1st Edition

Political Change in Macao

By Shiu-Hing Lo Copyright 2008
    186 Pages
    by Routledge

    192 Pages
    by Routledge

    Since the handover to the People's Republic of China in 1999 Macao has undergone a multi-faceted transformation marked by persistent bureaucratic reforms, changing patterns and modes of political participation, internationalization and modernization, and competition and coordination with Macao’s neighbouring cities. In this original and stimulating analysis of the status of political life in Macao, Sonny Lo examines the Portuguese legacy and the transition from the Portuguese administration to the legitimacy-building efforts of the new Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government.

    This book also includes fascinating discussion of:

    • the governing philosophy of the new Chief Executive Edmund Ho and the dynamic economic development resulting from this
    • the changes in citizen participation
    • the reforms directed at the bureaucracy
    • the management of casino franchise and operations
    • the changing political economy of regional rivalries and coordination, including relations with Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Shenzhen
    • organized crime in Macao

    As a comprehensive study of this unique city, Political Change in Macao will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars interested in Chinese studies, Asian politics and the theoretical and practical dimensions of political change.

    Awarded the first class prize by the Macao Foundation in October 2009

    Introduction. 1. Macao from Portuguese Rule to Legitimacy-Building After Retrocession  2. The Bureaucracy and Its Reform 3. Political Participation from Elections to Protests 4. Casino Politics, Organized Crime and the Post-Colonial State 6. The New Political Economy of Regional Integration, Rivalries and Coordination. Conclusion.

     

    Biography

    Sonny Lo is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo, Canada.

    'Among the Western literature, the book Political Change in Macao may be the most comprehensive review of Macao’s politics and government in the last ten years. In addition to gambling, the easy-to-read book provides a good reference for readers to understand post-colonial Macao’s political and economic dimensions and analyses the multi-faceted transformation of the city-state. It discusses the most important political issues of the casino capitalist city in the past ten years, namely the changes in the governing philosophy of political leadership, the dynamics of citizen participation and mass mobilization, public sector reform, the partial liberalization of casino liberalization and its political and economic implications, and the organized crime in Macao.' - Bill K.P. Chou, University of Macau - East Asia: An International Quarterly

    Awarded the first class prize by the Macao Foundation in October 2009

    'This book is written by a serious scholar specializing in Macao and Hong Kong politics. It is well written, informative and full of insights.' - HERBERT YEE, Pacific Affairs: Volume 82, No. 3 -Fall 2009