The Chinese Communist Party’s Capacity to Rule: Ideology, Legitimacy and Party Cohesion

249 Pages·2016·1.504 MB·English

by  Jinghan Zeng (auth.)

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The Chinese Communist
Party’s Capacity to Rule
Ideology, Legitimacy and Party Cohesion
Jinghan Zeng
Lecturer, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
© Jinghan Zeng 2016
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2016 978-1-137-53367-8
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ISBN 978-1-349-57455-1 ISBN 978-1-137-53368-5 (eBook)
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zeng, Jinghan, 1987–
The Chinese Communist Party’s capacity to rule : ideology, legitimacy
and party cohesion / Jinghan Zeng.
pages cm.—(Critical studies of the Asia-Pacific)
1. Zhongguo gong chan dang. 2. Zhongguo gong chan dang – Discipline.
3. Zhongguo gong chan dang – Party work. 4. Legitimacy of governments –
China. I. Title.

JQ1519.A5Z323 2015
324.251′075—dc23 2015021827
To My Mom
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Contents
List of Figures viii
List of Tables x
Acknowledgments xi
List of Abbreviations xii
1 Introduction 1
2 Existential Crisis of the Chinese Communist Party? 29
3 Popular Legitimacy from the Western Perspective 55
4 Popular Legitimacy from the Chinese Perspective 96
5 Ideological and Political Education in China 115
6 The Institutionalization of the Authoritarian Leadership
in China 153
7 Conclusion: A Journey to Popular Legitimacy and
Party Cohesion 181
Appendix: Coding Manual 195
Notes 202
Bibliography 205
Index 231
vii
List of Figures
1.1 C ore arguments of this book 2 7
4.1 R eference rates of scholars in the Chinese discourse
of legitimacy 1 00
4.2 E valuation of Chinese intellectuals on levels of regime
legitimacy in China 1 02
4.3 T hree dimensions of proposed strategies for maintaining
legitimacy (factor correlations r) 1 05
6.1 R egime legitimacy and the institutionalization of power
succession 1 55
6.2 A ge distribution of the Politburo Standing Committee
(1982–2012) 1 62
6.3 A ge distribution of Politburo members in China
(1982–2012) 1 62
6.4 A verage age of Chinese leaders when they were appointed
(1982–2012) 1 63
6.5 T urnover rate of the CCP Central Committee and the
Politburo (1973–2012) 1 64
6.6 T urnover rates of American political representatives and
Chinese leaders (1982–2012) 1 64
6.7 C hanging tendency of educational qualifications of
Politburo members (1982–2012) 1 67
6.8 A cademic disciplines of PSC members (1992–2012) 1 68
6.9 P roportion of ethnic minorities in the CCP Central
Committee (1982–2012) 1 70
6.10 T he representation of ethnic minorities in the CCP
Central Committee and the Politburo (1982–2012 ) 170
6.11 P roportion of mid- and high-level female cadres
(2000–2009) 1 71
6.12 F emale representation in Chinese leadership (1982–2012) 172
6.13 O rganizational representation of Politburo members
(1992 –2012) 1 73
viii
List of Figures ix
6.14 W orking units of 18th CCP Central Committee members 175
6.15 S ize of the Politburo and its Standing Committee
(1982–2012) 1 77
6.16 R atio showing the difference between the number of
nominees and the number of elected seats (cha e bi li)
in the Central Committee and the Central Discipline
Inspection Commission 1 79