The Political Logics of Anticorruption Efforts in Asia

Examines the political dynamics behind anticorruption efforts in Asia. Focusing on Northeast and Southeast Asia—regions notable for political diversity, difficult environments for fighting corruption, and multifarious anticorruption outcomes—this book examines the political dynamics behind anticorruption efforts there. The contributors present case studies of the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, and China that explore the varying roles anticorruption efforts play in solidifying or disputing democratic and nondemocratic institutions and legitimacy, as well as the broader political and economic contexts that gave rise to these efforts. Whether motivated by private interests, party loyalty, or political institutionalization, political actors shape the trajectories of anticorruption efforts by challenging their opponents over what constitutes corruption, what enables corruption, and how to combat corruption. Arguing that anticorruption strategy may be associated more closely with shifting bases of regime legitimacy than with regime type, the book sheds light on the divergent ways in which states control and respond to political elites and society at large, and on how citizens from across strata understand and engage with their states. Cheng Chen is Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Her books include The Return of Ideology: The Search for Regime Identities in Postcommunist Russia and China and The Prospects for Liberal Nationalism in Post-Leninist States. Meredith L. Weiss is Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Her many books include Student Activism in Malaysia: Crucible, Mirror, Sideshow and Protest and Possibilities: Civil Society and Coalitions for Political Change in Malaysia. Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Theorizing Anticorruption as a Political Project Why Asia? Anticorruption Efforts and Contested Regime Legitimacy Anticorruption Driven by Private Interests Anticorruption Driven by Party Loyalty Anticorruption Driven by Political Institutionalization Organization of the Volume Notes Bibliography Part I Anticorruption Driven by Private Interests Chapter 1 Anticorruption Campaigns, Regime Change, and the Proprietary Polity History of Anticorruption Initiatives Institutional Setting The Case of Two Anticorruption Campaigns and Their Aftermath The Politics of Anticorruption Campaigns Notes Bibliography Chapter 2 Fighting Corruption When Corruption Is Pervasive Anticorruption Campaigning in the Suharto Era and Beyond The Fall of Suharto and the Transition to Democracy Exposing Scandals and Working with the KPK Defending the KPK Anticorruption Campaigns in the Regions Conclusion Notes Bibliography Part II Anticorruption Driven by Party Loyalty Chapter 3 (Anti-)Corruption and Partisan Bias in Taiwan’s Newspapers Political Attitudes and the Media in Taiwan The Perception of Corruption The Media and Political Polarization Method and Data Case Selection Assembling the Corpus Unsupervised Machine Learning Partisan Bias in the Taiwanese Media The Discourse on Corruption and Anticorruption Selection Bias Findings Statement Bias Selection of Terms Chen Administration Ma Administration Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 4 Rust Removal: Why Vietnam’s Historical Anticorruption Efforts Failed to Deliver Results, and What That Implies for the Current Campaign Corruption in Vietnam Measures of Corruption from Vietnamese Surveys Anticorruption Policies The History of High-Profile Corruption Cases in Vietnam (1996–2016) Tamexco (1996) Nam Cam (2003) PMU 18 (2006) Vinashin and Vinalines (2011–2012) Discussion of Anticorruption Efforts before 2017 A Shifting Approach in Vietnam’s 2017–2018 Anticorruption Drive PetroVietnam (PVN), OceanBank, and PetroVietnam Construction Joint Stock Corporation (PVC) (2016–2017) PetroVietnam and OceanBank PVC Discussion: Is the 2017–2018 Effort Different? Conclusions Notes Bibliography Part III Anticorruption Driven by Political Institutionalization Chapter 5 Anticorruption Politics in Thailand: From Regime Institutionalization to Sovereignty Wars Interpreting Anticorruption Politics: Moralism? Authoritarianism: Enabling Corruption and Anticorruption Politics Un-Responsible Power Universal Claims Hierarchy of Linkages Propensity to Coercion The State of Ambivalence: From Institutionalization to Sovereignty Wars Conclusion Notes Bibliography Chapter 6 Korea’s Anticorruption Struggles: Fighting against Networks Characterization of Korea’s Corruption Bureaucratic Corruption Compensatory Corruption Networked Corruption History of Korea’s Anticorruption Efforts Anticorruption Campaigns under Authoritarian Governments Political versus Bureaucratic Corruption during Democratization Toward a Comprehensive Anticorruption Law after Democratization Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (Kim Young-ran Act) Backdrop to and Timing of the Legislation Concerns about Unconstitutionality Post-Legislation Uncertainties Conclusion: Toward a New Society Notes Bibliography Chapter 7 The Evolution of China’s Anticorruption Strategy The Evolution of China’s Anticorruption Strategy The Maoist Period The Post-Mao Period The Xi Jinping Era Conclusion Notes Bibliography Conclusion The Comparative Study of Anticorruption Campaigns: Where Do We Go from Here? Notes Bibliography Contributors Index "Corruption plagues all countries, be they democratic or authoritarian. Just as endemic are anti-corruption demands. In The Political Logics of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Asia contributors examine the political dynamics behind anti-corruption efforts. Examining seven cases across Asia--a region notable for its political diversity, challenging environment for fighting corruption, and multifarious anti-corruption outcomes--this volume suggests that anti-corruption strategy may be associated more closely with shifting bases of regime legitimacy than with regime type itself. Specifically, disagreements over what constitutes corruption, what enables corruption, and how to combat corruption not only offer premises from which political actors may challenge their opponents, but also shape the trajectories of anti-corruption efforts. Underlying these disagreements, furthermore, is contention over the basis of regime legitimacy, driven by three often competing, yet sometimes overlapping motivations: private interests, party loyalty, and political institutionalization. Examining the varying roles anti-corruption efforts play in solidifying or challenging democratic and non-democratic institutions and legitimacy, as well as the broader political and economic contexts that gave rise to these efforts, the case studies within this volume shed light on the divergent ways in which states control and respond to political elites and the society at large, and on how citizens from across strata understand and engage with their states"-- Provided by publisher "Corruption plagues all countries, be they democratic or authoritarian. Just as endemic are anti-corruption demands. In The Political Logics of Anti-Corruption Efforts in Asia contributors examine the political dynamics behind anti-corruption efforts. Examining seven cases across Asia--a region notable for its political diversity, challenging environment for fighting corruption, and multifarious anti-corruption outcomes--this volume suggests that anti-corruption strategy may be associated more closely with shifting bases of regime legitimacy than with regime type itself. Specifically, disagreements over what constitutes corruption, what enables corruption, and how to combat corruption not only offer premises from which political actors may challenge their opponents, but also shape the trajectories of anti-corruption efforts. Underlying these disagreements, furthermore, is contention over the basis of regime legitimacy, driven by three often competing, yet sometimes overlapping motivations: private interests, party loyalty, and political institutionalization. Examining the varying roles anti-corruption efforts play in solidifying or challenging democratic and non-democratic institutions and legitimacy, as well as the broader political and economic contexts that gave rise to these efforts, the case studies within this volume shed light on the divergent ways in which states control and respond to political elites and the society at large, and on how citizens from across strata understand and engage with their states"--Résumé de l'éditeur