Unlock document.
This document is partially blurred.
Unlock all pages and 1 million more documents.
Get Access
c. Considerable overlap between the party and the state at the top levels
i. The president of the state is always the president of the state
ii. The state premier is always a member of the Politburo and its
Standing Committee
6. Main state officials and organizations
a. Premier
i. Head of government
ii. Leads the government and coordinates the activities of ministries
b. State Council is China’s cabinet
c. President
i. The president is head of state
ii. The president has ceremonial duties and represents China in
interactions with foreign countries
iii. It is the president who meets United States presidents and the heads
of governments from other countries
iv. Xi Jinping has set out to strengthen the presidency and has taken a
major role in setting economic policy, which has traditionally been
left in the hands of the premier
d. National People’s Congress
i. Not to be confused with Communist Party’s National Party
Congress
ii. The National People’s Congress is China’s unicameral legislature
iii. Can have as many as 5,000 members
iv. Members elected indirectly by people’s congresses at the provincial
level
v. Five-year terms
vi. Meets only two to three weeks a year and has little power
vii. Members have become more outspoken in recent years but cannot
challenge major policies of the Communist Party
7. Judicial system
a. Supreme People’s Court is highest-ranking court
i. Legal changes since the Cultural Revolution allow citizens to sue
private businesses and government agencies
b. Number of lawyers and lawsuits has increased dramatically
c. Courts remain subordinate to Communist Party, which controls
appointment of judges
d. Widespread corruption in courts
D. State and society
1. Leaders of the Chinese Communist Party use the same three strategies to
maintain control of society that other authoritarian regimes do
2. Winning the support of groups in society
a. Built in base of support in party members and their families
b. Building support among social classes, including winning support of
“productive forces,” which includes entrepreneurs, professionals,
intellectuals, and middle class
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
295
c. More efforts recently to win greater support among farmers and workers
because of growing numbers of protest demonstrations by these two
groups
3. Using elections
a. Unlike many other one-party regimes, do not allow multi-party elections
at the national level
b. Allow competitive elections only at village, district, and township level
c. Repression
i. China spends more on police and public security than on national
defense
ii. Uses constant surveillance of critics as one means of repression and
tight control of critics’ access to the Internet and social media
iii. Uses a legal system in which the verdict is almost always guilty
when an accused is brought to trial
d. Despite repression, the number of protests against corruption, illegal land
seizures, and environmental damage have increased dramatically in recent
years with help of social media
4. Despite these efforts at control, there have been increasing numbers of
protests and demonstrations in recent years
E. Political culture
1. Citizens orientation toward the state
a. Pride in China’s current standing in the world
i. Confident nationalism based on China’s long history of
accomplishments, current economic success, and role as a major
power in international politics
ii. Resentful nationalism based on past humiliation by foreign
countries, current slights
b. Pride in form of government
i. Very high level of support for the form of government
ii. In 2002 survey, 94 percent of Chinese agreed “our form of
government is best for us”
c. In 2011 survey, 66 percent said they were “fairly” or “very satisfied” with
the way democracy works in China
2. Explanations for high levels of support of central government and China’s
version of democracy
a. Satisfaction with overall increase in standard of living
b. Satisfaction with increased personal freedom
c. Satisfaction with Chinese version of democracy because many Chinese
think of democracy as “guardianship democracy” rather than “liberal
democracy” as practiced in North America and Europe
d. Different political culture from Russians
i. Lengthy communist rule in China and Russia has not resulted in
similar expectations of government
ii. Chinese much less likely to expect government to provide for them
or to want a strong leader who does not have to bother with elections
F. Political economy
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
296
1. Rapid economic growth has been essential for maintaining population’s
support for the Communist Party
2. Socialism with Chinese characteristics has helped China achieve rapid
economic growth
a. Markets set prices in most sectors of the economy
b. Large role for privately owned firms
c. Poorly performing state-owned enterprises closed
d. Chinese firms compete in world markets
e. China is still socialist and will remain socialist according to party leaders
i. A significant role for state-owned enterprises continues
ii. Agricultural land owned collectively rather than by individuals
3. China’s model of growth has created serious economic and social problems
a. Economic problems
i. Model was based on using cheap labor and cheap labor is coming to
an end
ii. Heavy reliance on exports for economic growth left China
vulnerable to downturns in world markets
iii. Stat-directed investment is driven by political as well as economic
motives, which has led to waste and indebtedness
b. Political and social problems
i. Biggest political problem has been increasing levels of corruption at
all levels of the Communist Party and the state with many top
leaders and their families benefiting the most
ii. Main social problem has been a dramatic growth in inequality of
incomes among individuals and between rural and urban areas
iii. Rapid economic growth has also produced some of the world’s worst
pollution problems
4. Goals of China’s new economic strategy
a. Shift from growth based on exports to growth based on domestic
consumption
b. Make more use of market criteria in investment decisions
c. Upgrade from economy based on low wage, low skilled labor to higher
wage, high-skilled labor
d. Communist Party leader Xi Jinping says these policies will achieve “the
Chinese Dream” of returning China to greatness in the world and
achieving better lives for Chinese citizens
G. Future prospects
1. Some China experts believe it will be extremely difficult to implement the
proposed changes
2. Political scientist Minxin Pei argues China’s political economy is based on
“carving up the spoils of development”
a. He and other political scientists believe high-ranking party officials will
prevent reforms that threaten their sources of wealth
b. Other China experts, such as political scientist Cheng Li, believe the
proposed reforms have a chance of success
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
297
c. The party leader Xi Jinping has successfully removed several high-ranking
officials from power on grounds of corruption
d. All party leaders have a strong interest in keeping the party in power
e. Xi Jinpeng has worked out a satisfactory power sharing arrangement
among the major factions in the party so they are unlikely to cause a
rupture that would weaken party control of population
V. COMPARING CAPABILITIES BETWEEN RUSSIA AND CHINA
A. China is catching up with Russia in areas where it lags behind
B. Physical well-being
1. Russia had a large lead over China in 1970 when infant mortality rates in
Russia were 33 per 1,000 while in China they were 83 per 1,000
2. By 2012, Russia’s rate was 9 while China’s was 12
C. Informed decision making
1. China has almost caught up with Russia by 2010
2. Youth literacy rates of citizens aged 15–24 were over 99 percent in both
countries
3. Adult literacy rates were over 99 percent in Russia and over 94 percent in
China
D. Safety
1. Homicide rates are much higher in Russia
2. In 2011, Russia had a homicide rate of 11.2 per 100,000 people, while China’s
rate was only 1.1 per 100,000
3. A broader measure of safety is the World Bank’s “rule of law” indicator
a. Includes quality of justice and likelihood of crime and violence
b. Neither country scored well in 2012, but China scored higher than Russia
i. China had a better score than 39 percent of other countries
ii. Russia had a better score than only 28 percent of other countries
E. Democracy
1. This is the only category in which Russia scores higher than China
2. In the Economist Democracy Index in 2013, Russia had a score of 3.74, while
China scored 3.0
3. Russia also scored higher in the World Bank’s “voice and accountability”
indicator for 2012
a. Measures citizens’ ability to express their views to governments and
governments’ accountability to citizens
b. Russia had a better score than 20 percent of other countries
c. China had a better score than only 4.7 percent of other countries
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
298
REVEL Assets
11.3 Describe the history, state, relations between state and society, political culture,
and political economy of Russia.
Video: Presidential elections: exit polls show victory for Vladimir Putin
Reading: Stalin Anniversary Highlights the Two Modern Russia’s
Reading: One Day in the Life of Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Reading: Russia—A Return to Arms
11.4 Describe the history, state, relations between state and society, political culture,
and political economy of China.
Video: Growing gap between rich and poor,
Video: Chinese students interviewed on China’s government and future
Reading: Beijing Fights On to Tame Web Chatter
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
299
Multiple Choice Questions
1. During 1991, the Soviet Union:
a. invaded Poland.
b. broke into several independent countries.
c. experienced a military take-over of the Gorbachev regime.
d. brokered an extensive nuclear disarmament agreement with the United States.
on the remaining communist regimes.
Topic: Introduction
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
2. Modern Russia has:
a. a theistic government.
b. a democratic government.
c. an authoritarian government.
d. a military regime.
Learning Objective: LO 11.1: Understand the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union
on the remaining communist regimes.
Topic: Introduction
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
3. Which of the following was NOT an important institutional feature of twentieth-century
communist party rule?
a. power controlled by a small elite
b. hierarchical organizational structure
c. democratic rule-of-law as main organization principle
d. no organizational separation between party and state
Learning Objective: LO 11.2: Describe the two main features of communist regimes in
the 20th century and explain the flaws of centrally planned economies based on state-
owned firms.
Topic: The Institutional Basis of Communist Regimes
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
300
4. According to Karl Marx,
a. all societies are based on the exploitation of one social class by another.
b. communist regimes will evolve into capitalist economies.
c. private ownership of banks will flourish under communist rule.
d. the bourgeois will become the leaders of tomorrow.
Learning Objective: LO 11.2: Describe the two main features of communist regimes in
the 20th century and explain the flaws of centrally planned economies based on state-
owned firms.
Topic: The Institutional Basis of Communist Regimes
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
5. Communist societies have:
a. no division of labor, no state, and defined social classes.
b. no division of labor, no private ownership of businesses, and no social classes.
c. defined divisions of labor, defined social classes, and a defined state.
d. divisions of labor, no state, and no private ownership of banks.
Learning Objective: LO 11.2: Describe the two main features of communist regimes in
the 20th century and explain the flaws of centrally planned economies based on state-
owned firms.
Topic: The Institutional Basis of Communist Regimes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
6. A flaw of state-owned, centrally planned economies is that while they are good at
achieving __________ growth, they are poor at achieving __________ growth.
a. intensive, extensive
b. extensive, intensive
c. independent, dependent
d. industrial, military
Learning Objective: LO 11.2: Describe the two main features of communist regimes in
the 20th century and explain the flaws of centrally planned economies based on state-
owned firms.
Topic: The Institutional Basis of Communist Regimes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
301
7. In 1985, a new generation of Soviet Communist Party leaders emerged, led by:
a. Boris Yeltsin.
b. Mikhail Gorbachev.
c. Nikita Khrushchev.
d. Vladimir Putin.
Learning Objective: LO 11.3: Describe the history, state, relations between
state and society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
8. Reforms initiated by Gorbachev were seen by Soviet Communist Party leaders as:
a. being introduced too quickly.
b. being introduced too slowly.
c. being introduced too fast by some leaders and too slowly by others.
d. being irrelevant.
Learning Objective: LO 11.3: Describe the history, state, relations between
state and society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
9. Stalin’s policy of agricultural collectivization was designed to:
a. increase farmers’ income.
b. give control of farms to small farmers rather than landlords.
c. provide cheap food for urban workers.
d. increase farm productivity using scientific methods brought from Europe.
Learning Objective: LO 11.3: Describe the history, state, relations between state and
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
302
10. Gorbachev’s policy of ___________, or “openness,” encouraged free speech as a means
of highlighting failings of the Soviet economy.
a. perestroika
b. glasnost
c. demokratizatsiia
d. nomenklatura
Learning Objective: LO 11.3: Describe the history, state, relations between state and
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
11. Gorbachev’s policy of __________, or “restructuring,” was a policy of loosening state
control of the economy so firms could respond better to consumer demand.
a. perestroika
b. glasnost
c. demokratizatsiia
d. nomenklatura
Learning Objective: LO 11.3: Describe the history, state, relations between state and
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
12. Which of the following is a main reason the communist regime did not survive in the
Soviet Union?
a. military commitments
b. international intervention
c. nationalism
d. the economy
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
303
13. The prominent member of the Communist Party who led the effort to dismantle the
Soviet Union was:
a. Mikhail Gorbachev.
b. Boris Yeltsin.
c. Dmitry Medvedev.
d. Nikita Khrushchev.
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
14. __________ implemented the policy of “shock therapy.”
a. Joseph Stalin
b. Vladimir Lenin
c. Mikhail Gorbachev
d. Boris Yeltsin
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
15. Which of the following was a part of “shock therapy” policy?
a. discouraging foreign investment to give an advantage to Russian business
b. selling state-owned firms to private investors
c. dramatically increasing state spending to “kick start” the economy
d. gradually making a transition to a market economy
society, political culture, and political economy of Russia.
Topic: Russia
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
304
