I argue that whether or not a state is predatory hinges on the relationship between development and the distribution of political power in society. Development is typically inconsistent with the preservation of the political status quo and this gives those who initially hold political power an...

The author compares the autocratic political regimes which carried out the industrialization of Taiwan and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in the post-war period and also compares their respective democratization processes. He shows that the controlling regime in Taiwan was more pre-emptive...