Abstract
The aim of this paper is to enhance the understanding of the nature of the electoral reform occurring in Southeast Asia since the 1990s. After providing an overview of the current electoral systems in seven Southeast Asian nations, the paper focuses on electoral reform efforts in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Common characteristics of these nations' reform efforts include that (1) the reforms took place in the context of democratic regime change and (2) the desired effects of reform have not materialized in most cases. In addition, although a major study found the electoral reform in Southeast Asia is a shift towards “majoritarian” democracy, this study argues that the new electoral rules are a mixture of “majoritarian” and “consensus” types.
