Ferdinand Marcos and the Philippines: The Political Economy of Authoritarianism

by Albert F. Celoza

Overview

Ferdinand Marcos came to power in the Philippines in a coup détat in 1972 and ruled absolutely, in the name of order, until his dramatic overthrow in February of 1986. This study examines how the authoritarian regime of Marcos remained in power, sometimes in the face of massive opposition, for 14 years. Repressive regimes may seem undesirable, but they are often able to elicit the support of significant sectors of society. Marcos was able to maintain authoritarian rule through the support of bureaucrats, businessmen, and the military—all with the assistance of the United States government. He maintained this network of support through a patron-client system with a centralized bureaucracy as its power and resource base. In order to reward his supporters, he expanded the authority of government. But to minimize the political cost of expansion, he maintained the legal and constitutional forms of democracy. The Philippine experience in despotism is not unique; many Third World countries are under authoritarian rule. This subtle and nuanced analysis, therefore, provides an examination of the levers of power available to absolute rulers, to better understand the political economy of authoritarianism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275941376
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/25/1997
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

ALBERT F. CELOZA is on the Faculty of Social Sciences at Phoenix College and an adjunct professor in International Studies at the American Graduate School of International Management Thunderbird and an affiliate with the Program for Southeast Asian Studies, Arizona State University. He holds degrees from the University of the Philippines, the University of San Francisco and the Claremont Graduate School.

Table of Contents

Introduction
A Nation Divided
Martial Law and Regime Legitimation
A Complete Government Takeover
The Authoritarian Regime's Network of Support
The Decline and Fall of the Dictatorship
Epilogue: The Philippines: 1986-1996
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

A historical, political, and economic analysis of the Marcos dictatorship of the Pacific island nation from 1965 to 1986, but includes a review of the land and population and of the political and social history since the middle of the 19th century as background. Discusses the conditions under which he took power, martial law and regime legitimation, his complete takeover, his network of support, his decline and fall, and a brief look at the Philippines since then. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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