Kristen E. Looney, Mobilizing for Development: the Modernization of Rural East Asia

Excerpt

Campaigns matter. Under the right social and political conditions, campaigns can be effective political tools for rural development in East Asia. In Mobilizing for Development, Looney demonstrates that there is more to the traditional East Asian development model than urban export industries and globalized markets. Late stage rural development of Taiwan, South Korea and China was a critical component of modernization and improved social conditions for millions of rural citizens. Political campaigns play an essential role in the implementation of these rural development programs. However, the success of these campaigns depends on the institutional linkages between central and local governments and the autonomy of local rural associations from the state. Looney provides a well written and clear analysis of her cases, and shows how the variation in linkages and autonomy explain the levels of rural campaign success between Taiwan (most successful), South Korea (somewhat successful) and China (least successful). …