Mathew Y. H. Wong

The Politics of the Minimum Wage in Hong Kong

Abstract This article provides an account of the recent introduction of a minimum wage in Hong Kong in 2011. Traditional welfare state theories had their origins in rich democracies. We refine the theoretical arguments in accordance with the semi-democratic nature of Hong Kong. We argue that the legislation was initiated reluctantly by the business-friendly government under unfavourable economic conditions. Any subsequent concessions to labour were not attributable to labour strength or political oppositions, which were very weak. Instead, multiple miscalculations by the politically dominant business side allowed the labour movement to gain limited grounds throughout the struggle. We also apply our arguments to the case of Singapore, illustrating how welfare state theories can be adapted to less democratic systems.

Association Between Parents’ Marital Status and the Development of Purpose, Hope, and Self-Esteem in Adolescents in Hong Kong

This study investigates the role of parents’ marital status in adolescents’ mental well-being. Although the separation of parents is generally regarded as a negative condition on adolescents’ growth, we find evidence of strong positive development in certain areas. Faced with an adverse family background, even though teenagers might have lower happiness and life satisfaction, they come to develop stronger purpose in life, higher hope for the future, and higher self-esteem. We argue that this is because the tougher circumstances force them to become independent and develop their own identity. On the other hand, these attributes are found to be lower among older adolescents in “normal” family backgrounds, which provide an interesting contrast to prior research, which has argued that intact families are positive for development. The results of this study have strong implications for the study of teenage well-being.

Globalization, Spending and Income Inequality in Asia Pacific

ABSTRACT This paper provides an overview of the patterns of government spending and income distribution in the Asia-Pacific region under globalization. Previous studies have not placed much emphasis on the underlying policy mechanisms. Not only does this article take the change in public spending into account, it also allows for different factors and distributive outcomes to be associated with distinct types of spending (education, welfare and health). Health-related spending is found to reduce income inequality, while the reverse is true for welfare expenses. The results also suggest that globalization strongly exacerbates income inequality even after controlling for economic, demographic and political factors. The results carry significant implications for governments in the Asia-Pacific region.

Understanding youth activism and radicalism: Chinese values and socialization

Abstract In the past decade, there has been an evident surge in political activism in Hong Kong, especially among the youth. This paper seeks to explain this development by adopting an emerging framework, the Activism–Radicalism Intention Scale (ARIS), that distinguishes between activism and radicalism and demonstrates how past and current intentions relate to each other. To explain how young people become politically motivated, we borrow from existing literature and test three dominant explanations, namely the liberal education thesis, critical network analysis, and value-systems explanation. Using results from a survey conducted with tertiary students in Hong Kong, we find the critical network to be an important explanation of participation. Interestingly, the Chinese values of trustworthiness and social harmony also play a role in shaping youth activism and radicalism, but in less predictable ways. This study contributes to the literature by providing an innovative way to systematically analyze youth activism and assess the influence of Chinese values.

Chinese influence, U.S. linkages, or neither? Comparing regime changes in Myanmar and Thailand

ABSTRACT This study examines the potential influence of foreign linkages on regime outcomes by comparing Myanmar and Thailand. Linkages with the West are supposed to facilitate democratization, whereas those with autocracies usually promote regime survival. This study focuses on Myanmar and Thailand’s linkages with the U.S. and China, which at first sight seem to demonstrate the hypothesized effects. Myanmar gradually liberalized while strengthening its Western linkages, whereas Thailand experienced democratic breakdown amid a shift in alignment from the U.S. to China. However, in-depth analysis suggests that the influence of foreign linkages on domestic political change was minimal and that the relationship may very well be endogenous. The findings of this study call for a more careful theorization and handling of the external factors in studies of regime change and highlight the importance of simultaneously analyzing democratic and autocratic linkages.

Legislature size and inequality: democratic participation and authoritarian dilution

ABSTRACT This paper argues that the ratio of legislature size to population is crucial for explaining income inequality. Larger legislatures (with respect to population size) promote equality in democratic regimes. The opposite effect is hypothesised for non-democracies, although the empirical results for this group are less significant. I suggest that larger legislatures decrease inequality in democracies by enhancing representative linkages and increasing political participation. On the contrary, they dilute the strength of opposition in authoritarian regimes, leading to inegalitarian outcomes. This study carries strong implications for the understanding of legislatures and the formation of inequality across political systems.

Hong Kong Politics: An Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the political situation of the Hong Kong political system. After an account of its transition from a British colony into a Chinese Special Administrative Region, the post-1997 governing system will be introduced focusing on the executive and legislative branches of the system and the current political divide within Hong Kong.

Methods in Comparative Politics

This chapter discusses some of the key elements of the comparative politics methodology. The idea underlying comparative methods is introduced, with an extension on how statistics are used with reference to comparisons. Case study and large-N study, two of the most common research designs, are compared with their respective strengths and limitations. The manner in which a case study on Hong Kong can ever be ‘comparative’ is also discussed.

Political Parties and Party Systems

This chapter discusses political parties and party systems, which form a crucial aspect of a modern representative democracy. The origins and natures of political parties, including their functions and organizations, are explained. Party systems govern the dynamics between parties and are considered as the mechanism to represent divergent interests in the society. How are social cleavages related to political parties? A measure of party system, the Effective Number of Political Parties, is introduced. Figures for Hong Kong are provided for comparative research. Finally, this chapter ends with an account on the decline on the importance and role of parties in the current era, accompanied by a discussion on this idea’s relevance to Hong Kong.

Holistic Approaches to Political Institution Design

This chapter brings together different dimensions of political institutions and introduces the theoretical approaches which explain them holistically, instead of individually as in previous chapters. Three approaches are the focus: veto players approach, the visions of democracy, and Lijphart’s famous Patterns of Democracy framework. To lesser extents, authoritarian institutions can also be explained with reference to regime dynamics. As a hybrid regime with both democratic and authoritarian elements, Hong Kong’s political system is classified with reference to all major approaches introduced in this chapter.