POLI 380 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Grassroots Democracy, Social Forces, Special Courts
14 Sep 2019
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Assessing village elections in china by kevin j. o"brien and rongbin han. Launch of village elections began with the organic law of village committees in 1987. Promised "self-governance" ( zizhi ) through self-management, self-education, and (amended in 1998) self-service. Party branches, social forces (such as clans, religious groups, and underworld elements) continue to impede democratic rule. Purely procedural definition of democracy is problematic. Democratization depends on the power configuration in which elected bodies are embedded. High turnout rates- 90% in some locations. Shows future of grassroots democracy in china is bright. O"brien and han: working definition of democracy by most observers which emphasized procedural components is incomplete. But changes in "exercise of power" are disconnected from "access to power" Village elections change the way village authorities gain power, not how they exercise that power. Observers of self-governance in china speak of democracy but do not define it.
