(Challenges of) Democracy in China

Dr. Jennifer Wilking 
Faculty, Political Science Department, 
California State University, Chico 

Dr. Wilking’s presentation is based on three questions: What are the prospects for democracy in China? What bodes well for democratization in China? What might inhibit democratization in China? She notes that after the Tiannamen Square pro-democracy uprisings in 1989, some scholars predicted that China’s regime would be gone within several years, but that regime is still in power.  Dr. Willking looks at the many factors that can lead China to either transition, or not, to democracy – among them, religious philosophies, economic conditions, the people’s orientation toward power and authority, the perceived level of stability, and political culture. 

Recorded: September 2, 2014