How do Buddhist monks impact politics across South and Southeast Asia? Buddhist nationalist movements have fueled democratic backsliding in places like Myanmar. Yet monks were among the pro-democracy protesters in Sri Lanka in 2022, setting the stage for that country's surprising 2024 elections. Other monastics may limit their political activities, for diverse reasons. Prof. Benjamin Schonthal (University of Otago) joins the pod to discuss how his work on "sangha capture" and legal pluralism can help make sense of the diverse roles of Buddhist clergy in the region's politics.

For more information on Prof. Schonthal's publications, see: https://otago.academia.edu/BenSchonthal

For our deep dive on the 2024 Sri Lanka presidential election, listen to: https://rss.com/podcasts/cadpodcast/1685690

In early May, voters in the Philippines will head to the polls for the country's midterm elections. These races are always seen as a referendum on the incumbent president, and this year, they take on added importance given the pending impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and the detention of her father, former-president Rodrigo Duterte, at the International Criminal Court. Prof. Nicole Curato (University of Birmingham) joins the pod to discuss the forces shaping the campaign's final stages, as well as how her work on deliberative democracy speaks to opportunities for strengthening institutions in these challenging times.

In early December, South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the world by declaring martial law. The declaration was swiftly challenged in the legislature and reversed by the administration. Impeachment and criminal charges now face Yoon, and the country confronts entrenched polarization. Prof. Sanghoon Kim-Leffingwell, Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas, joins the pod to discuss the fallout from martial law, and how "authoritarian nostalgia" shapes the country's democracy.

Episode image by Hashflu under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.