China's Economic Development and Democratization

China's Economic Development and Democratization examines China's transformation from an institutional perspective. It proposes an analytical framework comprising six macro institutional environments: international, ideological, political, economic, constitutional, and civil-social, to analyze the Chinese transition. Through an institutional analysis of the ruling elite’s policy institutionalization, it tries to answer three main questions: Will China’s economic reforms lead to a meaningful political reform? Will economic freedom lead to political freedom? Will economic development lead to political democratization? The major findings from the institutional analysis of the dynamic interactions between political actors and institutions suggest that China is moving closer towards democracy. Students and scholars who are studying or conducting researches on the Chinese economy, society or politics will find this book of particular interest.

Contents: Part I: Understanding the Chinese Transition: Introduction; Towards an institutional analytic framework. Part II: Transition From Mao Zedong To Deng Xiaoping: Legacies of Mao Zedong: constraints and opportunities; Transformation of the ideological environment and Deng Xiaoping's rise. Part III: Policy Institutionalization In The Post-Mao Era: Institutionalization of agricultural reform and open-door policy; Restoration of private enterprises and property rights. Part IV: Changes in the Mass Public Orientations: Mass public orientations and implications for policy institutionalization. Part V: Prospects For A Democratic Transition: Conclusion; Bibliography; Documents and reports; Index.

Yanlai Wang is an Associate Researcher for the Euro-Asia Center at the University of Limerick, Ireland.