GEN1000 Perspectives on General Education
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This module offers a thorough overview of the political system of contemporary China, focusing in particular on how the Chinese Communist Party manages and maintains its power. Students will be introduced to the organizational structure of the party-state, the changing ideological legitimation over successive leadership, and the struggle over political succession. They shall also examine various state and party institutions, the politics of reforms, separatism and unification, and foreign relations. Current issues related to Chinese politics will be discussed throughout the semester.
Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:
a. comprehend the organizational structure and operational principles of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese state and the People’s Liberation Army;
b. analyze the intricacies of China’s transitional politics;
c. examine the concept of Greater China, specifically the tripartite relations between mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan; and
d. evaluate China’s position in the world, especially its relations with other global powers.
1. Social science, politics, and China
2. The organizational structure of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese state
3. Changing ideological legitimation of the political leadership
4. Elite politics and political institutionalization
5. State institutions: central state, local governments, and the legal institutions
6. Changing civil-military relations
7. The politics of reforms
8. Greater China: separation and unification
9. China in the world
1. Assignments (20%)
2. Presentation (20%)
3. Test (30%)
4. Final Essay (30%)
1. Gries, Peter Hays and Rosen, Stanley, eds. (2010). Chinese Politics: State, Society, and the Market. London and New York: Routledge.
2. Guo, Sujian (2013). Chinese Politics and Government: Power, Ideology, and Organization. London: Routledge.
3. Heilmann, Sebastian (2017). China’s Political System. Lanham, ML.: Rowman and Littlefields.*
4. Joseph, William (2014). Politics in China: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. Minzner, Carl (2018). End of an Era: How China’s Authoritarian Revival Is Undermining Its Rise. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
6. Saich, Tony (2015). Governance and Politics of China (4th ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.*
7. Shambaugh, David (2016). The China Reader: Rising Power (6th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
