The Same Old Story: The collapse of the semi-democracy regime in 1930s Japan and 2006 Thailand
Keywords:
Taisho democracy, 2006 Thai coup d’état, 1932 attempted coup, Civil-Military relationsAbstract
Both Thailand and Japan have experienced turbulent democratic processes. In addition, both countries are considered as semi-democratic according to Dahl’s framework. It is undeniable that both countries have failed in democratization itself, at one stage, despite being almost 100 years apart, and Lipset’s prerequisite having been met. There were three main factors that led to such occurrences, these being too many offices, which have considerable authority over the electoral force, politicians who side with the non-democratic side for their gain, and the belief that there existed a better alternative form of government. These have been accompanied by six circumstantial similarities that have made the situation in Thailand and Japan similar. Lastly, we can see that the military have played an important role as an undemocratic force or democratic force supporter depending on how much the civilian government can assert their control over them.
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