pgs 252-272

• China's institutions of government consist of three parallel hierarchies:

  • The Communist Party
  • The State or Government
  • The People's Liberation Army
• The relationship between the party and government involves vertical supervision of the next higher level of government and horizontal supervision of the Communist Party at the same level
• The structure of the People's Republic of China was designed by the USSR
• Despite rapid economic development, states in China remain highly centralized
• Power in China is vested in the system of the People's Congresses, starting with the National People's Congress at the highest level
• The National People's Congress chooses the President and Vice President of China
• The Executive/Bureaucracy in China includes:

  • The President and Vice President serving 5-year terms, limited to two terms and must be 45 years old
  • Positions are largely ceremonial
  • The Premier, who is the head of the government and always held by the standing committee
• The bureaucracy in China exists at all levels: national, provincial, county, and local
• Cadres in China are people in positions of authority who are paid by the government or party
• The judiciary in China consists of a 4-tiered "people's court" system, organized hierarchically like the National People's Congress
• A nationwide organization called the "People's Procuratorate" provides public prosecutors and defenders to the courts in China
• The People's Liberation Army (PLA) in China has 2.3 million active personnel and influences policy but has never held formal political power
• In China, the policy-making process involves a cycle known as "fang-shou," which includes economic reform, political movements, and tightening up by the CCP
• Issues in China include democracy and human rights concerns, economic reforms, population policies, civil rights and liberties, population movements, economic challenges, agricultural policies, and foreign policy/international trade matters
• chinas three-tiered party system: Politburo/Standing Committee, (influenced by USSR) Central Committee, (influenced by USA), and National People's Congress (NPC)