3 Review(s)

ASEAN has embarked on an ambitious reform program, a key aspect being its inclusion of civil society organizations in policymaking. This "people-oriented" agenda parallels developments in regional and global governance institutions elsewhere, where civil society engagement is deemed necessary in addressing these institutions' "democracy deficit". Scholars have documented the expanded role of civil society organizations in global politics, however prevailing theoretical accounts overlook exactly why and how they are included in policymaking, and how their inclusion shapes political outcomes. This groundbreaking book harnesses political economy analysis to explain this trend. Through the lens of ASEAN, it examines how social and political conflicts define participatory channels. Charting the specific modalities of civil society participation, Kelly Gerard demonstrates that ASEAN's "people-oriented" agenda builds legitimacy, while sidelining ASEAN's detractors. ASEAN's Engagement of Civil Society demonstrates why and how participatory policymaking is not inherently democratizing, instead creating new sites for contestation.