Periods of major political transition are generally so complex as to present the political analyst with one of his most difficult challenges. Indonesia between 1957 and 1959 was no exception. During these years a previously wide diffusion of political power was superseded by its increasing concentration in three major bases: President Soekarno, the Army and the Communist Party. This was also a period of crisis in the relationships of Djakarta and Java with the other major islands of the archipelago; and it was marked by ideological ferment and change, largely dominated by the views of President Soekarno. It was during these years that Guided Democracy was given its initial shape, with the stage being set for a power struggle which was to become increasingly intense. So dramatic were the political experiences of this period and so deeply etched in the minds of many Indonesians that their effect is still strongly felt and can be expected to influence the character of Indonesia's political development for many years to come. Dr. Daniel S. Lev is particularly well qualified to examine the course of Indonesian political developments between 1957 and 1959. Arriving in Indonesia towards the end of this period, he remained there for three years engaged in an intensive study of its political life. His monograph constitutes by far the most searching analysis yet to appear of this critically important period. As well as providing a guide to these earlier formative years in the nation's political development, it will, I am sure, long remain relevant for all those seriously interested in understanding contemporary Indonesian political life. - George McT. Kahin, August 10, 1966

One of the most exciting and hopeful trends of the past 15 years has been the worldwide movement away from authoritarian governments. The collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe is only the latest and most dramatic element in a process that began in the mid-1970s and still seems to be gaining momentum in such areas as subsaharan Africa. This book summarizes the presentations and discussions at a workshop for the U.S. Agency for International Development that explored what is known about transitions to democracy in various parts of the world and what the United States can do to support the democratization process.

In 'Authoritarian Modernization in Indonesia?s Early Independence Period', Farabi Fakih offers a historical analysis of the foundational years leading to Indonesia?s New Order state (1966-1998) during the early independence period. The study looks into the structural and ideological state formation during the so-called Liberal Democracy (1950-1957) and Sukarno?s Guided Democracy (1957-1965). In particular, it analyses how the international technical aid network and the dominant managerialist ideology of the period legitimized a new managerial elite. The book discusses the development of managerial education in the civil and military sectors in Indonesia. The study gives a strongly backed argument that Sukarno?s constitutional reform during the Guided Democracy period inadvertently provided a strong managerial blueprint for the New Order developmentalist state.