Studied by 25 people
Bourgeoisie
Class which represents the capitalist relations of production in China (in town and country)
Proletariat
Social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose only possession of significant economic value is their labour power
Democratic Centralism
A form of democracy in which the true interests of the masses were discovered through discussion within the Communist party, and then decisions were made under central leadership to serve those interests
Maoism
The theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao Zedong, which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people
Market-Based Socialism
Economic system representing a compromise between socialist planning and free enterprise, in which enterprises are publicly owned but production and consumption are guided by market forces rather than by government planning
Nomenklatura
Politically sensitive or influential jobs in the state, society, or economy that were staffed by people chosen or approved by the Communist Party
Dictatorship of the Proletariat
A condition in which the proletariat holds state power
1st Generation Leader
Mao Zedong
2nd Generation Leader
Deng Xiaoping
3rd Generation Leader
Jiang Zemin
4th Generation Leader
Hu Jintao
Fifth Generation Leader
Xi Jinping
Autonomous Regions
Areas that have limited self-government within a sovereign country (especially of areas in China where ethnic minorities have been granted some autonomy)
Cadres
A person who occupies a position of authority in a communist party-state (may or may not be Communist Party members)
Central Committee
Supposedly the most important body in a communist party (influence declined as it grew and party needed daily leadership)
Central Military Commission
The command and control of the People's Liberation Army (Chinese armed forces) is exercised by this body. Two organizations: one for the state and one for the party
Chiang Kai-shek
General and leader of Nationalist China after 1925. Although he succeeded Sun Yat-sen as head of the Guomindang, he became a military dictator whose major goal was to crush the communist movement led by Mao Zedong
Collectivism
Giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly
Private Businesses
A firm held under private ownership
Rule of Law in China
The instrumental use of laws by rulers to facilitate social control and to impose punishment as understood in the Legalist tradition.
Self-Reliance
Reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others.
One-Child Policy
Population planning initiative to curb the country's population growth by restricting many families to a single child.
Chinese Communist Party
Founded in 1921 and came to power in 1949. It is the ruling party for the people's republic of China
Confucianism
A philosophy that adheres to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct
Cultural Revolution
Political policy in started in China by Mao Zedong to eliminate his rivals and train a new generation in the revolutionary spirit that created communist China. Resulted in beatings, terror, mass jailings, and the deaths of thousands
Danwei
A place of employment in the People's Republic of China
Deng Xiaoping Theory
Encouraged the construction of socialism within China by having it develop "Chinese characteristics," which was guided by China's economic reform policy with the goal of self-improvement and the development of a socialist system.
Dynastic Cycles
When each dynasty rises to a political, cultural, and economic peak and then, because of moral corruption, declines, loses the Mandate of Heaven, and falls, only to be replaced by a new dynasty.
Egalitarianism
The doctrine that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
Factions
An organized group of people within a larger group, which opposes some of the ideas of the larger group and fights for its own ideas.
Floating Population
China's 150 million moving peasants who left the countryside to find urban employment. They have no danwei affiliation
“Foreign Devils”
A discriminatory and racist term in Hong Kong for a foreigner.
Four Modernizations
Goals first set forth by Deng Xiaoping to strengthen the fields of agriculture, industry, defense, and science and technology in China.
“Gang of Four”
A Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes.
Guanxi
Chinese term meaning "connections" or "relationships" and describes personal ties between individuals based on things like birthplace or mutual acquaintances (important factor in China's political and economic life)
Great Leap Forward
Mao tried unsuccessfully to rapidly increase China's industrial and agricultural production
Special Economic Zones
In 1979, the Chinese government set up these zones on the coast near Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Improved transportation, lower taxes, and other incentives attracted investments from foreign businesses. They helped stimulate innovation and helped China grow economically
State Corporatism
A political system in which the state requires all members of a particular economic sector to join an officially designated interest group
Technocrats
Highly-educated bureaucrats who make decisions based on their perceptions of technical issues rather than political ones
Township and Village Enterprises
Rural factories and businesses in China that are run by local government and private businesses and have become the increasingly important in the Chinese economy
Han Chinese
Inhabitants of China proper who considered others to be outsiders. They felt that they were the only authentic Chinese
Hu Jintao
President of China from 2003-2013
Iron Rice Bowl
Provided guarantees of lifetime employment, income, and basic cradle-to-grave benefits to most urban and rural workers. Economic reforms aimed at improving efficiency and work motivation sought to smash this concept and link employment and income more directly to individual effort
Jiang Zemin
Leader of China from 1990(1993) to 2003.
Long March
The 6,000 mile trek of the Chinese communists, which resulted in the relocation of the communist revolutionary base from southeastern to northwestern China and the emergence of Mao Zedong as the undisputed party leader
Mandate of Heaven
A ruler must be just to keep the approval of the gods. Things like natural disasters, famines, and astrological symbols are signs that the emperor and dynasty were losing favor with the gods
Mao Zedong
Chairman of China's Communist Party and de facto ruler of China from 1949 until his death in 1976
“Middle Kingdom” (Zhongguo)
Comes from the fact that Chinese universality is inseparable from a certain idea of civilization, with a centre shining upon surrounding regions. It can also refer to the idea that China is not the Qin or Han Empire, but a country in the middle.
Nationalist Party
The party of Chiang Kai-shek. Ruled China from 1928 until the victory of the Communists in 1949. Led a revolution against the emperor 1911. They also tried to establish a democracy. When they were defeated by the communists they fled to Taiwan. They still rule Taiwan today
National Party Congress
Body of over 2,000 delegates chosen primarily from congresses on lower levels; meets every 5 years to rubber stamp decisions by party leaders; main power: elect members of the Central Committee
Parallel Hierarchies
A pair of class hierarchies in which each class in one hierarchy has a corresponding class in the other hierarchy
Patron Client System
Mutual arrangement between a person that has authority, social status, wealth, or some other personal resource (patron) and another who benefits from their support or influence (client).
People’s Liberation Army
The Communist military in the Chinese Civil War, comprised largely of peasant recruits from rural areas and increasingly from urban areas. This army's strength was greater than that of the Nationalists', and was able to win the war in 1949.
People’s National Congress
National legislature and constitutionally the supreme state authority of the People's Republic of China
“Two Chinas”
People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan)
Wen Jiabao
Retired Chinese politician who served as the premier of China from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, he was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy
Politburo/Standing Committee
The chief executive and political committee of the Communist Party
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