Patronage and power : local state networks and party-state resilience in rural China / Ben Hillman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hillman, Ben, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Local government--China, Southwest.

Local government.

Villages--China, Southwest.

Villages.

Social networks--China, Southwest.

Social networks.

Patronage, Political--China, Southwest.

Patronage, Political.

Rural conditions.

Politics and government.

China, Southwest--Politics and government.

China, Southwest.

China, Southwest--Rural conditions.

Southwest China.

Physical Description:

viii, 208 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Stanford, California : Stanford University Press, 2014.

Summary:

Patronage and Power examines the unwritten rules and inner workings of contemporary China's local politics and government. It exposes how these rules have helped to keep the one-Party state together during decades of tumultuous political, social, and economic change. Although many observers of Chinese politics have recognized the importance of informal institutions, this book explains how informal local groups actually operate, paying special attention to the role of patronage networks in political decision-making, political competition, and official corruption. While patronage networks are often seen as a parasite on the formal institutions of state, Hillman shows that patronage politics actually help China's political system function. In a system characterized by fragmented authority, personal power relations, and bureaucratic indiscipline, patronage networks play a critical role in facilitating policy coordination and bureaucratic bargaining. They also help to regulate political competition within the state, which reduces the potential for open conflict. Understanding patronage networks is essential for understanding the resilience of the Chinese state through decades of change. Patronage and Power is filled with rich and fascinating accounts of the machinations of patronage networks and their role in the ruthless and sometimes violent competition for political power. Book jacket.

Contents:

Village politics and social organization

The dynamics of village/township relations

Political competition in two townships : elections, violence and rural social networks

The power center of the local state : the county and prefecture governments

Political competition over state-funded programs

Political competition over local resources.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780804789363

0804789363

OCLC:

862066431