Topic 9 - The Problem And The Role Of The State Flashcards
How do you explain this existence of a seemingly “free” economy in the absence of government?
1) The government was too weak
2) The traditional Chinese state was different and had different motivations
How was the traditional Chinese state organised?
Hierachically. 3 levels of bureaucracies:
1) Central
2) Provincial
3) County
Absolute authority
Why could the traditional Chinese state be considered to be small?
There was a small number of officials. Also, the amount of tax revenue collected was small
When are the only times that the state would intervene?
In the presence of:
- Extreme corruption
- Famines
- Natural disasters
- Rebellion
When was the warlord era?
1916-1928
Describe China’s political structure in the warlord era.
There was political experimentation with a constitutional republic with a tripartite political structure (parliament, executive and judicial)
What were the outcomes of China’s political structure in the warlord era?
- Parliamentary politics were highly factional (regional/guanxi) and corrupt
- Freedom for civil society, local autonomy and political experimentation
- Intellectual enlightenment, rise of modern education and research
What is the Weberian argument in relation to civil society?
Chinese guilds, lineages and so on were fragmented along blood, region or dialect lines often in search of narrow interest relying on a system of patronage and dominated by political and bureaucratic power
What was the argument against the Weberian argument?
The City Council. China had a long tradition of charity halls, local water conservation organisations, commercial guilds that provided public goods. These came together to form a City Council. There were open debates, election and no corruption.
What was the international settlement?
It was formed after the defeat of the First Opium War (1839 - 1842). It originated from the 1863 merger of the British and American enclaves in Shanghai, parts of the Qing Empire held extraterritorially under the terms of a series of Unequal Treaties.
How was Shanghai split in the 1920s?
The international settlement and the French Concession
Who was Yuan Shikai?
The first official president of the Republic of China (succeeded the provisional President Sun Yat-Sen). A warlord. He was also the commander of the first New Army in 1895 which allowed him to gain significant influence. Advised Empress Dowager Cixi to remove the keju.
How do we test whether the absence of government was due to a state weakened in 19-20th century?
We would expect that a “stronger government would appear once it gained a better footing politically. Therefore, we examine the Nationalist government (Kuomintang regime).
When and where was the new Nationalist government founded?
In 1928 in Nanjing
Who are the Kuomintang?
A right wing group formed in 1927 established on a social base of Shanghai bankers, industrial and commercial bourgeoisie and the landlords in the country.
