Growing Up Democratic: Generational Change in East Asian Democracies

Abstract

Most new democracies face a challenge of reshaping the political culture to support the new democratic political order. This can often be a long-term process, complicated by the Realpolitik of governing in a new political (and often economic) system. One of the mechanisms of cultural change is generational change. New generations socialized after a democratic transition are presumably educated into the political norms of the new democratic regime. However, one can also imagine that the young lack clear political cues because they grow up under a system in transition, or even reject the new order if it is accompanied by widespread social dislocation. The study of generational change in new democracies thus provides insights into the processes transforming a nation’s political culture. We analyze generational change in the new democracies of East Asia using the second wave of the East Asian Barometer. We examine support for democratic/authoritarian regime forms and the citizenship norms that underlie a democratic process (such as political efficacy and tolerance). Our results yield evidence of significant generational change in regime norms in these new democracies, which suggests that the political culture is gradually being transformed.

Keywords: Democracy, East Asia, generations, socialization