Elite Capture in Asia

Elite Capture in Asia, drawing on experiences of eight Asian countries, explores the functioning of power in practice to demonstrate how public policy across South and Southeast Asia is influenced, directed, and often subverted by elites whose interests diverge from the broader public good. The book also makes efforts to venture beyond the state of elite capture to explore instances of resistance, reform, and potential for addressing the problem. Researchers in political economy, public policy, and development, policymakers and practitioners, students and engaged citizens can benefit from the empirical studies used in the book. This volume does not offer a single model or universal solution. Instead, it advances a shared analytical lens for understanding the extent of the challenge of policy capture and its consequences. The book aims to contribute to ongoing debates about governance in South and Southeast Asia.