The George Washington University s6

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Elliott School of International Affairs

Department of Political Science

Political Science 270 Fall 2010 Politics of China I Professor David Shambaugh Mondays, 5:10-7:00 p.m. Office: 1957 E St., Suite 503 Phillips Hall B001 Office Hours: Mondays 3:00-5:00 p.m., by appt. only

Phone: 202-994-5887

COURSE MECHANICS

Course Description This is a graduate course on modern and contemporary Chinese politics. Students will gain exposure to the principal events, issues, and individuals that have shaped post-1949 Chinese politics, as well as an appreciation of inherited traditions that have influenced the state and polity. The class will also consider the principal institutions involved in national-level policy making process, and some of the pressing issues confronting the Chinese party-state today. Students will also be exposed to the key secondary literature on the subject, and are encouraged to use Chinese language materials in their research.

There are no formal prerequisites for taking this course, other than a strong interest in the subject and the willingness to work hard, although previous background in modern Chinese affairs and theories of comparative politics is desirable. Those totally new to the study of modern China and contemporary Chinese politics will find their work cut out for them. Class meetings will primarily be comprised of lecture and discussion until the last section, when it will be student- led.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1 Students are expected to attend all classes, participate actively in all discussions, make presentations, do all required readings, and complete the assignments on time. The readings are numerous. The course will also feature a number of writing assignments, and each develops a different set of analytical and writing skills. Finally, the team project is intended to develop a series of important skills for the workplace: teamwork, division of labor, role-playing, forecasting, and systemic analysis.

There are three graded elements to the course:

1. The first assignment is a mid-term research essay (in effect a take-home essay exam). Responses to each question should not exceed 5 double-spaced pages in length. This essay is due in class on Session 7. (Weight: 40%).

2. The second assignment will be an exercise in forecasting related to sessions 10-13. Imagine that you are part of a drafting team for a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) at the National Intelligence Council (CIA). The topic of the NIE will be: “XXX Reform in: Factors Affecting Leadership Responses.” This paper should be 10 tightly-written double-spaced pages, including an Executive Summary of 300 words, and should forecast 2-3 years into the future what challenges and policy options China’s leadership is likely to confront concerning each issue area. A template for the NIE will be distributed in advance by the instructor. This paper is due in class on the week of the topic you have selected. (Weight: 40%)

3. The third assignment will be your oral contribution to the team projects related to the NIE exercise. Students will divide into one of five teams (four students each), divide the topic accordingly, and run the class as if it is a mock NIE briefing session for the National Intelligence Council. (Weight: 20%)

NOTE: Ph.D. students in Political Science are expected to write one additional 15-page paper on “Models and Methods in Studying Chinese Politics.” The instructor will assign pertinent readings. (Weight 10%, and assignment #3 will be reduced to 10% weighting).

*Note: all late papers are penalized one grade increment for every day late.

Office Hours Professor Shambaugh will hold office hours by appointment only for 15 minute blocks of time on Monday afternoons from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Appointments should be made in advance via

2 email ([email protected]). If students have another class or activity at this time, or the slots fill up, we can try to arrange an alternative appointment.

COURSE READINGS

There are a large number of books and articles pertinent to this class. It is expected that students will have read and familiarized themselves with all of the required readings prior to class each week. The syllabus only contains required readings. If you wish to read further in a subject area, or choose other books for your review essay, please consult with the instructor and use the general stacks in Gelman Library. For those who read Chinese, Gelman Library is home to the China Documentation Center—one of the best archives of books and periodicals on Chinese politics, security, military, and foreign affairs in the world.

The required readings are all available in paperback and for purchase at the University Bookstore or from amazon.com.

Richard McGregor, The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers

David Shambaugh (ed.), The Modern Chinese State

David Shambaugh, China’s Communist Party: Atrophy & Adaptation

Orville Schell and David Shambaugh (eds.), The China Reader: The Reform Era

Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China: From Revolution Through Reform (2nd ed.)

Peter Gries and Stanley Rosen (eds.), Chinese Politics: State, Society, and the Market

Bruce Gilley, Tiger on the Brink: Jiang Zemin and China’s New Elite

Zheng Yongnian, The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor

Cheng Li (ed.), China’s Changing Political Landscape

Anne-Marie Brady, Marketing Dictatorship: Propaganda and Thought Work in Contemporary China

Lu Xiaobo, Cadres and Corruption: The Organizational Involution of the Chinese Communist Party

3 Periodicals The readings for this course are principally comprised of books rather than the plethora of journal articles available. Students are encouraged, however, to peruse the relevant periodicals for further material relevant to the course and essay topics. The principal articles are as follows:

The China Quarterly

The China Journal (formerly The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs) Journal of Contemporary China China: An International Review Current History (annual China issue published in September) Pacific Affairs Asian Survey Far Eastern Economic Review Issues & Studies Problems of Post-Communism (formerly Problems of Communism) Communist & Post-Communist Studies (formerly Studies in Comparative Communism) Back issues of most of these can be found in the Sigur Center Library, as well as in Gelman Library. There are, of course, dozens of Chinese periodicals published in the PRC, Hong Kong, and Taiwan—The China Documentation Center (CDC) in Gelman Library contains excellent collections of these periodicals (the best in the Washington, D.C. area).

COURSE SCHEDULE & READINGS

I. SOURCES OF CONTEMPORARY CHINESE POLITICS

Session 1: Course Introduction & the Evolution of the Study of Chinese Politics

No readings required.

Session 2: Inherited Traditions: China Before Communism

Readings:

David Shambaugh (ed.), The Modern Chinese State, Introduction, Chapters 1-2.

Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, chapters 1-3.

4 II. THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE PRC

Session 3: Chinese Politics Under Mao

Readings:

David Shambaugh (ed.), The Modern Chinese State, chapters 4, 6.

Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, chapters 2-4.

Session 4: Chinese Politics Under Deng Xiaoping

Readings:

David Shambaugh, The Modern Chinese State, chapter 5.

Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, chapter 5.

Orville Schell and David Shambaugh, The China Reader, Introduction, pp. 50-102; 155-

214; 236-320.

Session 5: Chinese Politics Under Jiang Zemin

Readings:

Bruce Gilley, Tiger on the Brink: Jiang Zemin and China’s New Elite

Orville Schell and David Shambaugh, The China Reader, 103-154, 496-504.

Session 6: Chinese Politics Under Hu Jintao

Readings:

Recommended:

China Leadership Monitor, at: http://www.chinaleadershipmonitor.org (2004-2008)

5 III. KEY INSTITUTIONS

Session 7: The Chinese Communist Party

Readings:

David Shambaugh, China’s Communist Party: Atrophy & Adaptation.

Recommended:

Session 8: The Military and Security Services in Politics

Readings:

Orville Schell and David Shambaugh, The China Reader, pp. 431-447.

Recommended:

Liang Zhang, Andrew Nathan, Perry Link, and Orville Schell, The Tiananmen Papers

David Shambaugh, Modernizing China’s Military

Session 9: The Government: State Council, National People’s Congress, & CPPCC

Readings: