The Political Economy of Myanmar’s Transition
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In this article, the authors explore the political economy of Myanmar's dual transition from state socialism to capitalism and from dictatorship to democracy, and analyze changes within Myanmar society from a critical political economy perspective in order to both situate these developments within broader regional trends and to evaluate the country's current trajectory.Abstract:
Since holding elections in 2010, Myanmar has transitioned from a direct military dictatorship to a formally democratic system and has embarked on a period of rapid economic reform. After two decades of military rule, the pace of change has startled almost everyone and led to a great deal of cautious optimism. To make sense of the transition and assess the case for optimism, this article explores the political economy of Myanmar’s dual transition from state socialism to capitalism and from dictatorship to democracy. It analyses changes within Myanmar society from a critical political economy perspective in order to both situate these developments within broader regional trends and to evaluate the country’s current trajectory. In particular, the emergence of state-mediated capitalism and politico-business complexes in Myanmar’s borderlands are emphasised. These dynamics, which have empowered a narrow oligarchy, are less likely to be undone by the reform process than to fundamentally shape the contours of re...read more
Citations
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References
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Indonesia Seven Years after Soeharto: Party System Institutionalization in a New Democracy
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State Dominance in Myanmar: The Political Economy of Industrialization
TL;DR: In this paper, the state's efforts to industrialize Myanmar, first through direct intervention and planning under a socialist economic framework as interpreted by the state leaders (1948-88) and lately (1989 onwards) through state-managed outward orientation.
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Politics Rules: The False Primacy of Institutions in Developing Countries:
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