The seminar for which the papers in this publication were prepared was the first in a series of workshops intended to link senior public policy researchers from around the Pacific Rim in order to open up channels of communication through which researchers from Asia Pacific nations can exchange views on problems and reforms in the area of governance and public sector management. Paper titles include: The Changing Shape of Government in the Asia-Pacific Region; Korean Politics in a Period of Transition; The Unfinished Political Reforms of the Hong Kong Government; Demi-democracy: Thai Politics and Government in Transition; Government and Governance in Multi-Racial Malaysia; Controlled Democracy, Political Stability and PAP Predominance: Government in Singapore; Entrenched "Strong Man" Rule: The Governmental System in Bangladesh; Australian National Government, 1987; Toward More Effective Government in the US; and, Some Issues of Governance in Canada.

These series of workshop papers are the second volume to be released by the Institute. The first was held in Victoria, 1987. This second one was co-hosted with the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRC). A third one is scheduled for May 1990 in Kuala Lumpur. The workshop series is intended to link senior public policy researchers and practitioners from around the region. Papers presented address economic policy-making in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

This manuscript is a collection of essays on various issues in Asia-Pacific legal systems. It has been written within the framework of comparative legal research; thus, chapters address various of the ASEAN nations, as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The topics in this comprehensive volume, which offer Canadian perspectives on contemporary Asian law, include securities, prostitution, environmental, and constitutional law.

It may be tempting to view political development and democratization in East Asia from a global view and conclude that the contours of democracy will converge throughout the world. However, a close examination of the cultural and economic development of Asian societies suggests a contrary picture. The story of Asia is one of political and economic survival, in which political elites sought to legitimate their authority through the use of both traditional and modern symbols. Traditional communitarian values and the modern symbols of economic growth and materialism coexist in Asian political systems. The stability and legitimacy of Asian governments depend on the ability of political elites to balance these symbols. As globalization proceeds, the standard traditional and modern symbols have waned in their effectiveness. Therefore, democracy as a symbol and practice can provide new sources of legitimacy to these political systems. Compton's Asian political development model is tested with quantitative indicators and through a series of case studies. The three case studies—Japan, South Korea, and Thailand—build on each other through a rigorous historical comparison. While the case studies themselves are interesting, he makes connections to the model and tests the congruence of these cases to the model, and concludes that the model's validity is predicated on the internal environment, including culture and economy. Of particular interest to scholars, students, and researchers involved with comparative and Asian politics, political development, and political culture.