Thread by @kristenelooney

It’s here! Happy to announce that my book Mobilizing for Development was just released by @CornellPress as a hardcover and ebook. Quick summary below 1/

For decades, the story of East Asia’s economic transformation has been told from one main perspective: the developmental state framework. The book departs from that theory by shifting the focus from industrial to rural development 2/

I argue that rural modernization campaigns played a key role in the region. They occurred in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China, although their outcomes varied 3/

In some cases, the presence of more responsive local governments and farmers’ organizations led to positive development outcomes (improved production, welfare, infrastructure) 4/

While in other cases, the absence of responsive local institutions caused campaigns to spiral out of control (production failures, mass relocations) 5/

The book shows a more revolutionary (and less bureaucratic) side to these regimes and adds to the literature on East Asia’s political economy, which has all but ignored campaigns 6/

The focus on campaigns also helps make sense of East Asian countries’ recent mobilization efforts to contain the coronavirus. The region's democratic and authoritarian regimes have more in common than is often acknowledged 7/

The book is based on several years of on-the-ground research in China, Taiwan, and South Korea, including interviews with farmers and local officials 8/

The cover is of Huaxi cun, China’s richest village, and is meant to convey an ideal modern village and the unrealistic aspirations of campaigns 9/

Thanks to @CornellPress, and to all my colleagues @GUGovt, @asianstudiesgu, @georgetownsfs
#AsianStudies #AcademicTwitter #academicresearch #book #ComparativePolitics #PoliticalScience #womenalsoknow 10/

For anyone interested in learning more, the code 09FLYER will get you 30% off here cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/978150174… 11/11