In Search for Chinese Democratization through the Lens of a Composite Theory: Framing Challenges on the Way

Abstract:

During the 1980s, China was one of the countries thought to be democratizing with the political, social, and economic reforms she had presented, as she was no different than approximately 30 countries making their transition to democracy back then. However, the events of the 1990s have proved the opposite. While a considerable number of scholars either through their subjective reading of the context or by relying on limited ethnographic methods has attempted to elaborate on the Chinese case, studies on Chinese democratization have been voluminous, if not misleading. In this paper, we answer the questions of why China has not democratized and why her democratization in near future seems impossible. In doing so, we argue that previously established obstacles to Chinese transition to democracy such as the non-existence of a Western style middle class; limited capitalism and capitalist institutions; low social and economic development; the lack of civic culture; weak legal instruments are not that significant factors as they have always been perceived. After building a composite theory of political, social, institutional and cultural variables, on the contrary, we find out that the state control over Chinese society and particularly its strength; current Communist institutions and the informal politics they garner; the state centralism; the weak collective behavior among peasants and workers; the existence of organic intellectuals or the lack of autonomy among intelligentsia are the most critical variables preventing democratization at different vital junctures, formerly overlooked. In the end of this evaluation, we share our prospects for Chinese democratization by indicating the new technological innovations that the Chinese government has been adopting in controlling these critical junctures and discuss why such mechanisms constitute the real obstacle to democratization and the debate over Chinese democratization is almost and unfortunately over.

Last updated on 05/18/2015