This chapter looks at how Asia’s connections world is configured, highlighting the extraordinarily pervasive nature of ties between business and politics and the networks on which they are based. Most of these relationships are strongly transactional but they also affect how individuals and companies organise themselves. For example, the institutional framework for private companies is often designed to leverage resources and assets, as well as gaining advantage, whether in relation to the regulator or competitors. We use a novel dataset with information on politically-exposed persons and institutions throughout Asia to map the various networks at the level of each country. There are significant differences between countries, mainly resulting from the variation in political systems. The network maps are complemented by detailed cases and examples from across Asia. Whatever the local variation, these webs of connections bind together with common purpose. Leveraging connections for mutual benefit delivers large and enduring benefits that have mostly proven resistant to changes of government or even political regime. Such behaviour also cuts across political systems.

There is a complex set of political systems in Africa. While some countries democratized, particularly in the 1990s, others are run by authoritarian leaders. Some of the former have made efforts to strengthen their democracies whereas others have started to dismantle them. To understand these dynamics, this chapter scrutinizes the nature of the state, political orders, and democratization (attempts). It discusses the introduction of term limits (and their later abolishment) and strategies of leaders to stay in power: neopatrimonialism, violence and intimidation, electoral manipulation, as well as culture. There is a variety of actors operating in these systems besides the president, including the government, the public administration, parliamentarians, the military, judges, traditional leaders, and non-governmental organizations, all being discussed in this chapter.