a region many observers consider unlikely to replicate the European experience. This paper uses an historically grounded comparative approach to examine the historical preconditions that underpinned the formation of the European Union, and then contrasts them with the situation in East Asia today. While the overall geopolitical and specific national contexts are very different, such an analysis highlights surprising similarities and differences, particularly in the role played by the United States in both periods. A comparative analysis allows us to understand and rethink the incentives for, and constraints on, regional integrative processes.

Lineages of liberalism and miracles of modernisation: The World Bank, the East Asian trajectory and the international development debate

Until recently the World Bank, arguably the most prestigious and one of the most powerful producers of international development knowledge, played an important role in encouraging the perception that the East Asian trajectory was a veritable miracle of capitalist development. This article begins with a brief discussion of the changes in the World Banks understanding of development over the past 30 or 40 years. This is followed by an examination of the Banks efforts to accommodate the East Asian trajectory within the dominant Anglo-American narrative on international development. It is argued that, in the context of the shifting contours of the international political economy and of important changes to the dominant international discourse on development, the World Bank has played a crucial role in domesticating the East Asian Miracle to the dominant liberal narrative of progress and in facilitating the wider reinvention of liberalism in the post-1945 period.

The Political Rationalities Of Regionalism: APEC And The EU In Comparative Perspective

The essay is a comparative analysis of APEC and the EU, which looks at the particular sorts of economic orders these institutions are helping to create. It is argued that the two regions display some noteworthy differences that result from different approaches to the problem of economic governance. These differences reflect much more than the relative degree and level of regional institutionalization; they flow from different ‘political rationalities’ that are themselves a function of the very different liberal and illiberal polities in Europe and East Asia. Our key theoretical innovation is to use the framework of political rationality to explain different regional approaches to economic governance; more specifically we argue that the EU and the East Asian members of APEC may be understood as respectively subscribing to broadly conceived liberal and cameralist approaches to economic governance which are in turn reflected in the design of regional institutions.

Sovereignty under siege: Globalisation and the state in Southeast Asia

It is commonly assumed that processes associated with globalisation are affecting the sovereignty of states. While the extent and implications of such processes may be debatable, globalisation presents even the most powerful states with new challenges to their autonomy and authority. In Southeast Asia, where the principle of sovereignty has been a crucial and jealously guarded part of regional governance structures, globalisation is an especially acute challenge for national governments. This paper examines the theoretical and policy implications of globalisation in Southeast Asia and argues that not only is globalisation threatening to unravel existing governmental practices in Southeast Asia, but that as a consequence we also need to re-think the way we understand core theoretical principles like sovereignty.

Institutions of the Asia-Pacific : ASEAN, APEC and beyond

Introduction 1. History and Identity in the Asia-Pacific 2. ASEAN: The Asian way of institutionalisation? 3. APEC: Bigger, but no better? 4. The ASEAN Regional Forum and security dynamics in the Asia-Pacific 5. The new institutional architecture 6. The prospects for institutionalisation in the Asia-Pacific Notes Select Bibliography

Southeast Asia and the Politics of Vulnerability

The economic and political crises that have engulfed Southeast Asia over recent years should not have come as such a surprise. A consideration of the regions historical position and economic development demonstrates just what formidable obstacles still constrain the nations of Southeast Asia as they attempt to restore growth and stability. This paper places the Southeast Asian experience in historical context, outlines the political and economic obstacles that continue to impede development, and considers some of the initiatives that have been undertaken at a regional level in the attempt to maintain a degree of stability and independence. Despite the novelty and potential importance of initiatives like the Asean +3 grouping, this paper argues that the continuing economic and strategic vulnerability of the Southeast Asian states will continue to profoundly shape their politics and limit their options.

Hegemony, institutionalism and US foreign policy: theory and practice in comparative historical perspective

Abstract This paper explores the theoretical and policy implications of contemporary American hegemony. A key argument is that the development ofUS hegemony generally, and the distinctive turn in US foreign policy that has occurred in the wake of 11 September in particular, can best be understood by placing recent events in a comparative and historical framework. The immediate post-World War II order laid the foundations of a highly institutionalised multilateral system that provided key benefits for a number of countries while simultaneously constraining and enhancing US power. An historical reading of US hegemony suggests that its recent unilateralism is undermining the foundations of its power and influence.

Can Australia save the world? The limits and possibilities of middle power diplomacy

Australian policymakers have always harboured a desire to ‘punch above their weight’. On occasions they have succeeded. At a time when Australias strategic, economic and environmental future is inextricably bound up with that of its immediate neighbours and the wider world, there are compelling reasons for hoping that they still can. This paper explores some of the most important aspects of Australian foreign policy during the Rudd era and asks whether the Australian government can play a constructive—even an exemplary—role in finding solutions for some of the planets most pressing problems.

Reshaping regional institutions: APEC and the IMF in East Asia

One of the most striking aspects of attempts to manage the crisis in East Asia has been the very differing roles played by APEC and the IMF. Although both organisations have similar market-centred reform agendas, APEC has been conspicuous by its absence in the wake of the crisis. This paper considers the actions of both organisations, and their very dfferent approaches to institutional reform. It is suggested that the crisis in general and the actions of these two organisations in particular provides a timely opportunity to review the more influential varieties of institutional theory to see whether they provide either useful tools for understanding the roles and activities of APEC and the IMF, or plausible models of reform for policy makers.