After the Cold War, scholars of modern state development in Southeast Asia highly valued the field of political economy, and the relationship between the government, the economy, and society became an important topic. Authoritarianism, oligarchy, and “rent-seeking” behaviors in Southeast Asian countries have hindered their political transformation and economic and social development. There is much support for the “middle-income trap” argument and the rise of populism. The governments of Southeast Asian countries have tried to improve secondary distribution by improving the social public service system to narrow the poverty gap, but the way to reform is arduous and long. Because the many related studies adopt different theoretical methods, their conclusions are mixture. The support of interdisciplinary theory and methodologies represents a new breakthrough that can further deepen the study of modern state development in Southeast Asia.