Political History/Culture | Political Process | Instititutions | Public Policy | Key Terms

cHINA

political history/culture

History

• Oldest government, dating back 3,000-4,000 years (or so they claim)
• Sino-centric view (view where China is at the all-powerful center of the universe)
  developed from history of dominating surrounding weaker nations (self-named
  Zhonggou, or Middle Kingdom)
• Dynasties, Mandate of Heave, Confucianism- shapers of Chinese political thought,
  respect for authority
• 1911- fall of the dynastic system
• 1911-1949/ Rupublic of China, Kuomintang (Nationalist) Party, Feuding warlords,
  power-grabs/struggle between Nationalist and CCP
• 1949- Communist takeover under Mao (CCP)

Key Figures

MAO ZEDONG

• Great Leap Forward (Mobilizing of the masses)
• Hundred flowers Campaign (free criticism of Communist Party) (bad)
• Cultural Revolution (Mobilizing of the masses)
• Anti-rightist sentiment

DENG XIAOPING

• Economic reforms w/ continued political repression (exam question *wink*)
• Special Economic Zones- testing for market principles
• Tienanmen Square

JIANG ZEMIN

• Current head of military
• More economic reforms

HU JINTAO/WEN JIABAO

• Opening up of economy
• Privatization
• Democratization
• Huge transitional period (going on right now)

Three Major Periods

1. 1949-1957/ “Lean to one side”- compulsory mass mobilization
2. 1958-1978/ Maoist model- economics of scale
3. 1978-present/ Deng- shedding of ideological constraints, pragmatic economic approach,
   continuing political repression

The political process

Political Participation

• Relationship of Guardianship between party and society: causes political participation to
  become hierarchical and leaves most interest aggregation and articulation to the
  Communist party.
• Political Participation Optional in that not enforced like before
• Mass Mobilization campaign: Mao’s form of group action, Communist Party led
  grassroots leader to get Chinese citizens to achieve regime goals (Ex. Great Leap
  Forward and Cultural Revolution); participation in these was forced
• Communist Party wants individuals to express opinions, not interest groups
  (mass mobilization)
• Reform: Before elections were political rituals where candidates were predetermined
• 1979: new law where deputies directly elected to country-level congresses
• Growing # of candidates that are not Communist being elected because of this
• 1998: law passed where Village Committees are autonomous governments.
• Elections are open to any candidate

Unacceptable Political Participation

• Strikes, Marches, Posters, Petitions (terminated with violence by police)
• Unrest over inflation, unemployment, crime, and corruption in government
• 1989: Tiananmen Square- 3rd major political protest movement since Mao’s death
• Mass protests show government failure to have appropriate ways of interest articulation
• Democracy Movement: 1978-1979; Deng Xiaping approved of issues written on
  Democracy Wall
• 1988-1989: Political Liberalization Time Period
• Weng Jinagsheng: want real democracy called “5th modernization” during

Democracy Movement, Interest Articulation, and Aggregation

• People can articulate interests only through certain government channels
• 1966-1969: people allowed to have interest groups but shut down
• Mass organizations: communist interest groups that don’t make policy regarding groups
  but are extensions of government like all-China trade union and women union. It
  represents the interests of Communist party.
• People’s articulation doesn’t affect policymaking but exposes official’s corruption

Elite Recruitment

• Leaders appoint successors in office

1) Recruitment Channels

• Socialist systems try to establish very clear channels for elite recruitment
• Major channels include communist youth league, military, universities, all of which are
  important centers where an elite can join the Communist Party
• Political unrest can disrupt these channels which affects the type of people who join elite

2) Once CCP took over, it needed to recruit a large number of elites to fill bureaucratic posts

• People enter CCP during mass campaigns, making Land Reform, collectivization, Great
  Leap Forward, important periods for elite recruitment

institutions

Community Party-State

• Lenin's ideas of political legitimacy as derived from party, not people
• Three ideas: gaurdship, hierarchy, and mass line

Government Structures

• Centralized
• National People's Council (NPC), State Council, and five tiered hierarchy of 31 provinces,
  332 prefectures and large cities, 2862 counties, 44, 691 townships, and 906,000 local
  villages
• Position by appointment or managed election
• Importance of standing committees
• Lawmaking at State Council with premier who is head of government (1998, Zhu Tongji)
• President of National People's Congress is head of state (1998, Jiang Zemin)
• Judicial authority rests with Supreme People's Court and local people's courts

1. Supreme People's Procuratorate is central prosecutorial agency
2. Serious deficiency in law and legal administration

Party Structures

• Centralized
• National Party Congress and its Central Committee, the Politboro, and the Politboro
  Standing Committe and department organized under a Secretariat
• Top party leader is general secretary, held by Jiang Zemin since 1989
• Elimination of 'chairman' position soon after death of Mao
• People's Liberation Army guardian of sovereignty and nationalism

1. Modernizing elements
2. Use at Tinnenmen Square to maintain domestic order

• Party leadership in political structures

1. Nomenklatura system
2. Government positions generally filled by party loyalists

Rule by law

• New element
• Need based on righting past wrongs, elimination arbitrary rule, and as a requirement of
  modern economic system
• Excessive use of death penalty
• Criticized for number of political prisoners
• Need for criminal codes

Public policy

Policy Making and Implementation

RELIANCE ON NEGOTIATION AND CONSENSUS BUILDING

• Shift from Maoist days (initiatives started by leaders on a whim):
  Various groups consulted to ensure appropriate policy implemation (especially
  important during rule of Jiang Zemin- didn't have prestige of Deng Xiaoping or
  Mao Zedong)
• Radical Reforms tested on small scale
  (ex: Special Economic Zones)- complete opposite of Russia's Shcok Therapy
• Very closed off process, little pressure from outside groups (no incentive to provide
  results for votes)

COMBINATION OF PARTY AND GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP

• Dual Hierarchy System- Allows for passing of majority of policy

FRAGMENTED AUTHORITARIANISM

• Policy Makers:
  Politburo Standing Comm./ Leading Small Groups/ Party Dept., Ministries and
  Commissions
• The top government groups do not have direct control over those at the local level
• Forces consensus building to make sure that Leading Small Groups implement policies
  correctly to local levels

POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

• Difficulty in monitoring:
  Simplistic success indicators, several institutions- State Statistical Bureau, State Auditing
  Administration, Ministry of Supervision
• Difficulty in assessing responsibility
• Official Corruption (biggest threat to legitimacy- Wave of 1989 Protests): caused by Rule
  By Law & Party Leadership Confict. Many loopholes with slow transition to market
  evonomy (law enforcement, justice system- 1997 Anti-Corruption Chief caught in $7
  Million Scandal, illefal profiteering- 80s to 90s), sometimes done to get changes
  (Mayor Mou), better opportunities outside of state

Policy Performance

ECONOMIC REFORM
(most important since 1978- claim to legitimacy)
Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin

• Initiatives: SEZ's, Globalization, Trend to Market Econ, Increased investment in and out
  of country, Profit Retention for State Companies- Reforms in 90s, Agricultural
  Decollectivization, Dissolution of Danwei
• Economic growth at nearly 10%
• Difficulties in distribution effects: widening gap between urban and countrol
• Explosive growth in township and village enterprises
• Open Door Policy

FAMILY PLANNING
(One Child Policy- Introduced in 1978)

• Partially successful with agreed upon goal
• Difficulty in implementation: Countryside Families want many children for farms
• Problems with Lost Generation of girls

Big Question For The Future:

• Can Economic Reforms thrive within confines of Communist State?

key terms

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