Democracy Deficit in China: A Choice or Foreordained
Abstract: This paper attempts
to analyze both internal and external determinants which influence the
persistence of the democracy deficit in China, as Beijing successfully
surpressed its people's demand for democrartic change and freedom. This paper
also examines how the longevity of one-party regimes has simply made democracy
such a forgettable discourse. Meanwhile, this paper argues three watersheds of
undemocratized China. First, the historical precedence has shown that attempts
of electoral democracy have not been successful in China. Second, there is an
absence of constructive engagement toward China by external powers, such as the
European Union and the United States (henceafter, "US"). Third,
democracy lacks strong support from large sections of Chinese society. This
paper also sees the another perspective of how the monopolized power of Chinese
Communist Party (henceafter, "CCP") has been substituting the
implementation of liberal democracy through the meritrocacy system and
creatingthe dependencies of middle class to government.
Keyword: CCP, Kuomintang
(KMT), constructive engagement, meritocracy, democracy, People's Republic of
China (PRC)
Author: Trissia Wijaya
Journal Code: jphubintgg150004
