End of an Era: How China's Authoritarian Revival is Undermining Its Rise

by Carl Minzner

Overview

China's reform era is ending. Core factors that characterized it-political stability, ideological openness, and rapid economic growth-are unraveling. Since the 1990s, Beijing's leaders have firmly rejected any fundamental reform of their authoritarian one-party political system, and on the surface, their efforts have been a success. But as Carl Minzner shows, a closer look at China's reform era reveals a different truth. Over the past three decades, a frozen political system has fueled both the rise of entrenched interests within the Communist Party itself, and the systematic underdevelopment of institutions of governance among state and society at large. Economic cleavages have widened. Social unrest has worsened. Ideological polarization has deepened. Now, to address these looming problems, China's leaders are progressively cannibalizing institutional norms and practices that have formed the bedrock of the regime's stability in the reform era. End of an Era explains how China arrived at this dangerous turning point, and outlines the potential outcomes that could result.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190672102
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Carl Minzner is Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. He is an expert in Chinese law and governance, and has written extensively on these topics in both academic journals and the popular press.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction Chapter 1. Overview: The End of China's Reform Era Chapter 2. Society and Economy: The Closing of the Chinese Dream Chapter 3. Politics: Internal Decay and Social Unrest Chapter 4. Religion and Ideology: What Do We Believe? Chapter 5. China in Comparative Perspective Chapter 6. Possible Futures Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"Mr. Minzner's arguments are lucid, readable and well-sourced, making this compact volume compulsory reading for those who continue to insist that China's authoritarian governance might be an improvement on democracy." -Wall Street Journal

"Captivating and essential reading for all China watchers." -Library Journal

"Carl Minzner takes the measure of 'China's rise' in a highly readable, yet penetrating, analysis that accurately gauges its weaknesses as well as strengths." -Jerome A. Cohen, Professor of Law and Faculty Director, U.S.-Asia Law Institute, New York University School of Law, and Adjunct Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

"A concise, authoritative, and impartial analysis of the challenges China faces as it tries to balance a vibrant, dynamic, ever evolving economy and society, with a static, centralised political system. This study asks fundamental, hard questions about whether this perpetual squaring of the circle can actually ever be achieved. Its conclusions are sobering and thought provoking." -Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute, King's College, London

"This book is a must-read, conversation changing book for anyone interested in China. Meticulously researched and written in a highly accessible style, End of an Era argues that China's reform era is ending. The book details how over the last decade changes in China's society, economy, politics and ideology have coalesced in a massive, yet unnoticed, transition, ending the reform era and endangering the country's further development. The book presents a shocking message that has repercussions for virtually anyone on the globe whose lives have become intertwined with the Chinese political economy." -Benjamin Van Rooij, John S. & Marilyn Long Chair Professor, University of California, Irvine

"In learned, provocative, yet engaging ways, Carl Minzner draws from his decades of China-watching expertise to explain the deeply unsettled and unsettling trajectory of contemporary China. Reflecting on the underlying social, economic, political and spiritual angst in China today, and the Party-state's tightening grip in response, the book not only convincingly explains the End of an Era, but foresees a darkening future with serious implications for China and the world." -Bates Gill, Professor of Asia-Pacific Security Studies, Macquarie University

"A valuable, clear-eyed tabulation of how, since Xi came to power in 2013, his grip has tightened." -Asia Sentinel

From the Publisher

02/15/2018
Minzner (law, Fordham Univ. Sch. of Law), author of multiple articles on Chinese law, makes a convincing argument that China's reform era is over, and its government's actions are moving the country toward increasing oppression, instability, and perhaps regime collapse. The author believes China's government is not on a path to institutionalization, rather it is repeating the cyclical patterns of its imperial past. To back up these claims the author provides a concise overview of China's politics, society, economy, recent history, and possible future. The central government's increasing consolidation of power and elimination of legitimate methods for citizens to have their grievances redressed is exacerbating simmering tensions in society and could eventually lead to dark outcomes. Instead of democratizing like Taiwan and South Korea in the late 20th century, the author sees today's China as similar to late 19th-century Czarist Russia. There the reversal of moderate reforms and the repression of regime critics resulted in increased radicalization, which laid the groundwork for the revolution of 1917. VERDICT Captivating and essential reading for all China watchers. David Shambaugh's China's Future makes a great companion for this work as Minzner engages with some of its assertions.—Joshua Wallace, Tarleton State Univ. Lib. Stephenville, TX

Library Journal