The essays in this book analyze electioneering activities in nine Asian countries in terms of popular cultural practices, ranging from updated traditional cultures to mimicry and caricatures of present day television dramas.

1. Political Election as Popular Culture 2. The Festive Machine: Taiwan's 2004 Election 3. Popular Protest and Electioneering in a Partial Democracy, Hong Kong 4. Performance Factors in Indonesian Elections 5. Betting on Democracy: Electoral Ritual at the Philippine Presidential Campaign 6. Middle Class Electoral Cultural Practices in Thailand 7. Election with known Outcome: Engaging the 2004 Malaysian Election Francis 8. Fun with Democracy: Election Coverage and the Elusive Subject of Indian Politics 9. Net Power and Politics in Korea 10. Depersonalization is Politically Correct: Japanese Electioneering Practices

Chua Beng Huat is Leader of the Cultural Studies Research Cluster at the Asia Research Institute and Professor in the Department of Sociology at the National University of Singapore.