This collection presents a nuanced and varied picture of the state of democracy in Asia, using the findings from a pioneering study, the Asia Democracy Initiative, to explore the role of ordinary people in democratization through the rise of expressive social values.The volume shows how and why factors such as the emergence of the middle class, civil society organizations or non-electoral participation, do not seem to play the role that democratic theory suggests. The findings from Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand, reveal how unique the region's paths to democracy are, in comparison to other regions, and particularly those of western liberal democracies, but also the substantial progress needed before transitional democracies become fully consolidated across Asia.