This volume sets out to analyse changes in governance processes in Southeast Asia, particularly those relating to democratic development. The volume harbours an ambition to go beyond the often one-dimensional debate on democratization in Asia. With an historical perspective, and with an explicit attempt to view change from within, ten case studies from Southeast Asia are presented that illuminate how processes of governance are being altered under the pressure of accelerating globalization. These are accompanied by a review of how globalization has historically entered the debate on democratization in Southeast Asia, and an analytical conclusion which assesses the findings of the case studies in relation to recent writings on societal change in the region.