Most academic and media coverage of China’s domestic politics portrays a system in permanent crisis, where the CCP relies on coercion and economic growth to maintain its fragile hold on power, is unable and unwilling to initiate political reform, and is paralyzed by fear of social unrest. These problems are real, but China watchers have consistently underestimated the CCP’s ability to cope with these challenges. And yet public opinion surveys indicate high levels of
regime support. What are the sources of that support, and what do they mean for political
stability in China?
Bruce Dickson’s research and teaching focus on political dynamics in China, especially the adaptability of the Chinese Communist Party and the regime it governs, the political consequences of economic reform in China, the Chinese Communist Party’s evolving strategy for survival, and the changing relationship between state and society.