Over the past century, Asia has been transformed by rapid economic growth, industrialisation, and urbanisation—a spectacular record of development that has turned one of the world’s poorest regions into one of its richest. Yet Asia’s record of democratisation has been much more uneven, despite the global correlation between development and democracy.

Why have some Asian countries become more democratic as they have grown richer, while others — most notably China — haven’t? In From Development to Democracy, Dan Slater and Joseph Wong offer a sweeping and original answer to this crucial question.  

Join Professor Joe Wong (University of Toronto) to discuss his new book, From Development to Democracy: The Transformations of Modern Asia (Princeton University Press, 2022), in conversation with Dr Maya Tudor.