AP Comparative Government and Politics - China Module

Maoism

form of communism that believed in the strength of the peasant

Collectivism

loyalty to party and state rather than family or village

Struggle and Activism

for the people (sacrifice) rather than maintaining harmony by accepting status quo

Egalitarianism

a populism rather than hierarchy with women and peasant at the bottom

Self-Reliance

people in charge of their destiny and should remain isolated from foreign influence and control.

China's type of government

The People's Republic of China (China) has a Unitary System of government.

China's type of regime

Political scientists categorize China as an authoritarian regime as its constitution does not call for national elections and gives the Communist Party of China (CCP) much more influence on its people and its economy.

Modern China (1976-Present) politics

Legitimacy centers in the Politburo of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party)
Central Military Commission within the CCP controls the military (another important source of legitimacy)

The party in charge of China's government

CCP (China's Communist Party) Organization

Where the governments power is concentrated

Power concentrated at the national level in Politburo (policy making committee of the communist Party) and General Secretary (leader of the Communist Party)

What the CCP is composed of

- 2nd largest political party in the world, 87.79 million members
-The CCP is comprised of farmers, factory workers, military personnel, businessmen, managers, and politicians.
CCP Youth League recruits young Chinese people and grooms them for membership and leadership roles in the CCP.

Social Activism in China

In China social activists, and some members of the Chinese Communist Party believe in the need for social and political reform.
While economic and social controls have been significantly relaxed in China since the 1970s, political protest is still restricted.
The Constitution of the PRC states that the "fundamental rights" of citizens include freedom of the speech, press, religion, fair trials, and property rights
However, in practice, these provisions do not afford significant protection against criminal prosecution by the state.

ANY UNAPPROVED FORMS OF PROTEST AGAINST THE CCP OR GOVERNMENT ARE PROHIBITED IN CHINA

China embraced market reforms, gradually moving away from a command economy, but did NOT embrace political or democratic reform
In response large scale protests led by students and intellectuals calling for greater political freedom in China in 1989 at Tiananmen Square
The Military was used to suppress the protest and the death toll was not revealed

INTEREST GROUPS, MEDIA, AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN CHINA: STATE RUN MEDIA

-In China, the media is subject to strict governmental control
-The Xinhua New Agency is the official new agency of the state
-Independent media is limited and subject to censorship by the state
Social Media
-The Internet is strictly controlled
The government uses "Great Firewall" technology to censor Internet content and images that are critical and unflattering to the CCP and its leaders.

SOCIAL MEDIA RESTRICTIONS IN CHINA

-The emergence of new technology (cell phones, internet, satellite dishes, etc.) has caused the CCP to restrict individual Social Media usage
-In China, the government frequently uses surveillance technology to catch and punish those who use the Internet and social media platforms to criticize China's Communist Party.
- The government increasingly demands Internet publishers register with the government for permits. These requirements reduce the amount of news content available on the Internet and social media.

INTEREST GROUPS, MEDIA, AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN CHINA

-Beginning in the 1990's the CCP began allowing Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)to register with the Chinese government.
The purpose of an NGO is to further the political or social goals of its members .
NGOs in China promote environmental reforms, promote free enterprise of corporations, or support greater human rights.
-Although the CCP allows for the existence of NGO's they must register with and are closely watched by government (especially those involving religious and human rights issues )

CLEAVAGES IN CHINA

-China has 56 distinct ethnic groups.
-The largest of these nationalities are the ethnic Chinese or "Han", who constitute more than 90% of the total population.
-The other ethnic minorities groups in China include groups from Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolian, and Uighur constitute a significant portion of the other ethnic groups found in China.

Religious Cleavages in China

-Historically, Chinese civilization has been influenced by various religious movements. The 3 teachings include Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
The Chinese government recognizes five major religions practiced in China: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Most ethnic Tibetans practice a distinct form of Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism.
Freedom of religion guaranteed under the Chinese Constitution; however, religious organizations that lack official approval can be subject to state persecution
With large populations of religious peoples in Tibet (Buddhist) and Xinjiang (Muslim Uighurs,) China's government sponsors approved Buddhist and Muslim religious associations that are supervised by the government rather than religious groups that are independent.
-China's government is commonly reported to use brute repression of ethno-religious minorities of Muslims in Xinjaing by placing them into educational detention centers that limit contact with family members and attempt to change their religious beliefs.

Urban vs. Rural Cleavages in China

-Urban vs. Rural: differences contributed to the emergence of "Two Chinas" -due to economic prosperity and lifestyle
-A Floating Population: emerges when peasants migrate to urban areas to find work.
-These floating migrant workers are mostly employed in low-paying jobs, but fill an important role in new construction

ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF CHINA

-Historically, China developed Soviet-style communist economic model known as Iron Rice Bowl which led to greater state control over the economy and market.
China has a Socialist Market Economy which means that after paying taxes/contract fees to government, families may buy or sell what they produce
Presently, the Iron Rice Bowl has been replaced with the Household Responsibility System in which industries were decentralized, price controls eliminated, and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) established.
SEZs are regions in which foreign investors were given preferential tax rates and other incentive to lure foreign investors to special coastal enclaves.
-China has allowed for more Township and Village Enterprises (TVEs) by permitting private farmers to sell their surplus on the open market. system.
-These new economic changes have caused China to become the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
For example, the GDP per capita grew at average rate of a little over 9% per year from 1990-2009 compared to the US which grew at 1.5% over same amount of time

PUBLIC POLICY: DOMESTIC POLICY OF CHINA

-The People's Republic of China (PRC) is divided into 22 provinces
It has 5 autonomous regions- a territorial unit that is equivalent to a province and contains a large concentration of ethnic minorities such as in Xinjiang and Tibet
-It has 4 centrally administered cities
-It has 2 Special Administrative Regions (SAR) such as Hong Kong & Macau ( which are ruled indirectly by China
-Taiwan (Disputed)- is considered the 23rd province by the PRC while Taiwan considers itself independent

PUBLIC POLICY: DOMESTIC POLICY OF CHINA (TAIWAN)

-The PRC considers Taiwan to be its 23rd province but it is governed by the Republic of China and rejects Mainland China's claim to it
-Taiwan was established as the Republic of China in 1949, it prospered as a capitalist authoritarian regime under the military protection of the US.
-In 1972 the PRC established the One-China Policy which asserts that there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.
-The United States does not challenge that position but continues to militarily protect Taiwan.
-Presently, trade and investment between Taiwan and China is growing.

PUBLIC POLICY: DOMESTIC POLICY ON ONE AND TWO-CHILD LIMITS

The one-child policy was part of a program designed to control the rapidly growing population in China.
-The Chinese government offers family planning services which provide contraceptive options to women.
In 1979, the one child policy set a limit on the number of children Chinese parents could have, making it the world's most extreme example of family planning.
By the late 1980's the one child policy was modified to a two-child policy in order to allow rural parents a second child if the first was a daughter
By 2015 the two-child limit ended but both policies caused the birth rate in China to decline sharply.

PUBLIC POLICY: FOREIGN POLICY OF CHINA

China became the world's largest trading nation in 2013, as measured by the sum of imports and exports. By 2016, China was the largest trading partner of 124 other countries.
China has had a long and complex trade relationship with the United States.
In 2000, the US approved "permanent normal trade relations" (PNTR) with China, allowing Chinese exports in at the same low tariffs as goods from most other countries
China has a significant trade surplus with the United States, its most important export market.
In the early 2010s, US politicians argued that the Chinese yuan was significantly undervalued, giving China an unfair trade advantage over the U.S.

SUPRANATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT IMPACT CHINA

-China is a member of the United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that promotes peace and security as well as develops friendly relations with its 193 member countries.
-China is also a member of both the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Bank both of which are UN organizations that try to improve trade barriers world-wide
China is a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is an international financial institution with 190 countries as members working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world

CURRENT ISSUES: POLLUTION- AIR POLLUTION

-Air, soil, and water pollution have reached toxic levels in many areas of the China
-The party-state has been encouraging efforts of environmental NGOs that aren't critical of the CCP.
-Policies to correct the problem with pollution includes shutting down factories temporarily, moving factories, reducing the use of automobiles, and the implementation of greener technologies

Promotion up to higher levels based on nomenklatura

a list of influential posts in government and industry and patronage.

Who the People's Liberation Army is controlled by

The People's Liberation Army is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party

China's National People's Congress (NPC) part 1

members serve 5-year terms and are indirectly elected through a series of regional legislative assemblies.

China's National People's Congress (NPC) part 2

elects the president (head of state) and approves the appointment of the premier (head of government.) The NPC is typically seen as a rubberstamp of executive policy decisions. It meets for a two-week session each year.

China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC)

assumes legislative duties most of the year when the NPC is not in session, sets NPC legislative agenda, supervises NPC member elections, and interprets the Constitution and laws.

The Politburo

a small group of people withing the Standing Committee that rule over China. Theses 7 members are elected by the CCP. The President is the Chair of the Politburo.

National People's Congress

-It has 3000 members that serve 5-year terms and are indirectly elected through a series of regional legislative assemblies.
-It meets for a two-week session each year.
-The NPC elects the president (head of state) and approves the appointment of the premier (head of government.)
- The NPC can also enact/amend laws, approve the state budget, declare war, and remove political leaders.
-Members of the National People's Congress are active in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Rule BY law NOT rule OF law

(instead of rule of law) means the judicial system is subservient to the decisions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which controls most judicial appointments.

The "elections"

-The CCP holds "elections" at the local level of government to serve as town and village officials to reinforce its legitimacy
-The CCP reviews candidates to eliminate objectionable ones

DEMOGRAPHICS OF CHINA

-China is the 2nd largest country in the world with 9,596,961 square miles of land
-It contains the word's largest population with 1.3 billion people
-Many of these people live in the Eastern portion of China near the Pacific Ocean.
-Major Cities: include Shanghai with 16.5 million and Beijing 12.2 million residents
-The topography of China is diverse with the Gobi and Tokia Makan Deserts, several mountain ranges including the Himalayas which is the world's tallest, major rivers systems such as the Yalu and Yangtse, and tropical forests climate found in the South.
-There are as many as 292 languages spoken in China.
The most common language is Mandarin spoken by 70% of the population.

4:2:1

4 grandparents, 2 parents, 1 child. the grandparents don't work, only the 2 parents work.

People's Liberation Army

largest military force in China

Guanxi

refers to having personal trust and a strong relationship with someone, and can involve moral obligation and exchanging favors.

One Child Policy

A program established by the Chinese government in 1979 to slow population growth in China.

Tinanmen Square

where massive student rebellion occurred in May 1989 in China. Students called for democratic reforms, but instead were met with troops and tanks sent to crush the rebellion. The Chinese government reinforced the ideas that party leadership and political stability were the keys to China's success.

Two Child Policy

introduced in China in 2016, replaced the one-child policy and allowed urban couples to have two children as part of the government's efforts to address demographic challenges and promote population growth.

Formosa / Taiwan

Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is an island nation in East Asia that operates with a separate government from mainland China, and its political status is a longstanding point of contention.

1982 Constitution

The 1982 Constitution of the People's Republic of China solidified the legal foundations of China's socialist system and introduced economic reforms while maintaining the one-party rule of the Chinese Communist Party. It didn't last long, though.

Tibet Occupation

China's occupation of Tibet involves the establishment of Chinese control in 1951 and subsequent political and cultural assimilation, leading to ongoing tensions and international criticism.The occupation has been marked by human rights concerns, including allegations of cultural suppression and restrictions on religious freedoms, contributing to sustained resistance and calls for autonomy in Tibet. Mostly because of water.

Dalai Lama

religious and political head of Tibetan Buddhism

Premier

Serves as vice president

Self-immolation

the offering of oneself as a sacrifice, especially by burning; suicidal action in the name of a cause or strongly held belief

Communist Revolution

This political movement achieved success by promising the peasants of China land reform.

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.

Great Leap Forward

Started by Mao Zedong, combined collective farms into People's Communes, failed because there was no incentive to work harder, ended after 2 years.

Cultural Revolution

(1966-1976) 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. The Cultural Revolution resulted in beatings, terror, mass jailings, and the deaths of thousands.

Deng Xioaping

leader after Mao Zadong; led a group of practical minded reformers, ended cultural revolution; shift towards family traditions, clothing changed, names not patriotic

General Secretary / President

Head of communist, party, president