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Wood Communist and Post-Communist Countries (CH): Key Terms

Terms in this set (75)

3rd Generation Leader
1992-2003; leaders (Jiang Zemin) who received education in the Soviet Union and joined the Communist Party, during the times of economic development in China
4th Generation Leader
2003-2010; Hu Jintao is the core figure or General Secretary who Represents the "republican generation" with a technocratic style and a less centralized political structure.
Autonomous Regions
areas that have limited self-government within a sovereign country; used especially of areas in China where ethneic minorities have been granted some autonomy
Cadres
a lower person who occupies a position of authority in a communist party-state
Central Committee
supposedly the most important body in a communist party; its influence declined as it grew in size and the party needed daily leadership
Central Military Commission
represents the military in China's government; head plays an important role in policymaking
Chiang Kai-shek
General and leader of Nationalist China after 1925; succeeded Sun Yat-sen as head of the Guomindang, and became a military dictator whose major goal was to destroy the communist movement led by Mao Zedong
Collectivism
giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly; more often found in Eastern cultures
Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
formed 1923; Sun Yat-Sen merged the Third Communist International and the KMT to create the first of many liberation fronts - front was completely anti-conservative and anti-imperialist, but not fully communist. Eventually separated from and defeated the KMT under Mao Zedong in 1927
Confucianism
a philosophy that adheres to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius; shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct
Cultural Revolution
Political policy in started in China 1966-1976 by Mao Zedong to eliminate his rivals and train a new generation in the revolutionary spirit that created communist China; The Cultural Revolution resulted in beatings, terror, mass jailings, and the deaths of thousands
Danwei
control maintained through this system, all Chinese citizens have a lifetime affiliation with a specific industrial, agricultural, or bureaucratic nit that dictated all aspects of their lives, including housing, health care, and other social benefits
Decentralization
degree to which decision-making authority is given to lower levels in an organization's hierarchy
Democratic Centralism
a form of democracy in which the interests of the masses were discovered through discussion within the Communist party, and then decisions were made under central leadership to serve those interests
Deng Xiaoping Theory
practical mix of authoritarian political control and economic privatization
Dual Role
the relationship between the Communist Party and the Chinese government
Dynastic Cycles
the circle of change the Chinese dynasties went through; establishing power, successful rule, decline, collapse, rise of a new dynasty
Egalitarianism
the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political and economic and social equality
Ethic of Struggle
one of Mao's principles in the cultural revolution, and a theme that carried throughout his reign; struggle with self and those who might challenge the party position
Factions
political groups that agree on objectives and policies; the origins of political parties
Factionalism
a party or group that is often contentious or self- seeking (clique); party spirit especially when marked by dissension
Fang-Shou
a tightening and loosening cycle, waxing and waning of the power of each faction
Floating Populatio
China's 150 million moving peasants who left the countryside to find urban employment; no danwei affiliation
Foreign Devils
hatred for those other than chinese, sprung out after the Revolution of 1911 and bound the country nationalistically to fight against the capitalist countries
Four Modernization
Deng Xiaoping's plan to change China after the disaster of Cultural Revolution; improve agriculture, science/technology, defense and industry
Free Market Socialism
socialist market economy with chinese characteristics is the official title of the economic system since the reforms of deng xiaoping and consists of a mixture of state-owned enterprises with an open-market economy
Gang of Four
Jiang Qing and her allies who opposed the pragmatists after the death of Mao Zedong; arrested and sentenced to life in prison
Guanxi
Chinese practice of building networks for social exchange
Great Leap Forward
China's second five-year plan under the leadership of the impatient Mao; aimed to speed up economic development while simultaneously developing a completely socialist society - plan failed and more than 20 million people starved 1958-1960.
Han Chinese
inhabitants of China who consider others to be outsiders - felt that they were the only authentic Chinese; ethnic group native to China, make up about 92% of the population
Hegemony
the domination of one state or group over its allies
Household Responsibility System
the system put into practice in China in the early 1980s; major decisions about agricultural production are made by individual farm families based on the profit motive rather than by a people's commune or the government
Hu Jintao
China's current Communist party leader and head of state
Hukou
china's traditional household registration system that makes it difficult to move from one place to another
Hu Yaobang
Chinese leader with Deng, supported the reforms, when he died in 1989 students wanted him to be commemorated, day before his funeral students march on tianamen square, causing the protests
Iron Rice Bowl
a feature of China's socialist economy that provided guarantees of lifetime employment, income, and basic cradle-to-grave benefits to most urban and rural workers; economic reforms beginning in the 1980s that aimed at improving efficiency and work motivation sought to mash the iron rice bowl and link employment and income more directly to individual effort
Jiang Zemin
Deng's successor in the 1990s as Communist Party leader and head of state
Li Peng
former communist premier and chair of the National People's Congress; the most visible representative of China's government who backed the use of force to quell the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Long March
1934-1935; 6,000 mile journey made by Chinese Communists fleeing from Nationalist forces
Mandate of Heaven
political theory of ancient China in which those in power were given the right to rule from a divine source
Mao Zedong
1893-1976; Leader of the Communist Party in China that overthrew Jiang Jieshi and the Nationalists. Established China as the People's Republic of China and ruled 1949-1976.
Maoism
theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao Zedong; states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people.
Mass Line
economic policy of Mao Zedong; led to formation of agricultural cooperatives in 1955 - cooperatives became farming collectives in 1956
Mass Mobalization
mobilization of civilian population as part of contentious politics; often used by grassroots-based social movements, including revolutionary movements, but can also become a tool of elites and the state itself
"Middle Kingdom" (Zhongguo)
first character, zhong, means middle, and guo means nation, or kingdom; what the ancient Chinese called China because they thought that China was the center of the earth.
Nationalist Party (Goumindang)
political party formed by Sun Yat-sen which was outlawed by Yuan then made leader by Chiang Kai-shek
National Party Congress
body of over 2,000 delegates chosen primarily from congresses on lower levels; meets every 5 years to rubberstamp decisions by party leaders - main power is electing members of the Central Committee
Nomenklatura
the process of filing influential jobs in the state, society, or the economy with people approved and chosen by the communist party
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
private sector organization that does not primarily aim to make a profit; they operate for the benefit of others in society
"One Country, Two Systems"
China's policy of blending capitalism and some Western freedoms with Chinese communism
Parallel Hierarchies
structure of the People's Republic of China with the Communist Party, the state or government, and the People's Liberation Army
Patron Client System
relations in which "Patron" gains support of "Client" through mutual exchange of benefits and obligations
People's Courts
China's nationwide court system that deals with both criminal and civil cases; all courts are supervised by the Supreme People's Court
Procuratorate
official who investigates and prosecutes official crimes
People's Liberation Army
Chinese Communist army; administered much of country under People's Republic of China
People's National Congress
top of the government hierarchy where state authority is formally vested; subject to party authority - chooses the president and the vice president of China
Plenums
meetings of the Central Committee
Politburo
group of 25 men who make all the major decisions and control the Communist party which in turn control the Chinese government
Political Elites
activists and officeholders who have well-structured ideologies that bind together their positions on different policy issues
Private Business
includes urban co-ops, service organizations, and rural industries that largely operate as capitalist enterrprises
Rule of Law
principle that the law applies to everyone, even those who govern; limits sovereignty or power of state in China
Self-Reliance
independence: the capacity to rely on one's own capabilities, and to manage one's own affairs
Socialist Market Economy
term used by the government of China to refer to the country's current economic system; meant to convey the mix of state control (socialism) and market forces (capitalism) that China is now following in its quest for economic development - implication is that socialism will promote equality, while the market will encourage people to work hard and foreign companies to invest
Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
1979 the Chinese government set up these zones on the coast near Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan; improved transportation, lower taxes, and other incentives attracted investments from foreign businesses - helped stimulate innovation and helped China grow economically
State Corporatism
a political system in which the state requires all members of a particular economic sector to join an officially designated interest group, with the result that the state gains substantial control over interest groups and interest groups channel or control their members' political and economic advocacy
Sun Yat-sen
Chinese nationalist revolutionary, founder and leader of the Guomindang until his death; attempted to create a liberal democratic political movement in China but was thwarted by military leaders
Technocrats
highly-educated bureaucrats who make decisions based on their perceptions of technical issues rather than political ones
Township and Village Enterprises (TVEs)
attempts at limited capitalism, citizens and villages can own a company/business and earn a profit, TVE
"Two Chinas"
urban vs. rural China
Unstinting Service
unconditional support for something or someone; happens with the communist officials with the CCP leaders
Wen Jiabao
Prime Minister of China
Youth League
youth movement of the PRC for youth between 14-28, run by Communist Party of China
Zhao Ziyang
One of Chairman Deng's right-hand men; helped Deng to reform the economy
" A New Socialist Countryside"
dilemma between poor countryside and wealthy city
Standing Committee
7 men chosen from the Politburo membership
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