Challenges of policy process in the face of technocracy and high inequalities across Asia

Lead Researcher(s): Noe John Joseph E. Sacramento; Piyapong Boossabong
Status: Published

Abstract/summary: Technocrats play a pivotal role in shaping policies across Asia. This chapter reveals the Asian policy landscape of technocracy and high inequalities. They are interrelated as high inequalities fuel technocratic governance. These conditions are the predicament with which policy analysts in Asia must work. The chapter discusses the necessity of bringing “the public” back to policy after the rise of technocracy. This involves identifying potential alternatives, exploring new directions, and introducing approaches prioritizing people over experts, decentering elitist perspectives, and amplifying the voices of ordinary citizens, who are often marginalized by technocratic and elitist power structures. While the chapter criticizes technocratic traditions, it acknowledges the contextual complexity that requires diverse approaches to coexist. From a critical pragmatic perspective, the challenge is how to reimagine technocracy so it is more sensitive to non-technical knowledge and challenges power hierarchies in this region to promote equitable and inclusive policies.

Keywords:

Click Here