Outline

Overview

This unit introduces the government and politics of modern China. The primary focus will be on ideology, leadership, institutions and political processes of the People's Republic. We explore politics of social groups, major issue areas in Chinese politics, the Cultural Revolution and the politics of reform.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in International Relations or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Politics or 12 senior credit points from Government and International Relations
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	GOVT2424 or GOVT2402
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Minran Liu, minran.liu@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Minran Liu, minran.liu@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	George Boone, george.boone@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 April 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research Essay Research Essay	50%	Formal exam period Due date: 03 Jun 2024 at 23:59	3,500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Participation Participation	10%	Ongoing	NA
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Journal Article Review Piece Review	15%	Week 06 Due date: 25 Mar 2024 at 23:59	1,000 word
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Literature Review Literature Review	25%	Week 09 Due date: 22 Apr 2024 at 23:59	1,500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	China's Revolutions	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	China under Mao	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	China Since Reform	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	The Chinese Communist Party	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	The Central Governing Apparatus	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Governance Beyond the Central	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	The China Model: Still relevant?	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Participation and Protest	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Addressing Inequality	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Ethnic Relations	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Legitimacy	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Review	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Weekly Required Readings

Week 1 Introduction (19 February)

No required readings for this week.

Week 2: China’s Revolutions (26 February)

Rana Mitter, A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World, (Oxford UK: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 3-40

Theda Skocpol, States and Social Revolutions: A comparative analysis of France, Russia and China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979, pp. 236-283.

Week 3: China under Mao (4 March)

Frederick C. Teiwes, “The Chinese State During the Maoist Era,” in David Shambaugh eds., The Modern Chinese State, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000), pp. 105-160

Andrew G. Walder, China under Mao: A Revolution Derailed, (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2015), pp. 315-344

Week 4: China Since Reform (11 March)

Susan, L. Shirk, The Political Logic of Economic Reform in China, (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1993), pp. 23-51

Barry Naughton, The Chinese Economy: Transitions and Growth, Cambridge: MIT Press, 2007, pp. 85-111.

Week 5: The Chinese Communist Party (18 March)

Zheng Yongnian and Chen Gang, ‘The Chinese Communist Party: an institutional perspective’ in David S.G. Goodman (ed), Handbook of the Politics of China, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, 2015, pp. 57-75.

Richard McGregor, The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers, New York: Penguin, 2010, pp. 1-33.

Week 6: The Central Governing Apparatus (25 March)

Saich, Tony. Governance and Politics of China. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015, Chapter: ‘The Central Governing Apparatus’.

Yan Xu and Dali L. Yang, ‘The Central Government’, in David S.G. Goodman (ed), Handbook of the Politics of China, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, 2015, pp. 76-95.

Week 7: Governance Beyond the Central (8 April)

David S G Goodman, ‘Central control and local governance: the political economy of change since 1949’, in Ceren Ergenc and David S G Goodman (eds) Handbook of Local Governance in China, Edward Elgar. 2023, pp. 10-29.

Kyle A. Jaros and Yeling Tan, “Provincial Power in a Centralizing China: The Politics of Domestic and International “Development Space,” The China Journal 83 (January 2020): pp. 79-104.

Week 8: The China Model: Still relevant? (15 April)

Barry Naughton, “China’s Distinctive System: Can it Be a Model for Others,” Journal of Contemporary China 19 (65), 2010, pp. 437-460

Minglu Chen and David Goodman, “The China Model: One Country, Six Authors,” Journal of Contemporary China 21 (73), 2012, pp. 169-185

Week 9: Participation and Protest (22 April)

Yongshun Cai and Titi Zhou, “Online Political Participation in China: Local Government and Differentiated Response,” The China Quarterly 238, 2019, pp. 331-352

Mangred Elfstrom, ‘Two steps forward, one step back: Chinese state reactions to labour unrest’, The China Quarterly, 240, 2019, pp. 855-879.

Week 10 Addressing Inequality (29 April)

John A Donaldson, ‘Regional development policy and regional inequality’, in David S.G. Goodman (ed), Handbook of the Politics of China, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, 2015, pp. 187-204.

Goodman, David S G. ‘What’s wrong with inequality: Power, culture and opportunity’, in Wanning Sun and Yingjie Guo (eds), Unequal China: The Political Economy and Cultural Politics of Inequality, Oxon: Routledge, 2012, pp. 200-207.

Week 11: Ethnic Relations (6 May)

James Leibold, ‘Preferential policies for ethnic minorities in China’, in Xiaowei Zang (ed) Handbook of Ethnic Minorities in China, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2016, pp. 165-188.

Mackerras, Colin. “Tibetans, Uyghurs, and multinational ‘China’: Han-minority relations and state legitimation.” In Peter H Gries and Stanley Rosen (eds) Chinese Politics: State, Society and the Market, London: Routledge, 2010, pp. 222-242.

Week 12: Legitimacy (13 May)

Gunter Schubert, ‘One-party rule and the question of legitimacy in contemporary China: Preliminary thoughts on setting up a new research agenda’, Journal of Contemporary China 17 (54), 2008, pp. 191-204.

Hongxing Yang and Dingixin Zhao, ‘Performance legitimacy, state autonomy and China’s economic miracle’, Journal of Contemporary China, 24(91), 2015, pp. 64-82.

Week 13: Review (20 May)

No required readings for this week.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. develop a clear understanding of the patterns of political change and continuity in Chinese politics
LO2. demonstrate familiarity with different methods used to study Chinese politics
LO3. demonstrate the ability to synthesize, analyse, and critique scholarly writing on Chinese politics
LO4. demonstrate enhanced critical reading, analytical, and scholarly writing skills.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

I have updated the assessment tasks, weekly topics, and required readings in response to student feedback.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

GOVT3651: Politics of China

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect