This paper analyzes the remittances and democratization nexus, using the Republic of the Philippines as a case study. The onset of this paper is a riddle. A number of scholars stress the positive impact of remittances on a society and its democratization. The Philippines has successfully sought to gain more remittances through a state driven labor export scheme and has been for many years among the top receiving countries in the world. Despite those conditions deemed propitious to democratization, the Philippines show many democracy deficits. Several scholars have claimed that remittances impact positively on democratization. However, a range of democratization indicators for the Philippines, belie this assertion.
This paper delves into various aspects of the democratization, migration and remittance dynamics. Firstly, it examines the scholarly work on remittances (always understood in a wider sense, as comprising social and financial remittances) and the democratization history in the Philippines. Secondly, it argues the methodology used for this paper. Thirdly, it evaluates and describes a selected number of particularities of the Philippine democratic system and its labor export scheme. It interprets the impact of remittances on democratization in the Philippines before drawing conclusions.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 5
Research Question and Thesis Statement 7
Objectives of the Study 7
Limitation of the Study 7
Definition of Key Terms 8
Chapter 1: Literature Review 10
Chapter 2: Research Methodology 16
Freedom in the World Index 18
Corruption Perception Index 19
Civic Society study 20
Press-Freedom Index 22
People under Threat Index 23
Chapter 3: Findings and Analysis 25
Assessment of the Philippine Democracy 25
Political system 26
Economic situation 31
GINI Index 35
The labor export scheme 36
Financial remittances 40
Civil Society 42
Press freedom 45
Peace and security 46
Social remittances 48
Summary of democratic assessment 51
Democratization impact of remittances in the Philippines 53
Conclusion and recommendations for further research 55
Bibliography 59
Table of Contents
Introduction
Research Question and Thesis Statement
Objectives of the Study
Limitation of the Study
Definition of Key Terms
Chapter 1: Literature Review
Chapter 2: Research Methodology
Freedom in the World Index
Corruption Perception Index
Civic Society study
Press-Freedom Index
People under Threat Index
Chapter 3: Findings and Analysis
Assessment of the Philippine Democracy
Political system
Economic situation
GINI Index
The labor export scheme
Financial remittances
Civil Society
Press freedom
Peace and security
Social remittances
Summary of democratic assessment
Democratization impact of remittances in the Philippines
Conclusion and recommendations for further research
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper assesses the role of social and economic remittances in the democratization process of the Republic of the Philippines, arguing that labor migration has not resulted in a measurable overall positive impact on democratic development.
- Analysis of the nexus between financial/social remittances and democratization
- Evaluation of the Philippine political system through historical institutionalism
- Impact of the state-driven labor export scheme on political and economic structures
- Critical review of democratic deficits using international indices
- Assessment of the role of Civil Society and minority rights in the Philippine context
Excerpt from the Book
The labor export scheme
To understand the importance of remittances in the Philippine context, it is essential to peer into its state driven labor export scheme. During the Marcos period, the Philippine Government promoted labor migration policies which are still in place today. The state appeared to be willing and able to provide its citizens with viable long-term economic opportunities. Labor export is not a sustainable policy to curb income and poverty inequality nor is it to enhance development. In the Philippines, migration is a manifest sign that the economy was unable to benefit the masses as the elites controlled most of the resources (Regilme, 2010).
More than 740,000 land-based workers left the country in 2005. The number stood at 12,500 in 1975 which reflects an annual average growth rate of 9.8 per cent. The number of land-based temporary workers leaving each year represents a relatively stable share of 67 to 70 per cent and represents the dominant share among the migrant workers. The absolute numbers have been constantly rising. Growth rates of over 30 per cent in the period between 1975-1985 reflected the construction boom in the Middle East, which was the result of high oil prices in 1973-74. According to Orbeta (2009) employers seem keener on hiring again the same migrant workers as they appreciated their prior international experience. The flow of sea-bases workers was 23,500 in 1975 and increased to about 127,000 by 2007. The number of permanent emigrants leaving per year is steadily rising, except for some declines in the late 1990s. It increased from under 15,000 in 1975 to about 81,000 in 2007.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the research focus on migration and development, presenting the research question regarding the impact of remittances on democratization in the Philippines.
Chapter 1: Literature Review: Examines scholarly perspectives on migration, remittances, and their ambiguous relationship with political development and institution building.
Chapter 2: Research Methodology: Details the use of Historical Institutionalism and various international indices to assess the democratic state of the Philippines.
Chapter 3: Findings and Analysis: Provides a comprehensive evaluation of the Philippine political system, economy, Civil Society, and the specific impact of the labor export scheme.
Conclusion and recommendations for further research: Synthesizes the findings, asserting that measurable democratic improvement is absent, and identifies the need for context-specific studies.
Keywords
Democratization, Philippines, Migrant Remittances, Labor Export, Political System, Civil Society, Historical Institutionalism, Economic Growth, GINI Index, Patron-Client System, Diaspora, Press Freedom, Minority Rights, Social Remittances, Migration Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The paper examines whether migrant remittances (both financial and social) have a positive impact on the democratization process in the Philippines.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The research covers the history of Philippine democracy, the labor export scheme, the economic situation, Civil Society performance, press freedom, and the state of minority rights.
What is the central research question?
The core question is whether the significant inflow of remittances has contributed to the democratization of the Philippine political system since the year 2000.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses Historical Institutionalism to analyze political behavior and combines this with a quantitative assessment of international democracy indices and qualitative literature reviews.
What does the main body of the work analyze?
It provides a diagnostic assessment of the Philippine democracy by analyzing political, economic, and social sectors, specifically looking at how the patron-client system and remittances interact.
What are the main keywords that characterize the work?
Key terms include democratization, remittances, labor export, political dynasties, and the patron-client system.
Why does the author conclude that remittances have not significantly improved democracy?
Despite the exponential growth of remittances, the indices for press freedom, corruption, and minority protection show stagnant or declining trends, suggesting that remittances do not automatically lead to better democratic outcomes.
What role do family dynasties play according to the text?
The author identifies dynastic politics and the patron-client system as major structural barriers to meaningful democratic reform and the development of cohesive political parties.
- Citar trabajo
- Marcel Reymond (Autor), 2013, Migrant Remittances and Democratization in the Republic of the Philippines, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/279611
