Tamed Village "Democracy"

This book reveals the dynamics of contemporary Chinese village politics. By combining abundant empirical data with close observation as an insider, the author illustrates the processes and consequences of transplanting democracy into rural Chinese society.

Wang's book offers an empirically rich and conceptually nuanced analysis of how local state agents maintain control over village self-governance in China. His careful analysis of primary documents enables him to explicate the formal mechanisms used by members of the local state to influence village affairs. Meanwhile, his rigorous and fascinating ethnographic data enable him to elucidate the manifold ways in which informal clientelist ties between local state officials and village elites permit the former to exert control. Overall, this excellent book powerfully demonstrates the need for scholars to go beyond attention to election processes when evaluating what village democracy means in a Chinese context. It is a must-read for all serious scholars of Chinese politics and society.

Rachel Murphy, University of Oxford

Guohui Wang's highly original, in-depth case research vividly reveals the dynamics of contemporary Chinese village politics. By combining abundant empirical data with close observation as an "insider," his book illustrates the processes and consequences of transplanting 'democracy' into rural Chinese society. Particularly for those in the West who are keen on understanding the ongoing transformation of rural China, this book is a rich and revealing source.

Shukai Zhao, Development Research Center of the State Council, P.R. China

An insider's in-depth exploration of village politics in contemporary rural China, among the first books of its kind in English literature Applies a clientelist perspective to explain the state-society relationship in Chinese politics Accessible and interesting for both China researchers and general readers keen on understanding Chinese society and Chinese political culture Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
Introduction.- The Social and System Background of Villagers' Self-Governance.- Villagers as Clients and Locked-in Voters.- Candidates, Patrons and Factions.- The Role of Local State Officials in Village Elections.- Village Self-Governance: a Democratic Style?.- The Local State's Sustained Control of Village Governance.- Conclusion.