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It became more important to understand the connection between inequality
and democracy across the region. East Asia, there are interesting cases in existing
comparative political economy. There are theory; one is focusing on the relationship
within economic development and democracy and the other one is inequality and
democracy. Here, the inequality democracy starts that some people argue that
democratization is least likely when inequality is high. Other people argue that
democratization is most likely when inequality is high and others argue that
Inequality harms consolidation democracy. But East Asia cases offer very interesting
exception this kind of argument. For instance, when you look at democratization is
least likely when inequality is high. It is clearly that it is South Korea and Taiwan
as well as Malaysia and Singapore but on the other hand, disconfirming case:
Indonesia which has democracy but the inequality is high, this cases is confirming
this argument.

There are three important theories. One is called the redistribution-democracy
theory assumes that in unequal societies the wealthy are less supportive of
democracy, especially institutions of majority rule, while being less opposed to
dictatorship than the poor. According to this theory, when inequality is high. The
second theory is called elite-competition theory assumes that in unequal societies
the wealthy are more supportive of democracy, especially institutions of horizontal
accountability, while being more opposed to dictatorship than the poor. And, the

last one is called self-enforcing theory of democracy assumes that in unequal and
less affluent societies the wealthy are less supportive of democracy, especially
institutions of majority rule, while being less opposed to dictatorship than the poor.
Then, we could see how East Asia or Southeast Asia in term of this theory.
เอกสารประกอบการอภิปรายร่วมระหว่างผู้แทนจากต่างประเทศ
Our cases of lower income inequality are all high-income countries, this finding
suggest that the influence of economic growth with declining income disparity.
In countries with low income inequality where distributional conflicts are less
salient, values and beliefs, as captured especially by education, seem to play a
large role in shaping attitudes toward political regime. This is evidence from East
Asia without diving. I count all together by the data again and this is evidence
from whole East Asia region. Here it is very interesting finding that living in an
unequal but affluent country like Singapore instead of an unequal and less affluent
one like Indonesia and Philippines had negative effects, suggesting that economic
development with increasing income disparity as in Singapore tends to induce
people turn away from both electoral and liberal democracy. Another findings that
living in an equal and affluent country instead of an unequal and less affluent one
as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan had positive effects, meaning that economic