Multiple Choice/Paragraph Questions Flashcards
Discuss some ways China presents some surprises– and enigmas or paradoxes– for us as Comparative Political Scientists.
The whole of China’s development is surprising. Despite it being around for thousands of years before European states were really solidified, in recent years it has had a bumpy ride resulting in a weak state throughout the nineteenth century. another surprise is that Communism persists despite it not having been able to anywhere else for very long and china not starting its journey to communism the way it should have according to Marx (Skipped capitalism). it has also experienced “Wowzers” (according to Erik) economic growth percentage wise.
What are some reasons China’s relations with– and attitudes towards– the West are so fraught?
In the 1400s China had slowed its modernization and banned long distance sea travel. Culturally they liked their traditional ways and wanted to keep them that way without western interference. Then more recently throughout Mao’s rule china was a communist or communist aligned party and western/european countries were, for the most part, not. Mostly the century of humiliation contributed to the tension
What are some reasons historical China– which led most European countries in so many innovations pre-Renaissance and Industrial Revolution– began to “fall behind”? Be sure to discuss cultural, economic, and geographic issues.
Cultural
Corfucian thought was what helped establish political continuity and a meritocratic system in China and over the centuries the general ideology became very rigid and resistant to change.
Economic
Throughout the history of china the main path to wealth was entrepreneurialism but the rise of the bureaucratic elite made service the more powerful means. This made the bureaucracy gain more enrichment and they did not want to make any changes that might disrupt this.
Geographic
The geography that had aided early unification and continuity also protected China from competition. This lack of competition caused a lack of desire for innovation.
Discuss some current (and upcoming) challenges China will face and be sure to discuss how each may be expected to challenge issues of legitimacy.
Despite the lessening of communist ideology, china has had little economic reform. Although there had been much improvement in other areas, the voices of the people are still completely silenced. Along with this, there is a sort of unwritten contract between the chinese leaders and the people that says listen and follow and you will get relative economic stability. As the economic growth has slowed the legitimacy of this agreement has gone down. Plus the Hukou system is causing issues for thousands of people which will decrease legitimacy
Explain the “unwritten social contract” operating in modern China. Consider how this “contract” may be challenged soon by recent developments.
In exchange for accepting the CCP’s monopoly over political power, the Chinese public has been given more economic freedom and opportunities to pursue prosperity than ever before. Most Chinese accepted this tradeoff, and the result has been two additional decades after 1989 of fiery growth and relative political stability. As this growth has slowed the challenges with this strategy have increased and many question whether this regime will continue to succeed.
Discuss some ways some Chinese traditional legitimacy helped legitimize later authoritarianism.
Throughout Chinese history under the philosophy of confucianism, the people have been ruled by a singular person or small group without much democratic participation. This has led to a high degree of traditional legitimacy in systems such as this. Because of this high level of traditional legitimacy, people are much less likely to question authoritarian regimes.
What does Mao Zedong Thought add to Marxism-Leninism?
The concept of peasants as the revolutionary force
Which of the following demographics about China is correct?
(A)China’s population of 1.4 billion is the largest in the world.
(B)China’s GDP per capita of $8,123 is the second largest in the world.
(C)China’s population is 75 percent Han Chinese.
(D)China’s population has a median age of 18.
(A)China’s population of 1.4 billion is the largest in the world.
Deng Xiaoping’s Reform and Opening Up policy included which of the following?
(A)Creation of special economic zones (SEZs)
(B)Decreasing the amount of foreign direct investment
(C)Increasing the nationalization of private industries
(D)Dismantling of Town and Village Enterprises (TVEs)
(A)Creation of special economic zones (SEZs)
Which institution has the most formal authority in the Chinese system?
(A)Central Committee of the CCP
(B)National People’s Congress of the PRC
(C)Standing Committee of the NPC
(D)President of PRC
(B)National People’s Congress of the PRC
Is China a presidential system of government?
No, a presidential system of government requires separate elections for president and the legislature. In China the legislature formally selects the head of state and the head of government.
Which of the following mass campaigns was led by the Red Guards bombarding the command post?
(A)Great Leap Forward
(B)Hundred Flowers Campaign
(C)Cultural Revolution
(D)Reform and Opening Up
(C)Cultural Revolution
Which of the following Chinese political institutions is the most powerful?
(A)State Council of the PRC
(B)Standing Committee of the NPC
(C)Standing Committee of the Politburo
(D)Central Committee of the CCP
(C)Standing Committee of the Politburo
Is Russia a democracy?
Under Putin, Russia has seen an end to democratic institutions, including limitations on federalism and elections and restrictions of civil society. Today, a democratic ideology has been replaced by a focus on nationalism and militarism.
Track the evolution (devolution?) of the Russian Constitution over the last few Russian leaders’ tenures.
Boris Yeltsin faced a set of political institutions from the previous era when communist leaders were removed by public protests and elections. This led to conflict, and Yeltsin clashed with the parliament. Yeltsin sought increased reforms, but parliament blocked his policies and impeached him, so he responded by dissolving parliament. This allowed him to write a new constitution
Track the evolution (devolution?) of any true “balance of powers” in Russia during the last few Russian leaders’ tenures.
Putin is an authoritarian leader, meaning that he has little to no checks on his power, so he can mostly do whatever he wants. He has changed presidents’ lengths of tenure so that he can remain in power for longer, and he can jail someone for speaking out against him like he did with Alexei Nalvany. So there isn’t really any balance of power in Russia.
How has post Cold War “national humiliation” led to many in the Russian public supporting a more aggressive Russian foreign policy in the last decade? (See page 392) Give a few examples of this new foreign policy.
The national humiliation after the Cold War led to a more aggressive Russian foreign policy because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many countries became independent, and this made the Russians scared because some of them chose to join NATO or the EU.
Former soviet bloc countries joining NATO or the EU
Ukraine and the seizure of Crimea
Use of disinformation and cyber attacks to influence politics
Expansion of NATO
What were some of the negative outcomes of the “shock therapy” abandonment of central planning and privatization in the 1990s? (See page 393)
Hyperinflation
Economy sank
Savings were wiped out
GDP contracted
Resource trap in Russia
natural resources are a major part of the economy in Russia and owned by the state, running the risk of giving the state and government too much economic power while stifling other forms of economic development.
Is Russia a democracy?
Under Putin, Russia has seen an end to democratic institutions, including limitations on federalism and elections and restrictions of civil society. Today, a democratic ideology has been replaced by a focus on nationalism and militarism.
How is Iran’s political system “quite unlike any other?”
Iran’s political system is quite unlike any other. This is because it has a mixture of institutions that seek to balance popular rights with the word of God. it seeks to give people some rights while still undecidedly being a theocracy.
How did both internal steps by some Iranian governments, in addition to external meddling by foreign powers, both contribute to the radicalization of the 1979 Iranian Revolution?
The authoritarian rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi led to discontent among Iranian society. The Westernization policies pursued by the Pahlavi regime led to the erosion of traditional Iranian cultural identity causing many Iranians to feel disconnected from their cultural heritage.
What were some of the modernization/pro Western steps taken by Rezah Shah Pahlavi and his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi?
Reza Shah Pahlavi built a modern education system, infrastructure development projects such as roads and railways as well as many state-owned businesses. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi continued by pursuing closer ties with Western powers, especially the United States. Under his rule, Iran had rapid economic growth that was fueled by the West. he also made land, education, and healthcare reforms.
Explain some seeds of anti-Western resentment in modern Iran. Be SURE to discuss both British and American interventions.
There are many causes of anti-western resentment in modern Iran. First off, the british supported the oppressive Shah regime for years by providing extensive military and financial support to his regime allowing the Shah to maintain power by repressing the public. During the Iran-Iraq War, Western powers, including the United States and the United Kingdom, gave a lot of support (especially military support) to Saddam Hussein. This caused Iranians to perceive Western powers as siding with their enemy.
