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การประชุมวิชาการ
สถาบันพระปกเกล้า ครั้งที่ 21 1
ลดช่องว่างความเหลื่อมล้ำ สร้างคุณภาพประชาธิปไตย

Second, higher inequality might reduce redistribution because inequality of
resources changes the political clout of different groups. Third, higher inequality

might undermine the quality of democracy and threaten its stability and survival.
Considering these lines of research, we may raise the following questions

concerning political consequences of inequality in the context of East Asia:
whether higher levels of inequality increase or decrease redistribution in
democracies; whether higher levels of inequality undermine the quality of

governance; whether higher levels of inequality threaten the stability and
survival of democracy; and whether higher levels of inequality facilitate non-

democracies to democratize.

III

Overall, East Asia appears to offer anomalies to existing theories of

comparative political economy. As regards the relationship between economic
development and democracy, Boix and Stokes (2003) argue that economic

development increases the likelihood that a country will transition to democracy.
Przeworski and his associates (2000) claim that economic development causes
democracy to last but does not make non-democracies democratize. South Korea

and Taiwan became democratic as they became affluent. Mongolia, the
Philippines, and Indonesia became democratic even though they remained poor.

Singapore did not become democratic even though it became prosperous.
Thailand, a less affluent country, suffered democratic breakdown, but democratic
government persists in the poorer nations of Mongolia and Indonesia.

Democratic transition in South Korea and Taiwan, affluent countries, may be
treated as evidence of both views. Yet, democratic transition in Mongolia, the

Philippines, and Indonesia, less affluent countries, and a lack of democratic
transition in Singapore, an affluent country, seem inconsistent with the view of
Boix and Stokes. The breakdown of democracy in Thailand, a less affluent

country, may be consistent with the view of Przeworski and his associates, but
the absence of democratic breakdown in Mongolia and Indonesia, less affluent

countries, seems inconsistent with their view. เอกสารประกอบการอภิปรายร่วมระหว่างผู้แทนจากต่างประเทศ

As regards the relationship between inequality and democracy, Boix
(2003) argues that democratization is more likely when inequality is low.
Acemoglu and Robinson (2006) maintain that democratization is more likely