Elite conflicts and the path to economic decentralization / Dong Zhang, Mingxing Liu, Victor Shih.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Zhang, Dong, Ph. D., author.

Liu, Mingxing, 1972- author.

Shih, Victor C., author.

Series:

Elements in Chinese Economy and Governance Series

Cambridge elements. Elements in Chinese economy and governance 2976-5625

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Elite (Social sciences)--China.

Elite (Social sciences).

China--Economic conditions--1976-2000.

China.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (98 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

Why would a politically centralized state embark on the path of economic decentralization? This Element delves into the political origin of the puzzling economic decentralization in mainland China. The authors contend that the intra-elite conflicts between the authoritarian ruler and the ruling elites within the state prompted the ruler to pursue decentralization as a strategy to curb the influence wielded by the ruling elites. By examining the composition of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, they find that the Cultural Revolution, fueled by elite conflicts, shifted the elite selectorate's composition from favoring central agencies to favoring local interests. Subsequent low turnover reinforced this shift, aligning elite incentives with decentralization policies and committing the Chinese leadership to a decentralized path in the 1980s. Additionally, Taiwan's economic liberalization under the Kuomintang's authoritarian rule provides further evidence of the link between ruling party elite composition and economic policy orientation.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 10 Jan 2025).

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781009544771

1009544772

9781009544818

1009544810

9781009544764

1009544764