Power Broking in the Shade (ePub)

-->Political activities, the running of party organisations, branches and headquarters, and especially election campaigns, are becoming increasingly costly, and no party can survive without money. Political power provides access to funding from public and private sources. Political parties have become more and more like businesses, including the temptation to maximise the income and the war chests, thus opening the doors for vested interests and influence peddling. As a result, money politics is pervasive, and the public is becoming increasingly critical of it. Trust in political parties, politicians, governments, and key state institutions has fallen to unprecedented levels. In most countries in the region general and political corruption, graft, and influence peddling are all too visible for the voters, while good governance remains an ideal too often out of reach.This book, Power Broking in the Shade: Party Finances and Money Politics in Southeast Asia, provides an overview of the strategies for financial survival of the parties in the region and the importance of stable cash flows for their political success. The book fills the void of a comparative approach towards party financing that covers the whole of ASEAN and offers accessible facts and understandable analysis for anyone interested in the politics of Southeast Asia. -->Contents: Foreword (Surin Pitsuwan)AcknowledgementsThe Finances of Political Parties in Southeast AsiaCambodia: Tightly Controlled by the Cambodian People's PartyIndonesia: Parliamentarians and Oligarchs Bankrolling the Political PartiesLaos: The Lao People's Revolutionary PartyMalaysia: The Funding of Perpetual Party PowerMyanmar: Still Experimenting with Party CompetitionThe Philippines: Parties, Patrons, and Pork, or the Privatization of Political FinancingSingapore: The "White Raven" of Southeast AsiaThailand: Money Politics and Party Funding — Two Sides of the Same CoinVietnam: The Single Party Cannot Control Everything AnymorePolitical Power and MoneyReferencesAbout the Author --> -->Readership: Students and researchers in the field of Political Science/Southeast Asian studies Politicians, party activists, and the general public interested in politics. -->Politics;Finances;Money;Governance;Corruption;Southeast Asia;Political Parties in Southeast Asia;Party Finances in Southeast Asia;Political Corruption in Southeast Asia;Patronage and Clientelism in Southeast Asia;Money Politics in Southeast Asia;Vote Buying in Southeast Asia0Key Features:This book fills the void of a comparative approach towards party financing and covers the whole of ASEANThe available literature on this topic is rather academic, and thus difficult to read for a broader public. The book provides insights for anyone interested in the politics of Southeast Asia, without compromising on scholarly standardsThe author has been observing the political developments of the region since 1986, with direct contact to many politicians and political parties, as well as analysts and public intellectuals