Participation and Empowerment at the Grassroots

Chinese Village Elections in Perspective

By (author) Gunter Schubert, Anna L. Ahlers

Publication date:

19 April 2012

Length of book:

242 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739174791

This monograph ties in the scholarly debate on Chinese village elections and their consequences for China’s political system. It draws on comparative fieldwork conducted in six villages in two counties in Jiangxi and Jilin Provinces and one district in Shenzhen between 2002 and 2005, producing data from some 140 in-depth interviews of villagers and local officials up to the prefectural level. The major objective of this book is as much a critical assessment of the research literature of Chinese village elections published over the last fifteen years as to sharpen the reader’s sight for the scope and limits of this important reform to generate regime legitimacy in the local state, an issue which has so far been neglected in the study of Chinese village elections. It hence contributes to our understanding of the nexus between political participation and cadre accountability at the grassroots, and highlights a number of factors ensuring the persistence of one-party rule in contemporary China.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Administration and Authority Structures in Rural China from a Historic Perspective
Chapter 3: Direct Village Elections as a New Element of Administrative Control and Legitimation
Chapter 4: Previous Studies on Village Elections and Conceptual Framework
Chapter 5: Three Case Studies
Chapter 6: Conclusions
Chapter 7: Outlook
Appendix: Survey Questions
The 1987, 1998 and 2010 Versions of the Organic Law on Villagers’ Committees of the People’s Republic of China

Since the first election took place in Hezhai Village in Guangxi Province in 1980, Chinese village elections have spread throughout the nation and become one of the most researched areas in the study of Chinese politics. Gunter Schubert and Anna L. Ahlers provide a rich and comprehensive discussion of this important topic. . . .This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of village elections and rural politics in China.