Abstract
<p>The modernization theory suggests that the entrepreneurs and the middle class have a strong demand for democracy with a country’s economic development. Yet this conventional wisdom has been challenged in the Chinese context. In the debate on China’s democratization, the social groups demanding for democracy in the economic reform have not been well identified. By employing the 2006 China General Social Survey, this empirical research has two interesting findings. First, the members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) especially the CCP members of the working class as well as the social elites show a stronger demand for democracy. Second, these groups in favor of democratic principles oppose various democratization activities. These findings imply that the demand for democracy in China is more likely to be an expression of discontent with the current political system rather than the democratic impulses, and the Chinese democratization is not optimistic in the near future. </p>
Highlights
The modernization theory of political development suggests that the entrepreneurs and the well-educated middle class have a strong demand for democracy along with a country’s economic development
The multivariate analysis identifies that these groups are more satisfied with their economic well-being than other groups. These empirical evidences imply that the demand for democracy in China is more likely associated with people’s disappointment with the current political system rather than the democratic impulses, and the Chinese democratization perspective is not optimistic in the near future
The survey questionnaire asks respondents, “Which group benefits most in the past years?” There are subgroups listed as response options, including cadres working in governmental institutions, administrators in state-owned enterprises (SOEs), private entrepreneurs, intellectuals and professionals, white-collar, administrators in collective-owned enterprises (COEs), self-employed, workers, peasants, foreign investors and other
Summary
The modernization theory of political development suggests that the entrepreneurs and the well-educated middle class have a strong demand for democracy along with a country’s economic development. Inspired by Moore’s (1966) famous declaration, “No bourgeoisie, no democracy”, China’s political transition to democracy has been expected for a long time and some scholars even contend Chinese democratization will be seen in the near future as China has been experiencing rapid economic growth since the end of 1970s (Liu & Chen, 2012; Rowen, 2007) This conventional wisdom of “the democratic impulses of the middle class” (Tsai, 2005) has been challenged both theoretically and empirically in the Chinese context. The working class members’ preference to democracy is explained as an expression of discontent towards the marginalized political status in the reform while the cadres and administrators’ support to democracy may be a response to the pervasive bureaucratic corruption from the insiders’ view These groups who are in favor of democratic principles oppose various democratization activities in practice. I move to the empirical analysis, examining the variables, measurements and findings before the discussion and conclusion
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