Week 2 Summary
Kingsbury. 2005. Authority and Legitimacy. South East Asia: A Political Pro le. pp. 24–46
Kingsbury discusses the connection between authority and legitimacy in South East Asia by,
rstly, contrasting active and passive participation in the political process. He draws on Weber’s
distinction between the three types of legitimate power: rational legal, traditional and charismatic.
He classi es South East Asian politics as having no separation of power and having
“quasimetaphysical” qualities. Although Asian Values are often associated with politics in Asia, it
is stated that it is impossible to homogenise the whole of Asia. The lasting in uence of colonialism
does, however, serve as a common factor throughout the politics of various Asian countries.
Words: 98
Research question: Is the implication that all Asian governments share these “Asian Values”
damaging or harmful to these governments?
fi
fi fl fi
Kingsbury. 2005. Authority and Legitimacy. South East Asia: A Political Pro le. pp. 24–46
Kingsbury discusses the connection between authority and legitimacy in South East Asia by,
rstly, contrasting active and passive participation in the political process. He draws on Weber’s
distinction between the three types of legitimate power: rational legal, traditional and charismatic.
He classi es South East Asian politics as having no separation of power and having
“quasimetaphysical” qualities. Although Asian Values are often associated with politics in Asia, it
is stated that it is impossible to homogenise the whole of Asia. The lasting in uence of colonialism
does, however, serve as a common factor throughout the politics of various Asian countries.
Words: 98
Research question: Is the implication that all Asian governments share these “Asian Values”
damaging or harmful to these governments?
fi
fi fl fi
