Introduction to Chinese Government, Politics and Policy

This is an introductory course on contemporary Chinese politics, government and public policy for international students. This course examines China from a variety of perspectives to enlighten our understanding of China today. All through the course, we will try to tackle the following questions: To what extent did the communist/revolutionary legacy affect reform-era politics and policy in China? Can China still be characterized as a communist state, or is it something else? Why has China been able to achieve such significant economic growth in the past three decades? Will economic liberalization inevitably lead China onto a political path predicted by modernization theory? On the international arena, is China really an emerging superpower or is it a developing country facing significant internal challenges that preclude its continued rise?