Glossary


This glossary defines the paradigms, concepts, typologies, theories, and measures coined or applied by Yuen Yuen Ang across her research and writing. Each entry provides a canonical definition and situates the term within Ang’s intellectual forest of AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive, Moral) Political Economy.

Rather than a list of standalone terms, the glossary maps the genealogical pathways through which Ang’s ideas are generated, operationalized, applied, and refined over time. Concepts are linked to one another as well as to specific publications as sites of conceptual coinage and empirical demonstration.

The glossary is designed as a reference for scholars, students, and readers—and as a structured guide for interpreting Ang’s work as a unified, generative system of ideas.

Browse the glossary alphabetically: Select a letter below to view all entries beginning with that letter.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Featured
Ideas
Adaptive Fiscal Capacity
Ideas

Adaptive Fiscal Capacity refers to the ability of a government to generate, manage, and adapt its portfolio of financial resources—tax and taxless alike—in response to evolving conditions.

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Ideas
APE (Adaptive Political Economy)

Adaptive Political Economy (APE) studies political economies as complex adaptive systems, rather than as static machines. Instead of assuming away the inherently complex qualities of political economies, APE designs theories and methods to illuminate them. APE forms one of the three pillars of Yuen Yuen Ang’s broader paradigm - AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive & Moral) Political Economy.

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AIM: Adaptive, Inclusive & Moral Political Economy

AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive, Moral) Political Economy - is a new paradigm proposed by Yuen Yuen Ang to seize the polytunity for transformation in a disrupted, multipolar world.

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C

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Concepts

A concept is a coined phrase to help you grasp the defining characteristics of an important issue, in contrast to other concepts. Think of concepts as the building blocks of thought. Everyday, we rely on countless concepts we’ve internalized to navigate the world.

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Category

Categories (or typology) are a related set of concepts that help you notice and explain important differences.

In China’s Gilded Age (book) and Unbundling Corruption (article), Ang introduce a four-part typology of corruption: petty theft, grand theft, speed money, access money. This typology helps us distinguish among the four types of corruption and their effects.

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F

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Fairy Tales of Western Development (Political Economy)

Fairy Tales of Western Development is a decolonizing critique that challenges idealized, selective narratives in mainstream political economy that attributes Western development solely to democracy and “good” institutions.

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M

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Ideas
Model
Ideas

In the non-statistical sense, a model means a stylized description that removes extraneous details and distills the core patterns of a real-world phenomenon.

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Ideas

P

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Polytunity

Polytunity is a concept coined by Yuen Yuen Ang as a global, constructive alternative to the polycrisis. It reframes the current convergence of disruptions not as a source of paralysis, but as a generational opportunity for deep transformation. Ang advances AIM (Adaptive, Inclusive & Moral) Political Economy as an intellectual foundation for the polytunity.

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Ideas
Paradigm
Ideas

Paradigm refers to a system of thought based on certain core assumptions about the nature of humans or societies.

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Ideas

T

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Ideas
Theory
Ideas

A theory explains a problem, paired with evidence or a method for demonstrating the answer. A theory should not be based simply on assertions (otherwise, it is an opinion).

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Ideas

W

Featured
World Order After 2025

Yuen Yuen Ang interprets the World Order After 2025 not as polycrisis or great-power dominance, but as polytunity—a generational opening for deep transformation of global institutions and thought within a multipolar context.

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