Review of 'Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian Politics' Richard Robison (ed.) (London: Routledge, 2012)

Abstract

This year signals the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Asia Research Centre (ARC) at Murdoch University in Australia. Through their postgraduate teaching programme and numerous research projects and publications, scholars associated with the ARC have forged an international reputation for their contributions to studies of Southeast Asian political economy. This handbook marks a significant addition to this distinguished body of scholarship. It is also a practical demonstration of the ongoing capacity of the "Murdoch School" to ask critically important questions about the nature and dynamics of political change in Southeast Asia. The volume is not a typical text in that it does not attempt to survey the national politics of each of the societies in the region. Rather, it provides an introduction to the key themes and problems that have "defined" post-World War II Southeast Asian politics. The result is a collection of essays, by a mix of established and younger scholars, which will be an essential research tool for anyone seriously interested in the politics of the region. Through its treatment of key questions concerned with contemporary processes of state formation and the operation of systems for institutionalising and organising politics, the text will also be extremely valuable for those engaged with broader theoretical debates in comparative studies of politics and development.