Approaches to the Politics of Economic Growth in Southeast Asia

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Abstract
Richard F. Doner, in reference to Southeast Asia, asserts the need to broaden the discussion of economic growth to include political economy, which he defines as "the ways politics influences aspects of economic policymaking," and, in turn, how economic activity influences the political process. He points out that dependency theory has the value of showing how external events and forces can affect the economy of small states participating in a regional or world economy, while institutional theory can explain the role of the state in creating limits to the functioning of market forces. He adds a plea, based on his own research in Thailand, for scholars using the institutional approach not to exclude the important activities of nongovernmental bodies such as trade associations or merchant groups from their analysis.