Confucianism in Contemporary Chinese Politics

This book examines the ways in which Confucian political culture operates in contemporary Chinese politics and influences its development. The author argues that the authoritarian political culture performs functions similar to the democratic political culture, drawing on a wide range of datasurveys, interviews, archives, Public Hearing Meeting records, and the Party Congress Reports of the Chinese Communist Partyto substantiate and illustrate these arguments. In an authoritarian political system, the legitimating values of the authoritarian political culture persuade the public of their governments legitimacy and the engaging values equip individuals with a set of cultural dispositions, resources, and skills to acquire political resources and services from the state. In the context of Chinese politics, personal connections infused with affection and trustthe Social Capital in the Confucian culturefacilitate political engagement. Despite the countrys continuous advocacy for the rule of law, state and public perceptions of legal professionals and legal practices, such as mediation and lawyer-judge relations, are fundamentally moralized. A new people ideology, which originated in the Confucian political culture, has been re-appropriated to legitimate the Partys hegemonic governing position and policies.