Comparative Government - China

cadre (gan bu)

term used to identify Communist officials, especially low-level ones; the term came into prominent use during the Cultural Revolution; these people were the back bone of the Communist movement; they were party and government workers (often filling both roles at once) and were important in malting the Revolution work

capitalist roader (zou zi pai)

an epithet used to identify a political opponent, especially during the Cultural Revolution

communism (gong chan zhu yi)

Marxism-Leninism or Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse-Tung thought; the ideology of the revolution until the death of Mao in 1976

connection (guanxi)

Relationships through which “things get done”; familial, village, work, place, university connections between people who will make special efforts for each other; the “things” that get done range from mundane things like renewing drivers’ licenses to special things like awarding government contracts for large projects

Cultural Revolution (wen hua da ge ming)

the movement begin in 1966 (lasting until 1976) by Mao Tse-Tung and his supporters to create an egalitarian and self-sufficient society and to ensure Mao’s political power

work unit (danwei)

The organization in which people worked — farm, factory, school, store, bakery, etc. — and which was the organizing unit or social services provided to workers; in the world of the Three Represents danwei are often inefficient, bankrupt, technologically backward, government-owned enterprisesthat provide employment, housing, and social benefits to their members.

entrepreneur (qi yejia)

Someone who organizes an economic activity in pursuit of personal and corporate profit

faction (bang pai)

a guanxi group in competition or conflict with other factions for power, authority, or profit

Fifth Modernization (di wu hua)

The title of a “big character poster” responding to Deng Xiaoping’s Four Modernizations by calling for democracy

Four Modernizations (si hua)

Den Xiaoping’s mass line advocating modernization of China’s agriculture, industry, science, and military by the most effective (no necessarily ideologically correct) methods

responsibility system (se ren zhi)

the policy of allowing people more economic choices, allowing them to profit from their choices and to assume economic risks of the choices

investor (tau zi zhe)

someone who buys shares in a corporation or who puts money into a company in the hoped of earning a profit

iron rice bowl (tiefan wan)

the guarantee of jobs, government services, and social welfare benefits to all Chinese citizens in the days before the responsibility system, Four Modernizations, and Three Represents

Mao Tse-Tung Thought (mao ze dong si xiang)

the Chinese version of Marxism-Leninism, which emphasized the role of the peasant as well as the worker in the success of the Revolution; during the Cultural Revolution Mao Tse-Tung Thought also advocated strict egalitarianism and the personalized power of Mao

mass line (qun zhong 1u xian)

the official policy and policy explanation (rationale) of the Party and government taught to all citizens

People’s Liberation Army (jie fang jun)

Chinese military forced; during the Cultural Revolution, PLA members were often leading elements in promoting Mao’s power and enforcing mass line

People’s Republic of China (Zhonghua Renmin Gonghe Guo)

the pinyin version of the Chinese name of the country

sent down (xiafeng)

During the Cultural Revolution, people whose politics were in question were “sent down“ to work with and learn from the peasants; intellectuals, party and government officials, and anyone who held any kind of privileged position were candidates for being “sent down“ unless they enthusiastically and demonstrably supported the Cultural Revolution

socialism (she hui zhu yi)

the economic system in which economic assets are publicly owned and controlled; goods and services produced are to be used for the public good

socialism with Chinese characteristics (zhong guo te se she hui shu yi)

used by Deng Xiaoping and his successors to describe the system under which markets, profits, investors, and entrepreneurs are to have roles in modernizing and enlarging China’s economy

special economic zone (tebie jing ji qu)

areas around major cities in which the economic rules are different than the rules in the rest of the country; established in the last 1970s and 1980s as part of the Four Modernizations; by the late 1990s, most areas in the country had successfully achieved the right to live by these rules

study group (xiao zu)

organized within danwei; intensively used during the cultural revolution to instruct people about the mass line and solicit self-criticism from people who were not living up to the ideals proposed by the mass line

Hukou

a system of household registration used in mainland China; the registration of an individual in the system. Citizens can only live and work in a designated area. migrants cannot access health care and education for their children in unregistered locations

Floating population

group of people who frequently move from place to place. Migrant workers mostly left the countryside to find employment in cities

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs)

legal entities that are created by a government in order to partake in commercial activities on the government’s behalf. Can be either wholly or partially owned by the government and is typically earmarked to participate in specific commercial activities (steel, petroleum or telecom)

autonomous region

a territorial unit that is equivalent to a province and contains a large concentration of ethnic minorities. These regions, for example, Tibet, have some autonomy in the cultural sphere but in most policy matters are strictly subordinate to the central government

central committee

top 370 leaders of the CCP. Meets annually for about two weeks and is charged with carrying on the business of the National Party Congress when it is not in session

central military commission (CMC)

the most important military organization in the People’s Republic of China, headed by the general secretary of the CCP who is the commander-in-chief of the People’s Liberation Army

centrally planned economy

economic system in which the state directs the economy through bureaucratic plans for the production and distribution of goods and services. The government, rather than the market, is the major influence of the economy. Also called a command economy

communism

the stage of development that follows socialism and in which all property is publicly owned, economic production is coordinated or the common good, and a radical degree of equality has bee achieved

developmental state

a nation-state in which the government carries out policies that effectively promote national economic growth

general secretary

the formal title of the head of the CCP. From 1942 to 1982, the position was called “Chairman“ and was held by Mao Zedong until his death in 1976

guerrilla warfare

military strategy based on small, highly mobile bands of soldiers who use hit and run tactics like ambushes to attack a better-armed enemy

household responsibility system

system put into practice in China beginning in the early 1980s in which the major decisions about agricultural production are made by individual farm families based on the profit motive rather than a commune or the government

iron rice bowl

a feature of China’s socialist economy during the Maoist era that provided guarantees of lifetime employment, income, and basic cradle-to-grave benefits to must urban and rural workers

mass organizations

organizations in a communist party-state that represent the interests of a particular social groups, such as workers or women but which are controlled by the communist party

National party congress

the symbolically important meeting held every five years for about one week, of about 2100 delegates representatives of the CCP who endorse policies and the allocation of leadership positions that have been determined beforehand by the party’s much smaller ruling bodies

national peoples congress (NPC)

the legislature of the people’s republic of China. Is under the control of the CCP and is not an independent branch of government

nomenklatura

a system of personnel selection under which the Communist Party maintains control over the appointment of important officials in all spheres of social, economic, and political life

People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

the combined armed forces of the People’s Republic of China, which includes land, sea, air, and strategic missile forces

politburo

the committee made up of the top twenty-five leaders of the CCP

predatory state

a state in which those with political power prey on the people and the nation’s resources to enrich themselves rather than using their power to promote national development

socialist democracy

the term used by the CCP to describe the political system of the People’s Republic of China. The official view is that this type of system, under the leadership of the Communist Party, provides democracy for the overwhelming majority of people and suppresses only the enemies of the people

Socialist market Economy

term used by the government of China to refer to the country’s current economic system that mixes the elements of both socialism and capitalism

standing committee

a subgroup of the Politburo, currently with seven members. The most powerful political organization in China

state council

the highest organization in he state administration, directed by the premier. Also includes several vice premiers, the heads of government ministries and commissions, and a few other senior officials

totalitarianism

a political system in which the state attempts to exercise total control over all aspects of public and private life, including the economy, culture, education, and social organizations, through an integrated system of ideological, economic, and political control. States rely on extensive coercion, including terror, as a means to exercise power