Political families in Southeast Asia

The political family has an entrenched place within the modern political systems of South East Asian states. Current and former national leaders of the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore are members of political dynasties and elsewhere in the region family networks play central roles in the political lives of these nations. To the international community, democracy and electoral politics signals stability and a commitment to shared standards and values for governance. In the emerging South East Asian democracies, however, family, patronage, nepotism and dynasty are also key ingredients within these polities. Some reflect generations-long traditions of political power-sharing regardless of regime type, whilst others are generated and buoyed by the opportunities presented by the democratic and electoral process itself.