The People’s Congresses and Governance in China Two popular interpretations of China persist today. One is that of a decaying Leninist hierarchy and the other of a likely democratizing nation destined for liberal pluralism; this book, on the other hand, provides a balanced assessment of China’s communist rule, its viability as well as its prospect of democracy. The People’s Congresses and Governance in China presents a complex but con- vincing analysis of the transformation of governance in China. As the first systemic and theoretical study of China’s provincial legislatures, it draws our attention to one of the most promising growth points in China’s changing constitutional order. Through in-depth and first-hand research, the author provides a comprehensive explanation about why the provincial legislatures have acquired institutional maturation and expanded power in the context of Chinese transitional political economy. The book portrays an innovative pattern of legislative development, sums up pragmatic local strategies for market creation, and identifies multiple dynamics for promoting accounta- bility and democracy. Based upon the case study of provincial legislatures, the author reveals the formation of a new mode of governance in China’s national politics: the network structure featuring institutional arrangements and the mohe (co-operation through competition) pattern of interaction abided by the major power players. Adding the biggest legislative system to our understanding of representa- tional institutions, this book will be of interest to parliamentary scholars and parliamentarians who are concerned with the role of parliaments in transi- tional politics and economies of both post-communist and developing coun- tries. It will also appeal to students and researchers of Chinese politics, governance, and Asian studies. Ming Xia is Professor of Political Science at the City University of New York, USA. Library of legislative studies Edited by Lord Philip Norton of Louth University of Hull, UK 1 National Parliaments and the European Union Edited by Philip Norton 2 The New Parliaments of Central and Eastern Europe Edited by David M. Olson and Philip Norton 3 Members of Parliament in Western Europe Edited by Wolfgang C. Muller and Thomas Saalfield 4 The New Roles of Parliamentary Committees Edited by Lawrence D. Longley and Roger H. Davidson 5 Conscience and Parliament Edited by Philip Cowley 6 Parliaments and Governments in Western Europe Edited by Philip Norton 7 Parliaments and Pressure Groups in Western Europe Edited by Philip Norton 8 Parliaments in Asia Edited by Philip Norton and Nizam Ahmed 9 The Uneasy Relationship between Parliamentary Members and Leaders Lawrence D. Longley and Reuven Yair Hazan 10 Delegation and Accountability in European Integration Edited by Torbjorn Bergman and Erik Damgaard 11 Second Chambers Edited by Nicholas Baldwin and Donald Shell 12 Parliaments and Citizens in Western Europe Edited by Philip Norton 13 The Rise of the Norwegian Parliament Edited by Hilmar Rommetvedt 14 The Unseen Hand Edited by Rinus van Schendelen and Roger Scully 15 The Scottish Parliaments Edited by David Arter 16 From Legislation to Legitimation The role of the Portuguese Parliament Edited by Cristina Leston-Bandeira 17 Cohesion and Discipline in Legislature Edited by Reuven Y. Hazan 18 Southern European Parliaments in Democracy Cristina Leston-Bandeira 19 Executive Leadership and Legislative Assemblies Edited by Nicholas Baldwin 20 The Europeanisation of Parliamentary Democracy Edited by Katrin Auel and Arthur Benz 21 Comparing and Classifying Legislatures Edited by David Arter 22 The People’s Congresses and Governance in China Toward a network mode of governance Ming Xia The People’s Congresses and Governance in China Toward a network mode of governance Ming Xia First published 2008 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library,2007. “To purchaseyourown copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2008 Ming Xia All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN 0-203-69526-7 Mas tere-bookISBN ISBN 10: 0-415-34950-8 (hbk) ISBN 10: 0-203-69526-7 (ebk) ISBN 13: 978-0-415-34950-5 (hbk) ISBN 13: 978-0-203-69526-5 (ebk) For Julia X., My Lovely Daughter (cid:13485)(cid:10245)(cid:3911)(cid:3811)(cid:12493)(cid:2159) Contents List of figures x List of tables xi Preface and acknowledgments xiii List of abbreviations xvii Profile of provinces in China (2001) xix 1 Theme, theory, and the network approach 1 2 The institutionalization of the Provincial People’s Congresses 25 3 Institutional linkages of the Provincial People’s Congresses 67 4 Elections and the circulation of the political elite 101 5 Legislative process and consensual politics of local legislation 150 6 State failure, market failure, and developmental Provincial Peopl e’s Congresses 178 7 Political contestation and the PPC as power player 218 8 Legislatures and China’s democracy 247 Appendix 1: list of interviewees 272 Appendix 2: electronic resources for the People’s Congresses 275 References 280 Index 296
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