This thoughtful book explores the enduring tensions between state and society in the Philippines by tracing its history of state formation and the corresponding conflicts and collaborations between state leaders and social forces. One horn of the dilemma is the persistent inability of the state to provide basic services, guarantee peace and order, and foster economic development. The other is Filipinos' equally enduring suspicion of a strong state. The authors explore the development of institutional weakness and ineffectual governance, explain the tension between state centralization and local power, and address major issues of government reform, communist and Islamic resistance to the state, population growth and economic crisis, and the growing Filipino labor diaspora. They focus on how the state has shaped and been shaped by its interaction with social forces, especially in the rituals of popular mobilization that have produced surprising and diverse political results. Review The most comprehensive political history of the Philippines to appear in print. It takes a global view of the process of state formation and covers nearly a millennium of historical change....The overarching theme of the volume is the dynamic tension between a state too weak to deliver basic services (and collect taxes), and social forces often able to steer the state toward their interests. Highly recommended.--G.A. McBeath "CHOICE " State and Society in the Philippines is a thought-provoking, incisive and timely re-examination of Philippine political history. Using a distinct analytical approach that travels across time, the book offers a fresh perspective on how and why politics in the Philippines have not led to the realization of political promises and developmental aspirations. In the process, it provides important missing pieces to the Philippine development puzzle. A must-read for all students of Philippine politics and history.--Eric C. Batalla, De La Salle University-Manila Abinales and Amoroso go far beyond what one would expect from a textbook, providing not only a summation of existing scholarship but also a creative new interpretation of Philippine politics and state-society dynamics. This book is very accessible to undergraduate audiences, and does an outstanding job of putting current politics in historical context.--Paul D. Hutchcroft, University of Wisconsin-Madison Abinales and Amoroso build their case with much care and nuance as they dispute conventional analyses of issues such as national events, social movements, and the entrenchment of the oligarchy, the centralizing and authoritarian tendency of the state, the plundering of the economy, relationships between leaders and their subjects, the shifting roles of women. For beginners on the Philippines, this book presents a succinct and intelligent introduction; for veterans, it invites reflection and indicates trajectories for further study; for Filipinos who care about their country, it paints a pictures which can provide impetus for more enduring reform.--Jose Magadia S.J., Ateneo de Manila University Scholarly and highly readable, this volume is an excellent introduction for those interested in the dynamics of Philippine society and the historical state that so far has failed to govern it well. Indispensable material for Philippine specialists and other social scientists, but equally valuable for college teachers and students understanding why a country--endowed with so much human and other resources--paradoxically falls back on massive foreign service for its economic and political survival.--Felipe B. Miranda, University of the Philippines-Diliman Abinales and Amoroso resist pat generalizations about Philippine state and society. Theirs is a work rich in nuances and gray areas, ideal for those who have given serious thought to the contradictions that define Philippine life. The authors are keen--and sympathetic--analysts and chronicle
