TOTALITARIANISM AND AUTHORITARIANISM IN CHINA

1. TOTALITARIANISM AND AUTHORITARIANISM IN CHINA Period 1: Revolution and complete totalitarianism? 1919 overthrow of the west-weakened Qing dynasty -> Civil War-> Consolidation of a “Marxist” revolution: 1949 Why ebbs and flows with Chairman Mao’s hold?: Separation of powers? Balancing power bw party and state And bw different approaches to nationalism: Radical socialism (Reds) vs. moderate authoritarian nationalists (experts) Mao’s “Campaigns” vs. Soviet “purges” The Great Leap Forward (1958-1960) vs. The Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) Period 2: From totalitarianism by cult into institutional author. and oligarch Deng Xiaoping, “the Senior Vice-Premier” and anti-Mao (1977-1997) The four modernizations: Ag, Indust, Science, Army The one-child policy Formal transitions: 2 five-year terms at the top with age mandatory retirements

2. INSTITUTIONALIZING AUTHORITARIANISM IN CHINA Period 3: Growth and uncertainty The 1989 movement and a potential split in the regime: Tiananmen Square 1997: Power consolidation under Jiang Zemin leads to the death of communism and democracy movements in China… but the long-term strategy of the regime changes? Making China a global economic (“sticky”) and “soft power” player rather than a model communist power – leads to WTO 2001. Promoting technocrats at all levels of the party Very limited democratization with a strong emphasis on wewen (stability policy), but instead a large focus on internal rejuvenation that allows for a large array of opinion w/in the CCP…esp under Hu Jintao Period 4: The Chinese Dream and “National Rejuvenation” Xi Jinping centralizes power… Why not more democracy? Nationalism ala Putin with a softer touch? The Olympics, and international expansion (economics, but esp. military)

3. POLITICAL POWER IN CHINA…VERY BRIEFLY The Chinese Communist Party General secretary (1), Standing committee (7), Central Committee (350), National Party Congress (2000), Nomenklatura (30 million, including about 1/3 of the country’s leading “capitalists”) The Chinese State (almost all are also party leaders) President State council, standing committee (Politburo), & the PM The Standing Committee of the NPC (155 members). Meets just once every year. The People’s Congress (2000 or so). Meets every five years to rubberstamp The People’s Liberation Army

4. CAN YOU HAVE PERESTROIKA WITHOUT GLASNOST? How has the leadership rotation and an emphasis on merit made China work better than in Russia’s final days? How is party membership changing? Why does it matter that reform started much earlier than Russia and Iran? How does China’s huge population impact the choices and opportunities for the CCP? How does the distribution of the population help/hinder democracy? What lies ahead? How does the origin of China’s wealth impact the CCP ? Why may China have to distribute wealth (as high as 6K per cap PPP now) more equally? Why doesn’t Russia’s elite have to worry as much? How does Chinese nationalism impact the choices and opportunities for the CCP? Would a US confrontation help to make China more democratic or less? Why can China compete globally in a way the Soviets and Russia couldn’t? How and why are they doing so well? Is there a limit to the growth? Will Chinese politics reach an equilibrium that doesn’t include democracy or is a transition inevitable? What about Russia