Chinese Politics

Description

Overview: The class will provide a comprehensive overview of Chinese politics since 1949, contextualising it within the study of comparative politics, historical inheritance and contemporary Chinese society. It will give students grounding in the dynamic evolution of the Chinese state and Chinese nationalism, China’s self-identified problems of weakness and underdevelopment, and the difficult political choices faced by political elites. Furthermore, the course will analyse how the country’s Communist legacy offers both opportunities and constraints for the present politics of China. The case of Taiwan is also included as a comparison. Syllabus: The class will be taught through two one-hour lectures per week as well as tutorials. The tutorials will cover course materials in small group discussions. Students will discuss given questions during each tutorial session. Preparation and active participation are required. For each tutorial session, please refer to the readings for that relevant lecture topic. It is envisaged that each student will give at least one presentation for the whole course. Learning Outcomes: A. Substantive Knowledge (Knowledge and Understanding) By the end of the class students should: 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how the contemporary Chinese political system works. 2. Have a sense of the conceptual and analytical tools required for understanding contemporary Chinese politics. 3. Grasp the dynamic evolution of the Chinese state and Chinese nationalism. 4. Understand contemporary China's self-identi ed problems of weakness and underdevelopment. 5. Analyze the di cult political choices made by China's political elites today. 6. Grasp how the Communist legacy oers both opportunities and constraints for the present politics of China. 7. Understand how the emergence of China presents opportunities and threats for the international community today. 1This syllabus may be changed by the instructor, as he deems that any change is necessary for the appropriate conduct of the class. 2 B. Skills (Intellectual, Transferable) The skills developed in this class include the following: 1. oral communication through the presentation of a paper and participating in discussions at seminars. 2. research skills through the collecting of information from a wide variety of sources (e.g. online, academic journals, government publications, academic texts) in order to write their class project and prepare for the exam. 3. information/IT/time management skills through the management of information collected for tutorials, essay writing and examination preparation. 4. analytical skills through the analysis and evaluation of the literature and online sources available in their chosen topic. Assessment: Assessment for the class is a combination of essay and written examination along with class attendance and participation in class discussions. Essay 40% Exam 40% Attendance & Participation 20% Please note that all essays should be around 3000 words in length.