po151 midterm - china

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narrow definition of politics

conflicts/struggles over:

• leadership

• structure

• policies

of government

the goal: to have a share/say in composition of govt leadership, organization, policies

broad definition of politics

who gets what, when, and how; beyond just the ‘government’ or ‘state’, looking at all holders of power in society:

• the ways they achieve their goals

• the ways they affect others’ lives

textbook definition of politics

the struggle in any group for power that will give 1/+ people the ability to make decisions for the larger group

• focusing mostly on politics relating to govts

political science definition (narrow + broad)

narrow:

• the branch of knowledge that deals w systems of govt

broad:

• systematic study of politics (and politics is about power)

• political scientists question:

  • the meaning of power

  • how power is gained/lost

  • how it’s organized/contested

  • how it’s used/abused

political science modified broad definition

a social science concerned w/ description/analysis of political and especially govt’l institutions + processes

• political scientists —> focus on struggle for leadership + power in a political community

  • political party, elected office, city, region, country

• study struggles over public power

comparative politics definition

• involves the systematic study + comparison of the world’s political systems

• compares the pursuit of power across countries

• studying struggles over public power + how it’s organized in diverse societies

• looking at the politics inside countries

  • elections, political parties, revolutions, judicial systems

power

• the ability to determine the distribution of resources

• the ability to influence others/impose one’s will on them

institutions

• organizations/activities that are self-perpetuating + valued for their own sake

• e.g. branches of govt, military, political parties, civil society groups

challenges in the approach to comparative politics

1. real world countries are always changing/diverse

2. individual causes cannot easily be isolated

3. number of cases to study = limited

4. available information = limited

5. regional specialization = uneven

6. selection bias = problematic

7. cause/effect difficult to demonstrate (endogeneity)

methodologies to comparative politics

• quantitative v. qualitative

• large-scale comparisons v. in-depth case studies

• experimental methods

state

• in IR: a territory; synonym for country

• in comparative politics: not just territory, but also political system w/in it, legal system, and political community

  • human community that successfully claims monopoly of legtimate use of physical force w/in a territory

regime

• system of governance; particular configuration of power

• degree of permanence

• individual leaders come and go, but system stays the same

  • in comparative politics, not negatively connotated (unlike popular rhetoric)

government

• particular group of officeholders

• can change regularly

more institutionalized —> less institutionalized

state, regime, government

culture

customs, attitudes, practices of a society

political culture

• political customs, attitudes, and practices of a society

  • how people expect their political system to work

• shaped by history

  • i.e. history conditions people to expect specific things from their government

imperial system (overview)

• existed for 2000+ years

• begins w/ Qin dynasty, followed by Han dynasty

• size/coherence of China varying over time, but idea of single common historical narrative remains powerful

confucianism

• emphasis on achieving social harmony

• 5 key relationships:

  • 1. ruler/subject

  • 2. neighbor/neighbor

  • 3. father/son

  • 4. husband/wife

  • 5. brother/brother

• emphasis on respect for elders + authority

  • obedience, acceptance of place

legalism (Han Fei)

• realist approach to governing

• assumes people are selfish and need to be controlled through rewards and punishments

• focused on effectively organizing state power

key features of the imperial system

• confucianism v. legalism

• centrality of the emperor

• bureaucracy

• social hierarchy

• highly developed culture

• strong national pride

centrality of the emperor in china

• seen as the sun god, more than human, someone everyone is due to respect

• emperor’s word is law

bureaucracy in china

• feudalism, later replaced by civil service

• emperor training people to govern territories not their own (ensuring loyalty to emperor, not communities)

social hierarchy in china

lower classes sometimes rising up, feeling too oppressed/impoverished

highly developed culture in china

• chinese taking great pride in history

• well-developed art forms

• theater, opera, sculpture, painting, martial arts, cuisine

strong national pride in china

• conscious of having a very old history

• history as important to the framing of the present

the dynastic cycle

note: not quick changes

dynasty

set of people who pass power down one to another

reasons for decline of imperial system

• economic problems

  • overpopulation

  • landlessness

  • peasant rebellions

• western military + economic intervention

  • opium war: chinese govt tried restricting access to opium/trade, which was controlled by British, who saw this as affront to profit, who then sponsored war —> attacked chinese culture, rooted in christian missionaries

  • boxer rebellion

• western intellectual influence

  • bankruptcy of confucianism

  • discontent of masses influenced by communism + other ideas

  • intellectuals like Sun Yat-Sen trained in west

motions toward communism

• 1911: Qing Dynasty overthrown

• 1916-1927: War Lord period (diff terrirories of China governed by diff people; warlords; violent/impoverished/insecure period)

• 1919: student revolt - May 4 movement, agianst foreign imperialism + traditional social values

• Guomindang (GMD)/Kuomintang (KMT) founded w/ Sun Yat-Sen as leader

• 1922-1934: GMD/KMT-CCP alliance

• 1925: Chiang Kai-Shek (Jiang Jieshi) becomes GMD leader, breaks alliance w/ Communists

• 1934: purge of Communists and Long March to Yenan

• 1937-1945: war w/ Japan, GMD-CCP alliance

• 1945-1949: Chinese Civil War, GMD flees to Taiwan

China’s continuity

• continuous Chinese civilization has existed for 1000s of years

• directly shapes + informs modern Chinese society + politics

  • social structure, order, institutions, civilization; level of organization

“Regime” in China

• dynastic system could be considered a single regime

• yet, each dynasty = own regime

  • each organized around particular set of institutions

• regime (particular systems of rule) examples:

  • Warlord Period

  • KMT rule

  • Communist rule

“Government” in China

• each monarch represents a new govt

• each leader of Communist China has installed a new govt

  • sometimes govt has changed under same leader

As we look at China under CCP, what features have been retained?

• revolution + Mao claims to have fundamentally changed it all

• but: markets changed, and CCP political control remained

Retained features:

• 1-party CCP rule

• party-state control (CCP above govt institutions, directs major decisions)

• authoritarianism (limiting political opposition/protest/media/dissent)

• ideology/propaganda (socialism/marxism-leninism, party loyalty —> legitimacy)

• state control (in strategic industries, land, economic planning)

• control of military + security

Does CCP represent a break with the dynastic cycle or a new dynasty?

CCP breaking w/ imperial system ideologically, but retaining governing practices that can be interpreted as a modern ‘new dynasty’

Break:

• CCP ending imperial rule in 1949

• rejected emperor, hereditary dynasty, Confucian political order, traditional Mandate of Heaven

• instead: claimed legitimacy through communist ideology, revolution, nationalism, later economic performance

New dynasty:

• similar to past dynasties:

• CCP centralized authority, uses vast bureaucracy, prioritizes unity/stability, presents self as restoring national strength/order

• Mao ~ an emperor; Communist bureaucracy ~ updated imperial bureaucracy

Why turn to Communism?

Chinese population ready for change:

• economy doing poorly (WW1, WW2, warlord period, japanese intervention 1930s/40s, civil war in China)

• inequality widespread (poverty, filthy wealth)

• leaders corrupt + violent (strong military force, corruption)

• state became weak domestically

• China weak internationally (nationalist party not standing up for china)

characteristics of Chinese Communism

• communists coming to power after decades of struggle —> informed party’s nature

• Long March —> anything is possible through perserverance + struggle

• party gained experience working w/ rural pop

  • japanese occupation period: communists —> countryside, connected w/ local farmers; CCP as party of peasants/ruralists

• campaigns

  • tool of transformation + control

  • a major top-down push for mobilization

China under Mao - Moderate Period: 1949-1956

• initially left much old system in place

• began land distribution + economic development

  • working against economic collapse, class disparity

  • eliminating power of landlords, facing intolerant political leaders

• campaigns = important tool (public gatherings, struggle sessions, self-criticism)

  • campaign v. counter-revolutionaries 1950

    • people opposed to coming revoltuion, trageting landlords/businesspeople

  • Three Anti Campaign 1951

    • rooting out corruption, waste, bureaucracy

  • Five Anti Campaign 1952

    • against businesspeople

    • e.g. bribery, state property theft, tax evasion, cheating on govt contracts, stealing state economic info

  • these would get targets to stand in front of crowd, apologize, reform

China under Mao - Move to Extremism: 1956-1966

• 100 Flowers Campaign 1957

  • Mao: let 100 flowers bloom, let 100 ideas spread

  • Mao let people criticize - asking wants, how to improve

  • people + govt officials gave criticisms

• Anti-Rightist Campaign 1957

  • criticizers themselves got criticized + punished

  • govt officials targeted for not understanding Mao’s program + disloyalty

• Great Leap Forward 1957-1961

  • force of will —> drive chinese economic development

  • party leaders, esp. in rural parts, told to double/triple rice production to collectivize

  • food given to CCP + cities, none left for rural parts; 30mil famine deaths

  • no free travel, state-controlled communication; no one knew it was happening everywhere

  • economic setback, disaster

• 1961 Mao sidelined; Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqui, Deng Xiaoping taking leading roles

  • pushed for more moderate position

  • farmers allowed own farmplots, in addition to collective farming

The Great Proletariat Culture Revolution: 1966-1976

• leadership struggle: Mao reasserted authority over Liu Shaoqui, Zhou Enlai, and Deng Xiaoping

  • Mao supported by army chief Lin Biao

  • Liu + Deng removed from office

  • Mao raised up as central leader

• ideological struggle: Mao’s wife Jiang Qing led Gang of Four

  • used young people to attack traditional customs/leaders

  • attacked/berated teachers, temples destroyed; attempted root-out of all chinese culture + traditions

Why did people get caught up in Cultural Revolution?

• politicization of society

• leftist control of media

• veneration of Mao as great hero

• leadership struggles not publicly known

• belief in true possibility of creating a new society

The Red Guard

• attempt to root out Chinese culture, destroy buddhist temples, christian statues, ancient art

• assembled + took down structures from older dynasties

Decline of Cultural Revolution

• fighting among Red Guards —> army intervention 1968

• social disorder —> population against Cultural Revolution

• 1969: worst disruptions over

• Lin Biao dies 1971 after coup attempt

• Zhao Enlai rehabilitates/restores Deng, who runs govt by 1975

• Zhou dies Jan 1976, Deng ousted, public rallies around Deng

• Mao dies Sep 1976, Gang of Four arrested Oct

China after Mao

• 1978 Deng rehabilitated

  • wasn’t head of state/govt/high position, but always called the shots (someone else public face)

• 1978-1979 Democracy Wall Movement

  • people wanting to move beyond Mao-era policies, arguing for a fifth modernization: democracy

  • wanting political reform + economic modernization (more public participation, democratic rights)

  • Deng: supported economic reform, but rejected challenges to CCP 1-party rule

  • govt suppressed movt + activists

• 1980s economic reforms, limited political reforms

  • move to let local communities choose local leaders

  • only at most local level

  • pushing too far —> Deng cracked down

• 1987 most radical reformers ousted (Hu Yaobang, general secretary of CCP)

• 1989 Hu’s death inspires Tiananmen Square protests beginning Apr 15

• June 4, 1989 protests shut down violently

• Zhao Ziyang ousted for sympathizing w/ protestors

• message sent: economic reform would not be accompanied by political reform

Leaders of China

• Mao Zedong 1949-1976

• Deng Xiaoping 1978-1995

• (Zhao Ziyang 1987-1989)

  • powerful official seen as running a lot of China

• Jiang Zemin 1989-2002

• Hu Jintao 2002-2012

  • established principle of limited (two 5-year) terms

• Xi Jinping 2012-present

  • violated/eliminated limited terms

  • holds almost all top positions

  • current president + CCP secretary general (top two positions)

nondemocratic regimes (definition)

• political regimes: controlled by small group, exerting power over state w/o being constitutionally responsible to public

• nondemocratic regimes: public plays no significant role in selecting/removing leaders from office

  • not representative of people, no transfer of power, corrupt, no free/fair elections, lack of free speech, no respect to human rights

• civil liberties limited, few opportunities for meaningful participation exist

types of nondemocratic regimes

• personal and monarchical rule

  • e.g. everyone having a poster of Mao

• military rule

  • initial leaders in China all participated in Long March, fought against KMT —> got liberties

  • Mao having great respect for army

  • current leadership not tied to military

  • historically under Mao/Deng: military background important

• one-party rule

  • consistent

  • under/after Deng, some movement towards election under Communist party

  • but all have to be Communist; choice w/in party, but must always be party

competitive authoritarinism

a regime that has trappings of democracy, like elections, but where only group in power can realistically win

• elements of democracy, but really authoritarian

What distinguishes totalitarianism?

• highly centralized rule in which state seeks to control every aspect of life

  • political, social, economic

• seeks to control fully what people believe/think

Was China ever fully totalitarian?

• “iron rice bowl” - workers assigned to danwei (occupation w/ lifetime job security, steady income, lifelong social benefits)

  • gave some things, didn’t just take

• never fully succeeded at totalitarianism

  • never had full govt control

  • when having excessive power, got pulled back

Why do O’Neil, Fields and Share look at Communist states separately?

• they are a distinct type of one-party authoritarian regime

  • controlling not only political power, but much of economy + society

• shared ideological foundations, common historical experience

  • e.g. collapse/transformation of communist regimes

What distinguishes Communist states?

combination of communist ideology + highly centralized political/economic system

• single communist party holding leading role in state + society

• democratic centralism: top decisions bind lower levels

• state owns/controls major economic resources, uses central planning (not market reliance)

• regime claims legitimacy through goal of building socialism/communism

  • tightly controlling political opposition, media, civil society

*when past scholars discuss “1st” v. “2nd” v. “3rd Worlds”, Communist states were the 2nd World

sovreignty

the ability to carry out actions and policies within a territory independent of external actors and internal rivals

autonomy

the ability of the state to wield its power indepdently of the public or international actors

How weak or strong has the Chinese state been across time?

• China state capacity changing over time

• periods of relative weakness/foreign pressure

• CCP strengthened state:

  • centralizing poltiical control

  • building state institutions

  • asserting China’s independence under Mao

• Mao-era isolation —> reduced outside influence, but limited China’s connections to global economy

today:

• strong state, major economic/diplomatic influence

• USA exercises caution in dealing w/ China (important trade partnership)

  • Trump declaring sanctions against Iran, punishing those trading w/ them; 90% of Iranian oil —> China, Trump refuses to push China

China after Deng

• 1989 Tiananmen protests

• 1997 Deng dies

• 1989-2002 under Jiang Zemin, more collective leadership, wide economic reform

• 2002-2012 under Hu Jintao, reform slows

• 2012 Xi expected to expand reform, instead consolidates central power

Reforms since Mao

After period of substantial reforms, now running into difficulty

• 1978-1989 birth of reform

• 1989-2003 post-Tianenman, post-Soviet constrained reform

• 2003-2012 stagnating eform

• 2012-present reform unwinds

What is Mao’s legacy?

• still regarded as founder of Chinese Communist regime

• remains nationalist hero

  • raised China from weak state to world power

• economic policies largely rejected (particularly, emphasis on agrarianism)

• state continues to play active role in economy - not complete free market

Carl Minzner, “China After the Reform Era,” 2015

• since 1989, Beijing has upheld CCP rule at all costs

• but in that drive: CCP leaders eroded the late-20th century foundations of success

• CCP as not a successful authoritarian governance

  • China = example of pitfalls in failing to politically reform

Yuen Yuen Ang on institutionalization

• institutionalization: refers to established patterns, expected or habitual behaviors

• institutions = structures; behaviors solidifying as structures = institutionalized

aspects of institutionalization in China

• regular leadership succession

• meritocracy

  • officials advancing through ability (experience, performance, education, party service) rather than just inheritance

• professionalized bureaucracy

  • trained officials administering policy through large, specialized state + party system

• systems for popular input

  • local participation, petitions, consultations, feedback mechanisms

  • public concerns —> officials, w/o competitive nat’l democracy

How has Xi Jinping challenged post-Mao political institutionalization?

Xi strengthening CCP control, while making the system more personalistic and less institutionally constrained

• more centralized personal power

  • Xi concentrating authority around self

  • weakening collective leadership norms + regular succession

• reduced political openness

  • local elections, petitions, limited protests, public feedback exist

  • but political expression + civil society activity = tighter control

• challenge to meritocracy

  • Xi rise linked to elite CCP family background

    • father = senior revolutionary official

  • political connections mattering alongside bureaucratic experience

What is Ang’s main takeaway about CCP resilience under Xi?

Xi —> powerful CCP, but dependent on 1 person

• CCP remaining strong under Xi: firm control of China, popular support

• Xi’s personalist rule creating vulnerabilities w/in CCP:

  • Xi death/incapacity —> succession crisis

  • ideological decision-making a potential pitfall of policy

  • personalist rule = refusal to heed sound advice

How much change did the 1949 Chinese revolution bring?

Changes

• upper classes replaced by peasants

• rejection of religion + tradition

• redistribution of land

• role of military declined

• party-state structure of govt differed

• Post-Mao:

  • social safety net for poorest

Continuities

• social hierarchy based in part on birth

• reverence for authority

• centrality of emperor/Communist Party leader

• bureaucratic civil service

• strong nationalism

• Post-Mao:

  • class inequality

explanations for political continuity: cultural explanations

• political inertia: the observation that things generally continue as they have in the past, unless there is some outside influence/radical event forcing change

• political culture: society’s norms for political activity

  • people expecting politicians to act in certain way

  • regime change not necessarily changing expectations/habits

  • historical experience —> political culture

political culture in china has not changed much

• culturally: lots of continuity w/ prerevolutionary China

• Cultural Revolution: breaking authority, yet doing so b/c emperor told to; doing so collectively as a group; culture remaining continuous

elements of Chinese political culture

• expect strong leader

• expect centralized power

• value obedience + authority

• value interests of community > individual

• fear of disorder, value peace + order

• strong nationalist pride

explanations for political continuity: institutional explanations

The past constrains the future; political systems tending to follow established paths, even after major change

• historical institutionalism: looks at institutional continuities

  • past institutions —> shaping present politics

  • even revolutions reflect past institutions (preserving/adapting older rules/organizations/governing practices)

• path dependence: decisions made limit options in the future

  • early political choices create certain path

  • (key idea borrowed from economics)

Seymour Lipset’s 1959 theory

a version of modernization theory, that economic growth encourages democratization

• modernization theory: countries develop in a single way, moving from being '“backwards” to more “developed”; pushed to democracy

How do we explain China’s divergence from Lipset’s theory (economic growth w/o democratization) according to Minxin Pei?

totalitarian institutions survived economic reform; new wealth strengthened CCP authoritarian system

• CCP retained centralized Leninist party-state + control over key sectors of economy/info/coercive institutions

• growing middle class depended on state for jobs/wealth/opportunity

  • less independent/less likely to demand democratic change

• economic growth —> more resources for regime to:

  • reward supporters, strengthen surveillance/repression, protect privileges of party-connected elites

political reform did not dismantle these institutions; Xi could later revive more personalistic + repressive Mao-era practices

Chinese political institutions

• China as a party state, in which state and party institutions are fused

• regime as a single party regime, where no other political parties are allowed + single party dominates politics

• at all levels: parallel structures of state + party

Chinese political institutions: state

the institutions that implement policy, administer laws, legislate under Party leadership

Chinese political institutions: party

the institutions that make politcal decisions, set direction, control personnel, and enforce loyalty

parallel structures of state and party

allow for China to be a party-state, as the CCP can reach/monitor/direct govt at every level

• China having matching state + CCP party institutions at nearly every level

• in theory: representation + authority rise from low to high

• in practice: Party hierarchy directs/supervises state hierarchy

overlapping structures allow CCP to:

• extend central authority deep into local society

• monitor state officials + policy implementation through Party organizations

• collect info + feedback from lower levels

• prevent state bureaucracy from acting independently of Party priorities

People’s Liberation Army

important center of power; protects Chinese security + helps guarantee continued CCP rule

• has own hierarchy + chain of command

• but dependent on both state and CCP (through parallel Central Military Commissions)

• in effect, the CCP’s army; Party leadership controls armed forces

Who runs China?

• top leader not always obvious/most powerful on paper

• problem of succession = most mediocre candidate rises ranks for being most inoffensive

• Chinese leadership having never been fully controlled by 1, even under Mao

• from the Politburo Standing Committee of 2012 to 2017, Le Keqiang remained Premier, everyone else shifted out

  • thus, Keqiang clearly had some power

• PSC 2022: completely changed, all older men

  • mostly people who have worked way up; loyalty, inoffensiveness

most powerful govt positions

• General Secretary of CCP

• Premiere - Head of Govt

• President - Head of State

• Chair of Party Central Military Commission

• Chair of State Central Military Commission - Commander in Chief

Leaders of China (in order)

• Mao Zedong 1949-1976

• Deng Xiaoping 1978-1995

• Jiang Zemin 1989-2002

• Hu Juntao 2002-2012

• Xi Jinping 2012-present

*power has never been completely in 1 person’s hands

another way of understanding type of rule in China

oligarchy - rule by a small group

position comparison of Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping

Hu Jintao

• General Secretary CCP 2002-2012

• President 2003-2013

• Chair of Party Military Commission 2004-2012

• Chair of State Military Commission 2005-2013

Xi Jinping

• General Secretary CCP 2012-present

• President 2013-present

• Chair of Party Military Commission 2012-present

• Chair of State Military Commission 2013-present

How do we make sense of the contradictory points that:

1. Mao was extremely powerful like an emperor

2. The CCP has always been an oligarchy

the CCP was ruled by a small elite, but Mao was the dominant member of that elite

• CCP was an oligarchy; senior Party leaders controlled main institutions of power (Party, state, militar, security)

  • Mao not literally ruling alone

• Mao possessed personal authority

  • b/c revolutionary status, ideological leadership, military control, personality cult

  • dominated other leaders, bypassed Party procedures (esp. during Cultural Revolution)

  • power immense; still depended on cooperation/rivalry/support from CCP elites

Sun Yatsen

• 1911 Revolution leader

• overthrew Qing dynasty

• helped found Republic of China

• “the father of modern China”

Chiang Kai-shek

• leader of Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT)

• ruled Nationalist China

• lost Chinese Civil War to Mao’s Communists in 1949

• led Nationalist govt in Taiwan

Mao Zedong

• leader of CCP

• led Communist victory in 1949

• founded People’s Republic of China

• ruled until 1976 death

Zhou Enlai

• a leading CCP official

• China’s first premier 1949-1976

• managed day-to-day govt work

• key diplomat shaping China’s foreign relations

Deng Xiaoping

• leader after Mao

• launched market-oriented economic reforms + greater engagement w/ global economy

• while preserving CCP one-party rule

Lin Biao

• senior People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commander

• Mao’s close ally + officially designated sucessor

• died 1971

Jiang Qing

• Mao’s wife

• radical leader during Cultural Revolution

• member of Gang of Four

• massively influenced culture, propaganda, attacks on political enemies

• arrested after Mao death 1976

Hu Jintao

• China’s top leader 2002-2012

• served as CCP General Secretary, later President

• emphasized collective leadership, balanced development, harmonious society

• transferred power to Xi Jinping though orderly succession

Xi Jinping

• China’s current leader

• CCP General Secretary since 2012, President since 2013

• centralized power, strengthened Party control over state + society, eliminated presidential term limits

• weakened post-Mao expectations of regular leadership succession

Why do people obey their government?

• the govt has authority

• sources of authority

  • legitimacy

  • coercion

all regimes rely on both legitimacy and coercion to maintain authority

• obedience out of fear of consequence

• there is no system that is so legitimate that it does not need coercive force + vice versa

authority

the ability to command obedience and respect from a subject population

legitimacy

the idea that a government has a justifiable right to rule

coercion

the use of force or the threat to use force

sources of legitimacy

• tradition and religion

  • Chinese tradition = emperors conquering territory + establishing authority, then claim dynasty (ruling b/c fam in charge for centuries) + connection to divine

• elections, political parties, participation

  • act of voting = engages people, ties people to govt

  • unification against enemies, form of mobilization

• ideology

  • under Mao, ideology = most important source of legitimacy

  • used to convince people that a system is legitimate

• propaganda

• benefits - providing security, prosperity, services to population

  • claim = ppl should support regime b/c of benefits + b/c CCP will protect from threats

  • performance legitimation - KEY in post-Mao China

    • china as a world power; belted road initiative'; investing in other parts of world —> tangible results means China has right to rule

• misc. - int’l approval, shared identity

ideology

a set of doctrines and beliefs that explain and justify a political system

performance legitimacy

the belief that a govt or ruling power has the right to govern b/c it delivers tangible results and meets the practical needs of the public

ideology in China: key elements of Maoism

• class struggle

  • peasants as revolutionary class, organizing against others

• voluntarism

  • power of people, power to change world if coming together

  • requiring adhering to mass line + rooting out ‘wrong thought’ (campaigns)

• mass line

  • going along with the teachings of the party

• egalitarianism

  • eliminating social hierarchies, reducing gap btw elites/working masses, promoting collectivism

• anti-elitism

  • called anti-intellectualism; believing poor classes should rule; excluded masses —> power

• nationalism

what is left of Maoism in China today?

• widespread sense of nationalism

• mass line - emphasis that you are all supposed to agree

  • especially on line of anti-corruption

What are the bases for legitimacy in China today?

• tradition of respecting authority

• ideology important—esp. nationalism, promises of equality—but less important than under Mao

  • nationalism - pride in Chinese independence/success

• most important: promise of prosperity

  • benefits coming to people from booming economy

  • economy cooled —> promise softened

  • prosperity co-opting many (people benefiting from economic growth), but not all

maintaining control

• increasingly costly, yet Xi govt intent on restricting dissent

• surveillance increasing under Xi

forms of coercion

• defend law + maintain order

  • protests like Tiananmen 1989 = threats to security

• defend integrity of state

  • demands of minority groups (Uighurs, Tibetans) = challenging state integrity

  • HK, Taiwan = state integrity issues

• maintain rulers in office

• surveillance

  • in authoritarian regimes: protecting those in power, rather than fighting crime/terrorism/separatism

  • Cultural Revolution pervasive: everyone reporting on each other (e.g. children on parents)

bodies of coercion

• police: maintaining law and order

  • censorship, tracking technology

• army: defending state integrity

• special forces, presidential guard: maintain rulers in office

• ministry of state security: surveillance

Is the use of coercion inherently illegitimate?

• not if it’s seen as justified

• can actually increase support for state