Democracy Is a Good Thing: Essays on Politics, Society, and Culture in Contemporary China (The Thornton Center Chinese Thinkers Series)

"Democracy is a good thing. This is true not only for individuals or certain officials but also for the entire nation and for all the people of China."—Yu Keping So begins "Democracy Is a Good Thing," an essay of great influence that has commanded attention and provoked discussion throughout the world. It is the touchstone of this important volume of the same name. As one of China's foremost political thinkers and a leading proponent of democratizing the People's Republic, Yu Keping is a major figure not only in his native land, but also in the international community. This book brings together much of his most important work and makes it readily accessible to readers in the West for the first time. "Democracy Is a Good Thing" created a stir internationally. Perhaps more important, however, is the heated debate it spurred within China on the desirability of democratic reform. That important essay appears here, along with several of Yu Keping s other influential works on politics, culture, and civil society. His topics include China's economic modernization, its institutional environment, and the cultural changes that have accompanied the nation's reforms. Democracy Is a Good Thing pulls back the curtain to reveal ongoing discourse in Chinese political and intellectual circles, discussions that will go a long way toward determining the future of the world's most populous nation. " ""Democracy is a good thing. This is true not only for individuals or certain officials but also for the entire nation and for all the people of China.""Yu Keping So begins ""Democracy Is a Good Thing,"" an essay of great influence that has commanded attention and provoked discussion throughout the world. It is the touchstone of this important volume of the same name. As one of China's foremost political thinkers and a leading proponent of democratizing the People's Republic, Yu Keping is a major figure not only in his native land, but also in the international community. This book brings together much of his most important work and makes it readily accessible to readers in the West for the first time. ""Democracy Is a Good Thing"" created a stir internationally. Perhaps more important, however, is the heated debate it spurred within China on the desirability of democratic reform. That important essay appears here, along with several of Yu Keping's other influential works on politics, culture, and civil society. His topics include China's economic modernization, its institutional environment, and the cultural changes that have accompanied the nation's reforms. Democracy Is a Good Thing pulls back the curtain to reveal ongoing discourse in Chinese political and intellectual circles, discussions that will go a long way toward determining the future of the world's most populous nation. " Presents Selections Of Works Of Yu Keping, A Chinese Intellectual And Figure In Official Think Tanks, On Politics And Democracy That Reveal The Ongoing Debates In Chinese Political And Intellectual Circles On Democratic Reform And Where China's Political Development Is Heading--provided By Publisher. Democracy Is A Good Thing -- The Study Of Political Science And Public Administration In China : An Overview -- The Seventeenth Party Congress And The Agenda For China's Political Reforms -- China's Civil Society : Conceptual Definitions, Types, And Background -- The Characteristics Of Chinese Civil Society : Administrative Regulations And Institutional Environment -- Civil Society Organizations : Challenges And Responses -- Culture And Modernity In The Chinese Intellectual Discourse : A Historical Perspective -- The Transformation Of Chinese Culture Since The Launching Of Reform : A Historical Perspective -- China's Economic Modernization And Sustainability -- Harmony Between Man And Nature : China's Environmental Practices And Challenges -- Preserving China's Autonomy In The Era Of Globalization -- Federalism In Modern China : Concepts And Experiments -- A Harmonious World And Global Governance : A Chinese Perspective. Yu Keping. Translated From Chinese. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Table of Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction - Making Democracy Safe for China......Page 18 Democracy is a Good Thing......Page 36 The Study of Political Science and Public Administration in China......Page 39 The Seventeenth Party Congress and the Agenda for China's Political Reforms......Page 60 China's Civil Society......Page 70 The Characteristics of Chinese Civil Society......Page 85 Civil Society Organizations......Page 108 Culture and Modernity in Chinese Intellectual Discourse......Page 126 The Transformation of Chinese Culture since the Launching of Reform......Page 146 China's Economic Modernization and Sustainability......Page 167 Harmony Between Man and Nature......Page 173 Preserving China's Autonomy in the Eria of Globalization......Page 182 Federalism in Modern China......Page 190 A Harmonious World and Global Governance......Page 201 Notes......Page 214 Further Reading......Page 232 Index......Page 240 Introduction / by Cheng Li Democracy is a good thing The study of political science and public administration in China : an overview The seventeenth Party Congress and the agenda for China's political reforms China's civil society : conceptual definitions, types and background The characteristics of Chinese civil society : administrative regulations and institutional environment Civil society organizations : challenges and responses Culture and modernity in the Chinese intellectual discourse : a historical perspective The transformation of Chinese culture since the launching of reform China's economic modernization and sustainability Harmony between man and nature : China's practices and challenges Preserving China's autonomy in the era of globalization Federalism in modern China: concepts and experiments A harmonious world and global governance : a Chinese perspective.