Elections and Democracy in Greater China (Studies on Contemporary China (Oxford Paperback)) [Paperback]

Larry Diamond (Editor), Ramon H. Myers (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0199244170 | ISBN-13: 978-0199244171 | Publication Date: July 26, 2001

This book examines why and how limited electoral competition developed in Greater China. The editors attribute Taiwan's electoral competition to breakthroughs in the political, ideological, economic and organizational marketplaces. Without similar breakthroughs, Hong Kong and Mainland China aren't likely to achieve electoral competition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Diamond and Myers' wise introductory analysis of how democracies evolve forms the backbone of the book. Students at all levels will benefit from reading it. The China Journal ... a state of the art analysis. No other book offers a better, more comprehensive look at the prospects for democracy in China. The China Journal ... scholars working in the area of comparative politics and especially in the field of transitions to democracy will rejoice in the appearance of this useful volume ... moreover the contrasts among Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan give nourishing food for thought with respect to the economic preconditions of democratic transitions. This book should make its way onto the syllabus in upper year and graduate seminars. Canadian Journal of Political Science A timely analysis of an important ongoing area of reform ... thoughtful introductory essay by the editors ... The volume should be an interesting background reader for those working in the fields of China studies, politics, and democratisation in post-communist societies. Asian Affairs

About the Author

Larry Diamond is Senior Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Ramon H. Myers is Senior Fellow and Curator--Scholar of the East Asian Collection of the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199244170
• ISBN-13: 978-0199244171
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,690,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book, But Needs More on Taiwan, February 5, 2003

By 

Jeffery Steele (Taipei, Taiwan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elections and Democracy in Greater China (Studies on Contemporary China (Oxford Paperback)) (Paperback)

This book contains seven essays by various scholars on the development of democracy in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the PRC. Each of the essays is readable and well-researched. In two cases -- in an essay by Richard Baum on the real meaning of Hong Kong's 1998 legislative elections and in the essay by Tianjian Shi on the compatibility of democracy with modern cultural values in the PRC -- I found the book changed the way I previously thought about the issues.

Unfortunately, Taiwan's stunning democratic development over the last two decades is ignored. Of the seven essays in the book, four are about the PRC, two are on Hong Kong, but only one deals with Taiwan -- and that piece is about the development of democracy during the martial law era, which ended in 1987. This is an important and interesting subject, but why wasn't anything added to the volume dealing with more current developments on the island? Given that Taiwan has gone much further along the path to consolidating its democracy than either Hong Kong or the PRC, it seems a fuller treatment of its experience should have been provided.