Coercion and governance the declining political role of the military in asia edited by muthiah alagappa this is the most comprehensive study of asias military to appear in print in recent years recommended for general readers upper division undergraduates and above choice july august 2002. Muthiah alagappa is distinguished senior fellow at the east west center he is the editor of asian security order instrumental and normative features stanford 2003 coercion and governance the declining political role of the military in asia stanford 2001 asian security practice material and ideational influences stanford 1998 and political legitimacy in southeast asia the quest . The book argues that the key to understanding civil military relations in asia and elsewhere is the role of coercion in state and nation building and in the exercise of political authority as coercion in these processes increases or decreases so does the political power and influence of the military. As coercion in these processes increases or decreases so does the political power and influence of the military civilian supremacy requires superior political ideational moral and economic power translated into strong institutions that can regulate the military and limit its role in governance a key finding of the volume is that overall . Doi 105860 choice39 6692 corpus id 153149792 coercion and governance the declining political role of the military in asia inproceedingsalagappa2001coercionag titlecoercion and governance the declining political role of the military in asia authormuthiah alagappa year2001