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- Apr 2019
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www.brookings.edu www.brookings.edu
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In all cases, the surviving monarchies of Southeast Asia have power and influence that potentially or in reality exceed that described in constitutional terms. This has come about chiefly because of the continuity of the archaic sacred and cultural symbolism of monarchy, which the monarchs themselves have cleverly perpetuated—as well as the patronage derived from their considerable wealth.
This is another argument that led me to the skepticism of the argument that the constitutional monarchy is a dead governmental system and that the monarchy is nothing more than figureheads to the world when in reality, this is not the case with Southeast Asia. I find it fascinating that Japan does have an emperor that rules silently and he still is more authoritative than the UK monarchs.
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