Discussion #7: China and Nondemocracies

PS120 Spring 2024 Discussion #7: China and Nondemocracies Key Terms: Authoritarian regime Competitive authoritarianism Sultanistic regime Totalitarian regime Power monopoly Mobilization Ideology Xi Jinping Notes: National People’s Congress Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Politburo Politburo Standing Committee Maoism/Mao Deng Xiaopeng Cultural Revolution Discussion Questions: Compare and contrast the economic transformations of China and Russia. How do you think these transformations impacted each country (specifically their politics) today? China and Russia underwent different economic changes after communism, which have greatly influenced their political environments. During the late 20th century, both states aimed to shift from centralized economies, yet they pursued this objective through distinct approaches. After Mao's death in 1976, China started transitioning slowly towards a "socialist market economy." This recent system integrated capitalist elements under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. This change included dispersing power, welcoming external investments, and slowly transferring ownership to private entities. China's practical strategy, focused on economic advancement and a slow pace of change, has led to significant increases in GDP, leading the country from a weak economy in the 1970s to becoming the world's second biggest economy. On the other hand, Russia underwent a quick shift from a planned to a market economy during Boris Yeltsin's leadership in the 1990s by implementing a "shock therapy" strategy. This procedure involved extensive privatization and deregulation, resulting in economic chaos, considerable disparity, and the emergence of influential oligarchs. During its transition, China kept a consistent single-party system, while Russia, under Vladimir Putin, has faced political instability due to its economic situation. In terms of politics, China's economic success bolstered the credibility of the CCP and strengthened its authority. The CCP has been able to maintain control and suppress dissent with the resources obtained from the economic boom. The economic instability in Russia during the 1990s set the stage for Putin's ascent, allowing him to consolidate power and exert control using a combination of nationalism and political suppression. In general, while China's economic shift strengthened consistent authoritarianism, Russia's tumultuous change resulted in a more unpredictable type of authoritarian governance. How has Xi solidified his authoritarian regime despite China’s economic development (many expected their developed economy to lead to democratization)? What similarities and differences are there to Putin’s consolidation of autocracy in Russia? Xi Jinping has strengthened his authoritarian rule in China by consolidating power and focusing on patriotic concepts, even though economic growth was predicted to bring about democratic changes. Under Xi's leadership, China has reverted to a more personalized form of governance similar to Mao's era. This was accomplished by various means, such as strengthening the dominance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), restricting political diversity, and promoting a cult of personality. Xi has consolidated his power by reversing previous attempts to institutionalize leadership succession through the abolition of the two-term limit for the presidency. His leadership approach, which centers on ideological dominance and nationalism (such as the "Great Rejuvenation"), has enabled him to maintain a strong hold over both the party and the state. Putin's strengthening of authority in Russia, although resembling Xi's tactics, has unique aspects. Similar to Xi, Putin has employed nationalism and authoritarian tactics to sustain power. Yet, his journey toward dictatorship entailed quelling the disorderly post-Soviet period and utilizing the power of the oligarchs, slowly consolidating control in the Kremlin. Putin's leadership focuses more on maintaining a monopoly on power through a combination of political repression and controlled electoral manipulations, rather than strict adherence to ideology like Xi's emphasis on CCP values. Both leaders employ central control, nationalism, and suppression of opposition to uphold their regimes, however, Xi leans towards ideological and party legitimacy, while Putin uses elite alliances and strategic nationalism. The political foundations differ in China and Russia: China's autocracy is more institutionalized due to the CCP-centric approach, while Russia relies more on Putin's personalistic power, maintaining a more individualistic system. Between authoritarianism, sultanism, and totalitarianism, which do you think is the most stable form of governance in the long term? Does this change when you think about the short term? What factors might contribute to one type of regime outlasting the others? Over time, authoritarianism typically proves to be the most enduring type of rule when compared to sultanism and totalitarianism. Authoritarian governments sometimes permit a certain level of restricted diversity and formalization, which may result in improved stability and flexibility. For example, in the case of Spain during Franco's rule, authoritarianism endured by controlling diversity and promoting symbolic beliefs, ensuring stability for many years. These governments do not need ongoing ideological mobilization or as much personalistic control as sultanistic regimes, which makes them less prone to unrest after leadership transitions. In the immediate future, sultanism may remain stable due to the focus on personal allegiance to a sole ruler, evident in the case of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. This form of government can uphold stability as long as the leader's power is not questioned. Nevertheless, its stability is delicate, depending greatly on the leader's personal power, and at risk of falling apart if the leader is taken out. Totalitarian governments, such as Stalin's USSR, may remain stable thanks to widespread mobilization and a powerful ideology, yet they typically need extensive repression and control, which can be hard to maintain without a strong coercive system and public support. Economic performance, legitimacy (ideological or pragmatic), institutionalization, and leadership succession mechanisms are all factors that influence the stability of a regime. In autocratic regimes, the presence of limited pluralism, institutionalization to some extent, and economic success typically contribute to extended stability, in contrast to sultanistic governments that do not have these elements, and totalitarians that may face challenges in sustaining widespread mobilization. While authoritarianism is considered the most stable over time, shortterm factors may lead to sultanistic or totalitarian rule, based on the circumstances.