Who governs? autonomous political networks as a challenge to power in Thailand/ Joseph Harris

In this article, the author outlines a theoretical approach: other powerful actors that play important roles in shaping Thailand's political and institutional landscape. Using the term "autonomous political networks" to refer to collections of people who share strong value commitments and political goals and who operate in the space bewteen the country's dominant political institutions - often straddling positions in the state and civil society simultaneously. This theoretical discussion is grounded empirically in a decsription of one such network whose power is derived from sources other than electoral legitimacy or long-standing historical tradition. It discusses the enormous influence this network has exercised in reshaping Thailand's political order, all while remaining largely invisible to the public eye. It suggests the need to use this approach to elaborate other hiden political networks that play important roles in governance in Thailand and beyond.