Chinese politics and political cultures

This unit introduces you to China’s political system and cultures. We begin from an overview of the historical origins of the current system, with a particular emphasis on divergent schools of political thought throughout history, including Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, republicanism, and communism.
We then proceed to an overview of the reform era political system and the challenges faced by the leadership. Questions for consideration include leadership succession, corruption and inequality, nationalism, civil society, health, ethnic and gender relations, and international relations.
The unit concludes with a discussion of how best to classify China’s current political model, as well as thinking through possible paths for the future.