This report is designed to provide Congress with a perspective on the contemporary political system of China, the only Communist Party-led authoritarian state in the G-20 grouping of major economies. China's Communist Party dominates state and society in China, is committed to maintaining a permanent monopoly on power, and is intolerant of those who question its right to rule. Nonetheless, analysts consider China's political system to be neither monolithic nor rigidly hierarchical. Jockeying among leaders and institutions representing different sets of interests is common at every level of the system.

Publisher Description

This volume explores the form and function of constitutions in countries without the fully articulated institutions of limited government.

This book chronicles the evolution and progress of village elections in China, and offers a roadmap as to what could eventually be the beginning of a more extensive liberalization and democratization process. Initiatives to allow greater autonomy to common people led to eventually allowing village elections, which allowed all villages to elect their mayor, or village chief and local council every three years.

General study of China - covers historical and geographical aspects, sociological aspects, languages, the social structure, living conditions, education, religion, political aspects, the economy, government policy, armed forces organisation, etc. Bibliography pp. 631 to 650, and maps.