Description
More Political Than We Admit
Theories and the Problematic of Philippine Politics
Edited by Julio C. Teehankee
More Political Than We Admit is a compelling anthology that challenges the public’s perception of Philippine politics. Anchored in the Filipino terms pulitika, pamumulitika, and pinulitika, this collection of essays underscores the inescapable reality of how politics is deeply interwoven into the everyday lives of the Filipinos.
The book’s title alludes to its central argument, which is that Filipinos are “more political than we admit,” playing dual roles—as both objects and subjects—in political processes. This anthology aims to provide novel insights into the paradoxes and intricacies that characterize Philippine politics.
Curated by prominent scholars and emerging voices in political science, this collection features both classic and contemporary essays that delve into critical areas of political life in the country. They explore the idea of Filipino politics through multiple lenses, providing an analytical and empirical roadmap to understanding the origins and intricacies of the Philippine political system. From examining the frameworks of power dynamics to proposing alternative futures for the Filipino people, the book is a thought-provoking exploration of what shapes political engagement in the Philippines.
Divided into four comprehensive chapters, the anthology begins by dissecting the foundations of Filipino politics, presenting the everyday experiences and cultural expressions of ordinary Filipinos as a potent lens for political analysis. The book then moves from these foundational critiques to a theoretical exploration, featuring diverse perspectives that argue for new frameworks to interpret Philippine political realities. The book culminates in essays that navigate the themes of democracy and political power in the Philippines, bringing to light the contradictions and challenges of democratization in a country marked by deep socioeconomic divides.
Through essays on the influence of elite families, political dynasties, and the rise of technocrats, More Political Than We Admit offers a nuanced view of the enduring and evolving nature of power in the Philippines. Together, these essays invite readers to reconsider the meaning of democracy and political participation in the context of a nation grappling with its colonial past and present struggles for just governance.
More Political Than We Admit, edited by Prof. Julio C. Teehankee, offers an analytical and empirical road map to help us understand the origins of our political system and its many contradictions. Divided into four chapters, this anthology of seventeen essays also provides information and insights on what is happening in Philippine politics today.
The latest studies by Filipino political scientists presented in this book show a dynamic and pluralist perspective on politics. More Political Than We Admit is a book that everyone—from pundits to academics, highbrows, and organic intellectuals, to the general public—should read and keep within reach.
Rolando O. Borrinaga, PhD
—Retired Professor, School of Health Sciences,
University of the Philippines Manila
CONTENT
Foreword by Patricio N. Abinales
Preface by Julio C. Teehankee
CHAPTER 1 Mapulitika ’yan: Understanding Philippine Politics
By Whom and For Whom: Studying Philippine Politics and Political Science in the Philippines
Jan Robert R. Go
Reading Philippine Politics: From Above and Below
Reynold D. Agnes
CHAPTER 2 Theories of Philippine Politics
Toward a More Comprehensive Analysis of Philippine Politics: Beyond the Patron-Client, Factional Framework
Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet
The Organic-Hierarchical Paradigm and Politics in the Philippines
Remigio E. Agpalo
Liberty and Government in the New Society: An Intellectual Perspective
Onofre D. Corpuz
Basic Problems of the Filipino People
Amado Guerrero
The Twin Enlightenments of Marxism and Liberalism in the Philippines
Lisandro E. Claudio
CHAPTER 3 Democracy: Filipino Style
Cacique Democracy and the Philippines: Origins and Dreams
Benedict Anderson
Philippine Democracy and Moral Politics
Kusaka Wataru
Why are the Middle Class Misbehaving?: Exploring Democratic Ambivalence and Authoritarian Nostalgia
Adele Webb
Introduction to Democracy in a Time of Misery: From Spectacular Tragedies to Deliberative Action
Nicole Curato
Challenges to Democratization from the Perspective of Political Inaction: Insights into Political Disempowerment and Citizenship in the Philippines
Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, Ador R. Torneo, and Ian Jayson R. Hecita
CHAPTER 4 A Powerful Few
Elites of Wealth and Elites of Power, The Changing Dynamics: A Philippine Case Study
David Wurfel
An Anarchy of Families: The Historiography of State and Family in The Philippines
Alfred W. McCoy
The Local Manufacturing Elites: Historical Roots and Class Formation
Temario C. Rivera
The Philippine Elite: Historical Beginnings and Development
Dante C. Simbulan
Philippine Technocracy and the Politics of Economic Decision-Making: A Comparison of the Martial Law and Post-Martial Law Periods
Teresa S. Encarnacion Tadem
Acknowledgments
Image Credits
About the Contributors
Index
About the Editor
About the Editor
Julio C. Teehankee is Full Professor and Research Fellow of Political Science at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University. He served as Chair of the Political Science Department (1994–2007); Chair of the International Studies Department (2008-2013); and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (2013–2017). He also served as President of the Philippine Political Science Association (2017–2019) and the Asian Political and International Studies Association (2009–2011). He is also the Regional Manager of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He has held several visiting appointments, including Kyoto University, Australian National University, City University of Hong Kong, Osaka University, University of Tokyo, Waseda University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research is on issues of popular participation, governance, democratization, and contested institutions in East and Southeast Asia. He has published extensively on the topics of elections, party politics, and political dynasties. His latest book, “Rethinking Parties in Democratizing Asia,” has been published by Routledge in 2023. He appears regularly as a political analyst for local and international media outlets and his YouTube channel— “Talk Politics with Julio Teehankee.”
© 2024
536 pages; 15.24 x 22.86 cm.