Description
Book SynopsisSuccessful transitions to enduring democracy are both difficult and rare. In Scandal and Democracy, Mary E. McCoy explores how newly democratizing nations can avoid reverting to authoritarian solutions in response to the daunting problems brought about by sudden change. The troubled transitions that have derailed democratization in nations worldwide make this problem a major concern for scholars and citizens alike.
This study of Indonesia''s transition from authoritarian rule sheds light on the fragility not just of democratic transitions but of democracy itself and finds that democratization''s durability depends, to a surprising extent, on the role of the media, particularly its airing of political scandal and intraelite conflict. More broadly, Scandal and Democracy examines how the media''s use of new freedoms can help ward off a slide into pseudodemocracy or a return to authoritarian rule. As Indonesia marks the twentieth anniversary of its democratic revolut
Trade Review
"Scandal and Democracy is an excellent book which explores in depth the media in the crucial period of Indonesia's transition from authoritarian rule to democracy and beyond." -- Ross Tapsell, Australian National University, and author of Media Power in Indonesia
"Mary McCoy offers a fascinating and experienced analysis of Indonesian politics through the lens of the media. She puts elite collusion at the heart of Indonesia’s democratic woes and highlights the positive role that scandals can play in breaking down corrupt political arrangements." -- Dan Slater, University of Michigan, author of Ordering Power
