- High-level officials (like the mayor of Shanghai) are appointed by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), not elected by the public.
- Citizens can vote for local deputies to low-level people’s congresses (towns & provinces).
- Local deputies then vote for higher-level congress members, including the National People’s Congress.
- Any citizen can run for local office, but must be preapproved by the CCP.
- Independent candidates often face intimidation and are rarely successful. ⬅️
- Official Avenues for Political Participation in China 🇨🇳 🗳️
- Unofficial Avenues for Policy Influence 🇨🇳 🗣️
Under President Xi Jinping, China has become more repressive and ideological than at any other point since the country’s economic reforms and opening to the West began in the late 1970s.
Under Xi the government has asserted greater control over many aspects of life
Don’t the people of China want a Democracy or more Representation?
Authoritarian Governance vs. Social Liberalization:
- China's political system remains authoritarian
- The core features of a Leninist regime remain intact: party-state dominance, the CCP's control over key economic and information resources, and willingness to use repression against organized opposition 🏛️💰🎥
- However, despite its authoritarian politics, Chinese society is simultaneously becoming more pluralistic, autonomous, and open due to reform and opening, which have introduced social liberalization. 👫
Political Reform in China
China Chose Economic Reform over Political Reform
Economic Growth as a Source of Legitimacy and Substitution:
- Rapid economic growth since 1992 has boosted the Communist Party's legitimacy and vindicated its "neo-authoritarian strategy", which posits that a strong, undemocratic government is necessary for economic take-off in a poor country. As long as economic growth remains strong, this strategy retains its appeal. ⬅️🏦
- Some pragmatic leaders have pursued significant economic institutional reforms (e.g., state-owned enterprise, financial, healthcare reforms) as a "substitution" approach for political reform, aiming to limit party-state power through economic means