In this course we will look at economic theory and the role of governments in the development of Southeast Asia. During the first half of the semester, we will review the principles of political economy as applied to the Southeast Asian economies using Garr Rodan, Kevin Hewison, and Richard Robison’ foundational text “The Political Economy of Southeast Asia: Market, Power, and Contestation.” Although we will be looking at all the chapters, in many cases summaries and vocabulary lists will be provided, and some sections within chapters may be skipped. In the second half of the semester, we will use journal articles to look deeper into the issues surrouding Southeast Asian political economy. We will look at political economy issues in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

Each class section will be taught in two sessions. In the first hour, the teacher will present the materials in a lecture style. In the second hour, the students will form smaller discussion groups to go over the material together. The teacher’s assistant for the class will be available to help students with the readings and with their English skills during discussion.