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Western Political Science Theories and the Development of Political Theories in China

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Abstract

This article outlines the recent development of Chinese political studies spawned by the transformation of Chinese politics in the post-Mao era, with its focus mainly on contributions from the Chinese scholarship. After a close examination of the applicability of the western theories on the transforming politics in China, it reviews the indigenous methodologies, the theorizations on the Chinese Communist Party, the state-society relationship analysis, and research on the central-local relationship. Referring to the original works in different periods, the article generally portrays the indigenous contributions of the Chinese academia, and illustrates the essential connections between real politics and theoretical progress.

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Notes

  1. For details, see [3,4].

  2. See [16,17].

  3. See [27]

  4. For the first time, the Chinese Communist Party recognized the existence of different social interest groups in its Report on the 2nd Plenary Session of the 13th Central Committee in 1988. As it states, “There are conflicts among different groups of people under the Socialist Regime.” Accordingly, Zheng Bijian, the renowned think tank, published an article in the People’s Daily (Renmin Ribao) to analyze the interest groups that emerged as a result of economic transformation. For details, see, “Great Change, Reconsider It” [Dabiandong, Zairenshi], People’s Daily, May 20, 1988.

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  1. Department of Political Science, School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 100872

    Guangbin Yang & Miao Li

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Yang, G., Li, M. Western Political Science Theories and the Development of Political Theories in China. J OF CHIN POLIT SCI 14, 275–297 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11366-009-9061-y

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