Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T06:15:05.049Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Forcing the Genie Back in the Bottle: Sociological Change, Institutional Reform, and Health Policy in Thailand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2016

Allen Hicken  and
Joel Sawat Selway
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In 2007, those behind the 2006 coup drafted a new constitution specifically aimed at turning back the political and policymaking clock to the pre-1997 era. However, in the preceding decade a significant transformation of Thai politics had taken place. Specifically, social cleavages had become politicized and particized in ways we have not seen before, and policy-focused, popular party programs had become part and parcel of serious party campaign strategies. Focusing on health policy, we thus argue in this article that institutional reforms have had predictable and observable implications for policymaking in Thailand, but only when considered in the context of changes to the broader social structure and other political conditions. While the 1997 reforms brought about a well-documented shift toward a more centralized, coordinated, and nationally focused policymaking environment, the 2007 reforms have been less successful at reversing that impact. In short, the coup makers are finding it harder than they supposed to force the genie back into the bottle.

Keywords

Thailandpolitical partiesinstitutionhealthhealth policypolicymaking
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of East Asian Studies , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , April 2012 , pp. 57 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © East Asia Institute 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bielasiak, Jack. 2002 “The Institutionalization of Electoral and Party Systems in Postcommunist States.” Comparative Politics 34: 189–210.Google Scholar
Chandra, Kanchan. 2004. Why Ethnic Parties Succeed. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, William Roberts, and Golder, Matt. 2006. “Rehabilitating Duverger's Theory: Testing the Mechanical and Strategic Modifying Effects of Electoral Laws.” Comparative Political Studies 39, 6: 679–708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, Gary W. 1997. Making Votes Count. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cox, Gary W., and McCubbins, Mathew D.. 2001. “The Institutional Determinants of Policy Outcomes.” In Presidents, Parliaments, and Policy , ed. Haggard, Stephan and McCubbins, Mathew D.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Party, Democrat. 2005. Nayhobai Saataaranasuk Pak Bhrachaathibhat. [Democrat party health policy].Google Scholar
Duverger, Maurice. 1954. Political Parties: Their Organization and Activity in the Modern State. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Edwards, Martin S., and Thames, Frank C.. 2007. “District Magnitude, Personal Votes, and Government Expenditures.” Electoral Studies 26: 338–345.Google Scholar
Franzese, Robert J., and Nooruddin, Irfan. 2004. “The Effective Constituency in (Re)Distributive Politics: Alternative Bases of Democratic Representation, Geographic Versus Partisan.” Juan March Institute Working Paper Series. Madrid: Juan March Institute.Google Scholar
Haggard, Stephan, and Kaufman, Robert R.. 2008. Democracy, Development and Welfare States. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Hicken, Allen. 2001. “Parties, Policy and Patronage: Governance and Growth in Thailand.” In Corruption: The Boom and Bust of East Asia , ed. Campos, J. E. L.. Manila: Ateneo de Manila Press.Google Scholar
Hicken, Allen. 2004. “The Politics of Economic Reform in Thailand: Crisis and Compromise.” William Davidson Institute Working Paper No. 638. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Hicken, Allen. 2006. “Party Fabrication: Constitutional Reform and the Rise of Thai Rak Thai.” Journal of East Asian Studies 6, 3: 381–407.Google Scholar
Hicken, Allen. 2008. Building Party Systems in Developing Democracies. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hicken, Allen. 2010. “Phak or Phuak: The Questionable Development of Partisan Identity in Thailand.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC Google Scholar
Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University. 2010. “‘The Strong Thailand Project’ at the Ministry of Public Health.” In Thai Health 2010: Capitalism in Crisis: Opportunity for Society? Thai Health Promotion Foundation (Health Information System Development Programme). Bangkok.Google Scholar
Keyes, Charles F. 1997. “Cultural Diversity and National Identity in Thailand.” In Government Policies and Ethnic Relations in Asia and the Pacific , ed. Brown, M. E. and Ganguly, S.. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Levitsky, Steven. 2007. “From Populism to Clientelism? The Transformation of Labor-based Party Linkages in Latin America.” In Patrons, Clients, and Policies: Patterns of Democratic Accountability and Political Competition , ed. Kitschelt, Herbert and Wilkinson, Steven I.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Lipset, Seymour, and Rokkan, Stein, eds. 1967. Party Systems and Voter Alignments: Cross-National Perspectives. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
McAllister, Ian, and White, Stephen. 2007. “Political Parties and Democratic Consolidation in Post-Communist Societies.” Party Politics 13: 197–216.Google Scholar
Milesi-Ferretti, G. M., Perotti, R., and Rostagno, M.. 2002. “Electoral Systems and Public Spending.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 117, 2: 609–657.Google Scholar
Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). 2004. “Thailand Health Profile: 2003–2004.” Nonthaburi, Thailand: MOPH.Google Scholar
Nelson, Michael. 1998. Central Authority and Local Democratization in Thailand: A Case Study from Chachoengsao Province. Bangkok: White Lotus Press.Google Scholar
Ockey, James. 1994. “Political Parties, Factions, and Corruption in Thailand.” Modern Asian Studies 28, 2: 251–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Painter, Martin. 2006. “Thaksinisation or Managerialism? Reforming the Thai Bureaucracy.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 36, 1: 26–47.Google Scholar
Pannarunothai, Supasit. 2003. “Equity in Health: Concept and Data in Thailand.” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 86, 9: 889–895.Google Scholar
Panyarachun, Anand. 2006. “The Thai Universal Health Care: A Personal View.” Thai Journal of Surgery 27, 1: 1–4.Google Scholar
Persson, Torsten, and Tabellini, Guido. 1999. “The Size and Scope of Government: Comparative Politics with Rational Politicians.” European Economic Review 43, 4: 699–735.Google Scholar
Persson, Torsten, and Tabellini, Guido. 2004. “Constitutions and Economic Policy.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 18, 1: 75–98.Google Scholar
Phatharathananunth, Somchai. 2008. “The Thai Rak Thai Party and Elections in North-eastern Thailand.” Journal of Contemporary Asia 38, 1: 106–123.Google Scholar
Phongpaichit, Pasuk, and Baker, Chris. 2004. Thaksin: The Business of Politics in Thailand. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books.Google Scholar
Phromporn, Pramualratana, Wibunphonprasoet Suwit, Satharanasuk Sathaban Wichai Rabop, and Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung. 2002. Health Insurance Systems in Thailand. Nonthaburi, Thailand: Health Systems Research Institute.Google Scholar
Pierson, Paul. 2004. Politics in Time: History, Institutions, and Social Analysis. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Pitayarangsarit, Siriwan. 2004. “Agenda Setting Process.” In From Policy to Implementation: Historical Events During 2001–4 of Universal Coverage in Thailand , ed. Tangcharoensathien, V. and Jongudomsuk, P.. Nonthaburi, Thailand: National Health Security Office.Google Scholar
Posner, Daniel N. 2004. “Measuring Ethnic Fractionalization in Africa.” American Journal of Political Science 48, 4: 849–863.Google Scholar
Rickard, Stephanie J. 2005. “Broad vs. Narrow: Explaining the Form of Redistributive Policies.” Paper presented at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC, August 30–September 3.Google Scholar
Rogers, Peter. 1996. Northeast Thailand from Prehistoric to Modern Times: In Search of Isan's Past. Bangkok: Duang Kamol.Google Scholar
Selway, Joel. 2007a. “The Political Economy of Healthcare in Thailand.” Bangkok: The Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University.Google Scholar
Selway, Joel. 2007b. “Turning Malays into Thai-men: Nationalism, Ethnicity and Economic Inequality in Thailand.” South East Asia Research 15, 1: 53–87.Google Scholar
Selway, Joel. 2009. “Constitutions, Cross-Cutting Cleavages and Coordination: The Political Economy of Health and Education Provision in Developing Democracies.” PhD diss., University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Selway, Joel. 2011. “Electoral Reform and Public Policy Outcomes in Thailand: The Politics of the 30-Baht Health Scheme.” World Politics 63, 1: 165–202.Google Scholar
Suksawat, R. 1989. “Evaluation of the Low Income Card Scheme.” In Report to the Rural Health Division (in Thai). Nonthaburi, Thailand: Ministry of Public Health.Google Scholar
Supalak, Ganjankhundee. 2006. “Khabuankan prachachon kueng samret rup” [A half-completed people's movement]. Fa Dieo Kan [Same sky] 4, 2: 166–186.Google Scholar
Tancharoensathien, Viroj, et al. 2004. “An Analysis of Data from the Reports on Health and Welfare Surveys 2003 and 2004.” Bangkok: National Statistics Office, Royal Government of Thailand.Google Scholar
Thailand Budget Bureau. 1999–2006. Budget in Brief. Bangkok: Bureau of the Budget.Google Scholar
Tumkosit, U. 1996. “Evaluation of the Issuing of Low Income Card, 1990.” Bangkok: National Institute for Development Administration.Google Scholar
Ungpakorn, Giles Ji. 2006. “The Impact of the Thai ‘Sixties’ on the Peoples Movement Today.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 7, 4: 570–588.Google Scholar
Ungpakorn, Giles Ji. 2007. A Coup for the Rich: Thailand's Political Crisis. Bangkok: Workers Democracy Publishing.Google Scholar
United Nations. 2009. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision (advanced Excel tables). New York: United Nations.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO). 1993. World Health Services Report. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO). 2000. The World Health Report. Health Systems: Improving Performance. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (WHO). 2010. WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar