LE3 .A278 2013

2013

Biro, Andrew

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Politics

Politics

Despite ample research by social scientists on the issue of corruption in China, few researchers have looked at governance in China by inferring from the sociocultural norms and philosophies that are integral to the identity of Chinese citizens. This thesis will incorporate three different Chinese philosophies, Confucianism, Sage Kingship and Legalism, to explain why the Chinese government needs to adhere to these philosophies in order to achieve good governance. Using case studies that deal with issues such as economic deprivation, environmental degradation and excessive censorship, the thesis will explain why good governance, driven by these Chinese philosophies, is needed to ensure the civil stability of China. The thesis will look at how poor governance, caused by a lack of the rule of law, has led to four recent developments in China: 1) the involvement of the Chinese middle class in civil disobedience in response to environmental degradation; 2) the introduction of free intraparty elections in Chinese villages; 3) demonstrations by Chinese citizens and journalists against the excessive press censorship in China; and 4) the anti-corruption reforms that have been promised by the new Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. This thesis will explain how corruption undermines the legitimacy of the Chinese government and why political reforms are necessary to prevent civil instability from further spreading in the society.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1009