Government and politics of china pols 442/sisea 449

1. GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF CHINA POLS 442/SISEA 449

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GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OF CHINA
POLS 442/SISEA 449
Susan Whiting, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, University of Washington, Seattle

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5. Studying the Chinese case

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Studying the Chinese case
How can comparative theory help us understand
China better?
What does China tell us about important
comparative theoretical questions?

6. The Chinese case in comparative context

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Theoretical puzzles
Authoritarian
resilience
Political institutions and economic growth

7. Theoretical puzzle 1

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How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?
Challenge
Economic
to modernization theory
development, education, urbanization, emergence
of middle class
associated with democratization

8. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political institutions matter:
Regime type
Percent surviving as of 1998*
Military
Personalistic
Single party
11
16
50
*regimes existing or formed since 1946
Source: Barbara Geddes, “What Do We Know About Democratization?”

9. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political institutions
In
single-party regimes
Allow
participation and popular influence without giving up
party’s dominant role in the political system
This
course part 2

10. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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How big a threat is factionalism to the CCP regime?
China perspective:
Ousted Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai

11. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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How big a threat is factionalism to the CCP regime?
Comparative theory:
In
single-party regimes,
factions
This
strong incentives to cooperate in order to maintain power
less threatening to regime stability than in other types of
authoritarian regimes
course part 1

12. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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How big a threat is factionalism to the CCP regime?
China perspective:
Premier Wen Jiabao pledged to investigate
and warned that if political reforms were
not implemented, China risked a new
Cultural Revolution.
Ousted Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai

13. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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How big a threat is factionalism to the CCP regime?
Political history matters:
How
did factional politics play out during the Cultural
Revolution, 1966-1976?
This course part 1

14. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political beliefs matter: Survey of 3,183 PRC residents
What is democratic
Legitimacy?
Percent
Responding
Procedural
Substantive*
Mixed
Incoherent
Don’t know
25
14
5
15
42
*Substantive: refers to the Confucian notion of “minben” (民本)
Source: Shijian Tian & Jie Lu, “The Shadow of Confucianism”

15. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political beliefs matter: Survey of 3,183 PRC residents
What is democratic
Legitimacy?
Percent
Responding
Procedural
Substantive*
Mixed
Incoherent
Don’t know
25
14
5
15
42
potential challenge to regime
*Substantive: refers to the Confucian notion of “minben” (民本)
Source: Shijian Tian & Jie Lu, “The Shadow of Confucianism”

16. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political beliefs and political history matter
Confucian
notion of minben
“Rulership
should be entrusted to those with superior
knowledge and virtue”
Legitimacy is defined by substance: how well the regime
performs and cares for its people
“Ordinary citizens have the right to participate only under
extreme conditions—if a rule loses the “Mandate of
Heaven”
This
course Part 1

17. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political beliefs matter: Survey of 3,183 PRC residents
What is democratic
Legitimacy?
Percent
Responding
Procedural
Substantive*
Mixed
Incoherent
Don’t know
25
14
5
15
42
potential support for regime
*Substantive: refers to the Confucian notion of “minben” (民本)
Source: Shijian Tian & Jie Lu, “The Shadow of Confucianism”

18. Theoretical puzzle: How do authoritarian regimes stay in power?

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Political beliefs matter: Survey of 3,183 PRC residents
What is democratic
Legitimacy?
Percent
Responding
Procedural
Substantive*
Mixed
Incoherent
Don’t know
25
14
5
15
42
not threatening for regime
*Substantive: refers to the Confucian notion of “minben” (民本)
Source: Shijian Tian & Jie Lu, “The Shadow of Confucianism”

19. Course logistics

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Syllabus and website