Democratization in Asia-Pacific with Joseph Wong

Sanjay Ruparelia is joined by Joseph Wong, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto and the Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs. Professor Wong discusses why it’s better for authoritarian regimes to transition to democracies when they’re strong, rather than when they are weak. Although it may seem counterintuitive, Wong argues that autocratic governments have an incentive to transition to democracies when they’re most powerful, rather than when they’re on the brink of collapse.

In this episode of On The Frontlines of Democracy, show host Sanjay Ruparelia sits down with University of Toronto professor and political scientist, Joseph Wong. The pair discuss why some authoritarian regimes have smoother transitions to democracy compared to others. Ultimately, Professor Wong argues that liberal democracies should encourage autocrats to embrace democratic transitions when they’re powerful, rather than hoping for their collapse. 

Host: Sanjay Ruparelia, Jarislowsky Democracy Chair and Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Guest: Joseph Wong, Roz and Ralph Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Vice President, International of the University of Toronto

Background Reading: 

Joseph Wong and Dan Slater’s From Development to Democracy

Joseph Wong’s Healthy Democracies

Joseph Wong’s Betting on Biotech: Innovation and the Limits of Asia's Developmental State

Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson’s Why Nations Fail