GOVT3651: Politics of China

Weekly Topics and Required Readings

Week 1: Introduction

24 February

No Required Readings for this week.

Week 2: Maoist China: 1949-1979

3 March

William A. Joseph, “Studying Chinese Politics,” in Politics in China (Fourth Edition), William A. Joseph, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024): pp 3-38.

R. Keith Schoppa, “From Empire to People’s Republic,” in Politics in China (Fourth Edition), William A. Joseph, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024): pp. 41-71

Frederick C. Teiwes, “The Chinese state during the Maoist era” in The Modern Chinese State, David Shambaugh, ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000): pp.105-160.

Reading notes:

The first two chapters are from a very well prepared and updated textbook that we will draw from selectively this semester.  They are accessible and informative. 

The third selection is by Professor Teiwes, who remains the world’s leading expert on Chinese elite politics during the Maoist and immediate post-Mao era.  He taught at the University of Sydney for decades; I was hired to teach Chinese politics here when he retired.  This reading is rather long and challenging but is one of the finest descriptions of Maoist-era governance available.  Understanding the Maoist system is essential for understanding what has changed and what hasn’t over the reform era, and particularly the similarities (and differences) under Xi Jinping’s leadership.  Please take the time to read this closely.

Week 3: Reform-era China: 1980 - 2013 

10 March

Bruce Gilley, “Deng Xiaoping and the Reform Era (1976– 2012),” in Politics in China (Fourth Edition), William A. Joseph, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024): pp 118-138.

Cheng Li, “China’s Communist Party- State: The Structure and Dynamics of Power,” in Politics in China (Fourth Edition), William A. Joseph, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024): pp. 208-245.   

Reading notes:

These two chapters are concise, excellent overviews of the reform era and the Party-State structures by two of the world’s top experts.  Please read them closely and ensure you are familiar with the key points in both chapters. 

Week 4: China’s foreign policy

17 March

Yong Deng, “The Onset of Great-Power Competition” in China's Strategic Opportunity: Change and Revisionism in Chinese Foreign Policy (Cambridge University Press, 2022): 28-69.

Avery Goldstein, “China’s Grand Strategy under Xi Jinping: Reassurance, Reform, and Resistance,” International Security, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Summer 2020), pp. 164–201.

Reading notes:

These are two academic pieces by two leading scholars on Chinese foreign policy.  They helpfully provide some international context; and are a useful starting point for anyone looking to write their research paper on China’s foreign policy and/or China’s international relations.

Week 5: National Economy

24 March

Tao Wang, Making Sense of China’s Economy (London: Routledge, 2023): Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 12 (pp. 3-36; 60-79; 224-242). I have created a PDF file (posted on Canvas, in the Reading List) which only includes these pages.

NOTE: We will read Chapters 1 (“China’s economy – the ever-changing puzzle,”); Chapter 2 (“The evolving economic structure”) pp 3-36; Chapter 4 (“the State versus the Market”): pp 60-79; Chapter 12 (“Can China sustain its economic miracle”): pp. 224-242. 

Reading notes:

Tao Wang is not an academic, but rather is a working economist (currently Chief China Economist at UBS Investment Bank in Hong Kong).  This is a very clear, up-to-date overview of key elements in China’s national economy.  Please read these selections closely and ensure you understand the key points.  Please bring any questions you have to class for our discussion.

Week 6: Policymaking in China: Structures, Processes, and Emotions

Mon 31 March

Bruce J. Dickson, “How are Policies Made,” in The Party and the People (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021): pp. 65-98.

Limin Liang, “Between Emotion, Politics and Law: Narrative Transformation and Authoritarian Deliberation in a Land Dispute-triggered Social Drama in China,” The China Quarterly 245 (March 2021): pp. 94–121.

Reading notes:

Bruce Dickson is one of the world’s leading experts on Chinese politics (and one of my former teachers!).  His recent book is excellently designed and well written for students, applying core concepts from comparative politics to recent and important developments in Chinese politics.  We will read another chapter from his book later this semester.  This one provides a superb overview of policymaking in China; useful for many of our following case studies. 

Limin Liang’s article is a fascinating study recently published in the world’s top academic journal for Chinese politics (China Quarterly).  This remarkable story introduces us to many important developments in China today.  Please take the time to read this closely—and enjoy!

Week 7: Social Challenges: Aging and Poverty

7 April

Chen Bai and Xiaoyan Lei, “New trends in population aging and challenges for China’s sustainable development,” China Economic Journal 13:1 (2020): pp. 3-23.     

Guanli Zhang, “Perceiving and Deflecting Everyday Poverty-Related Shame: Evidence from 35 Female Marriage Migrants in Rural China,” Social Inclusion 8:2 (2020): pp. 123–131

Reading notes:

Two excellent articles from leading scholars in China.  The first offers a concise and clear overview of the challenges around China’s aging population, as well as some of the government’s initial responses.  The second is a fascinating (and heart-wrenching) account of the challenges facing young rural women who migrate out from their family homes for marriage, with particular attention to the effects of poverty. 

Note: this week’s LSG will be dedicated to a working session on your draft Reading Response papers (due next Thursday, before STUVAC). Details to be provided in class.

Week 8: Poverty Governance: A Case Study

14 April

Zhongyuan Wang and Sujian Guo, “Politics of Poverty Governance: An Introduction,” Journal of Chinese Political Science 27 (2022): pp. 205–219.

Lu Liu, “Poverty Reduction in A Transforming China: A Critical Review,” Journal of Chinese Political Science 27 (2022): pp. 771–791.

Changkun Cai and Na Tang, “China’s Campaign‑Style Implementation Regime: How is ‘Targeted Poverty Alleviation’ being achieved locally?” Journal of Chinese Political Science 28 (2023), pp. 645–669.

Reading notes:

The first piece is a brief introduction to this fascinating special edition on the politics of poverty governance in China; followed by an insightful overview of recent scholarship and key issues on this topic.  The third article provides a case study of how the government uses mobilization campaigns to address political, economic, and social challenges.  This week offers a case study into the issue of poverty, exploring how the state and society interact in enacting governance in China today.

NOTE:  Reading Response Paper DUE on Thursday, 17 April

STUVAC – No class for the week of March 21-15.  Enjoy your vacation from studies!

Week 9: Social involvement in governance

28 April

Jie Huang and Ge Xin, “To Get Rich is Glorious: Private Entrepreneurs in China’s Anti‑Poverty Campaign,” Journal of Chinese Political Science 27 (2022): pp. 271–294.

Ming Hu, “Making the State’s Volunteers in Contemporary China,” Voluntas 32 (2021): pp. 1375–1388.

Reading notes:

This week we explore state-society interactions in enacting governance in China, highlighting the role of private entrepreneurs and volunteers. Both pieces are engaging and accessible, highlighting once again the exciting and empirically rich work being done by leading scholars within China today.

Week 10: Youth

Mon, 5 May

Orna Naftali, “‘Being Chinese Means Becoming Cheap Labour’: Education, National Belonging and Social Positionality among Youth in Contemporary China,” The China Quarterly (2021) Vol.245, p.51-71.

Jiaqi M. Liu, “From ‘Sea Turtles’ to ‘Grassroots Ambassadors’: The Chinese Politics of Outbound Student Migration,” International Migration Review 2022, Vol. 56(3) 702-726.

Reading notes:

A week on a most important social group—youth (as I’m sure all students will agree).  We continue the theme of state-society interactions in governance while exploring questions of identity and nationalism.   The first week considers how class variations shape how college-age students understand their individual and collective identities; the second week explores the political issues involved in Chinese students going overseas. 

Week 11: Social media and popular culture

Mon, 12 May

Xu Chen, D. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye and Jing Zeng, “#PositiveEnergy Douyin: constructing “playful patriotism” in a Chinese short-video application,” Chinese Journal of Communication 14:1 (2021): pp. 97-117.

Yehan Wang, “Rejecting resistance: Everyday resistance and harmony in Chinese hip-hop,” The Sociological Review 72:5 (2024): pp. 1136–1155.

Reading notes:

Continuing with our themes of state-society interactions, collective identity, and youth, we turn this week to popular culture and social media.  The first article explores the complex construction of identity through an engaging study of short videos amongst Chinese youth.  The second piece is a thoughtful consideration of the nuanced role that hip-hop music plays in collective identity formation amongst Chinese youth today.  If these topics intrigue, I strongly encourage you to personally explore some of the popular music and social media trends shaping Chinese society today.   Much going on, just below the surface.

Week 12: Gender

19 May

Haiqing Yu and Lili Cui, “China’s E-Commerce: Empowering Rural Women?” The China Quarterly 238 (June 2019): pp. 418–437.

Siyuan Yin and Sun Yu, “Intersectional digital feminism: assessing the participation politics and impact of the MeToo movement in China,” Feminist Media Studies (2020): pp. 1-17. DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2020.1837908

Reading notes:

We adopt a gender perspective for our penultimate week, exploring interactions between social media, the online economy, and social movements through a gender lens. The first week considers if e-commerce has empowered Chinese rural women (spoiler alert: it’s complicated); the second traces the development of the MeToo movement across the Chinese internet. A week for all of us to be challenged and learn new ways of approaching the study of politics.

NOTE: The Leading Small Groups this week will be dedicated to a working session focused on the final research paper.  More details provided in class.

Week 13: Looking Back; Looking Forward

26 May           

Bruce J. Dickson, “Will China Become Democratic?” in The Party and the People (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021): pp. 226-254.

Reading notes:

We will wrap up the semester with a look back over what we’ve learned, as a partial review in preparation for the final exam. This reading helps us to look forward, as Dickson draws together core concepts from across political science to consider the prospects for China’s political future.  I will also circulate a document from the Institute of the Future (Five Principles for Thinking Like a Futurist) to help us think creatively about possible futures for China.

NOTE: Final Research Papers DUE on Friday 30 May