THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Elliott School of International Affairs
Department of Political Science
Political Science 270
Politics of China I
Mondays, 5:10-7:00 p.m.
Phillips Hall B001
Fall 2010
Professor David Shambaugh
Office: 1957 E St., Suite 503
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 studentled.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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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
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email (shambaug@gwu.edu). 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
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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.
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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; 155214; 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:
Richard McGregor, The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers
Recommended:
China Leadership Monitor, at: http://www.chinaleadershipmonitor.org (2004-2008)
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III. KEY INSTITUTIONS
Session 7: The Chinese Communist Party
Readings:
David Shambaugh, China’s Communist Party: Atrophy & Adaptation.
Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, chapter 7.
Recommended:
Richard McGregor, The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers
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:
Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, chapter 6.
Other readings TBD
Recommended:
Jiang Jinsong, The National People’s Congress of China
General Affairs Office of the CPPCC National Committee, The Chinese People’s
Political Consultative Conference
IV. POLICY ISSUES
Session 10: Party Institutional Reform
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Readings:
Zheng Yongnian, The Chinese Communist Party as Organizational Emperor
Recommended:
Kjeld Erik Brodsgaard and Zheng Yongnian (eds.), The Chinese Communist Party in
Reform
David Shambaugh, China’s Communist Party: Atrophy & Adaptation
Session 11: Coping with Corruption
Readings:
Lu Xiaobo, Cadres and Corruption: The Organization Involution of the Chinese Communist
Party
Recommended:
Richard McGregor, The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers
Session 12: Reforming the Media and Propaganda System
Readings:
Anne-Marie Brady, Marketing Dictatorship: Propaganda and Thought Work in Contemporary
China
Recommended:
James F. Scotton and William A. Hachten, New Media for a New China
Session 13: Managing Society
Readings:
Peter Gries and Stanley Rosen (eds.), Chinese Politics: State, Society, and the Market
Kenneth Lieberthal, Governing China, chapters 8, 10.
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Session 14: Prospects for Democracy and Systemic Political Reform
Readings:
Cheng Li (ed.), China’s Changing Political Landscape
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