第九讲中美政治制度.docx

第九讲中美政治制度.docx

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第九讲中美政治制度

Lecture9：

ComparisonbetweenPolitiesofChinaandAmerica

9.1.ChineseFeudalistImperialSystem

TheTraditionalChinesestatewasanawesomepoliticalachievement,themostadvancedsuchgoverningbodyintheworld.FeaturingacentralizedbureaucraticapparatusbegunovertwothousandyearsagobyQinShiHuang（221-206,B.C）,thefirstemperorintheChinesepoliticalsystem.China‘ssystemofgovernanceevolvedthroughtheriseandfallofvariousdynastiesuntiltheearly1900s.

Howeveritbearssomesimilaritiestothesystemregardlessofcertainchangesandcertaincharacteristicsduringdifferentindividualperiodsoftimesanddifferentindividualrulers.Therearefivekeycomponentsorcommonfeaturesthatwarrantthesystemasthefollowing:

9.1.1Thefirstfeature,theideology.Ineverydynastytherulingpartymusthavesomethingasitsleadingideologicalbackup,orpoliticallytheoreticalsupportunderwhichthegovernancecouldbecarriedout.ThatcouldbeeitherConfucianism,orTaoism,orLegalismorBuddhism,suchasintheQinDynasty（221—207B.C）theprominentideologywasLegalism,inHanDynasty（WestHan206B.C—24A.D,EastHan25—220A.D）Daoismfirst,thenConfucianism,“Confucianismonly,andDepositionofalltherestofideologies（独尊儒术，废除百家）”；intheTangDynasty（618-907A.D）Buddhism,oritcouldbesimplyamixtureinagivenperiodoftime,suchasduringtheSpringandAutumnPeriod.ButConfucianism,undoubtedly,tookitsleadingpositionastheprincipalideologyforalmostmostofthetimesinthehistoryofChinesepolities.

9.1.2.Thesecondfeature,thedivinityandsupremacyofcentralizedabsolutistgovernmentheadedbytheemperor.Thenotionthatthepoliticalsystemheadedbytheemperorprovidedthedivinityandlegalidentityfortheemperorhimselfashewasthe“sonofheaven”,and“therulerofallunderheaven”,whichwasabsolutelyfundamentaltothetraditionalConfucianthought.Insofartheemperorwasentitledtobe,ontheotherhand,thesuprememoralguidancefortheentirepopulaceinthesociety.Theemperorassumedresponsibilityformaintaining“civilized”society（ThreeCardinalGuidesandFiveConstantVirtuesforthesubjects）andformediatingtherelationshipbetweenthatsocietyandheaven.”HeavenwasnotidentifiedwithananthropomorphicdeityasinWesternreligiousbutratherwasmoreakintosomecombinationofhistoryandfate.

Besides,theemperor’sself-confidentsenseofgreatness----theCelestialEmpire.LinguisticallyifwesplitthespellingofnameofChina“中国”，semantically“中“standsfor“themiddle”or“center“,and“国”standsfornation,orcountry.AndweputthistwoChinesecharacterstogether,thephraseof“中国”means“thecenteroftheworld”.（linguisticallyanyindividualChinesecharacterisafreemorphemewhichusuallybearsasinglemeaning,butwhenitgoestogetherwithanotherfreemorphemethenaword,actuallyinEnglishlanguageaphrase,isformed,bearingamorecompletemeaning）.OnaccountofthecompleteisolationthattotallyshunnedChinafromtheoutsideworld,theemperorinChinaalongwithhissubjectshadnosenseofthegeographicallyphysical“world”asChinaenjoysitsvastoverwhelmingterritorythatenableditsalmightyemperortobejustlikeafrogatthebottomofthewell,brutal,arrogant,near-sighted,evenblindlystupid.（e.g.during1900,the“Eight-PowerAlliedForces”sentbyBritain,theUnitedStates,Germany,France,TsaristRussia,Japan,ItalyandAustriatosuppresstheanti-imperialistYiHeTuanMovementoftheChinesepeople.（e.ginaChinesefilmnamed“BurningoftheImperialpalaceYuanMingYuan”-----,animperialgardenburntin1860bytheBritishandFrenchAlliedforces.ThereisaepisodeinthefilmtovividlyillustratethestupidmentalityoftheChinesepeopleatthattime.Itwasrumoredthatthewesternersarephysiologicallydeformedintheirlegs,justlikethosewhosufferfromtheinfantileparalysis.Agroupofcivilianssneakedintothemilitarycamp,intendedtobeatdowntheBritishsoldiersarmedwithcarbinerifleswiththewoodenclubs.）

9.1.3Thethirdfeature,theconstitutionoffeudalistbureaucraticstructureoftheimperialsystem.Theimperialbureaucraticstructureisfunctionallycomposedoftwomajorparts:

①theinnercourtand②theoutercourt.Admissiontotheinnercourtcomprisingimperialrelativesandattendants,wasbasedonthebloodties（inthecaseofrelatives）,attractiveness（inthecaseofconcubines）andsurgery（inthecaseofeunuchs）.Innercourtisresponsiblefortakingcareofthedailylifeoftheemperor,thechoicesandmanagementoftheconcubinesandtheroutinemanagementofthecourtandotherinternalaffairswithintheimperialcourt;admissiontotheoutercourtwasbasedlargelyonrigoroustraininginConfuciandoctrine.Theoutercourtcouldbesynonymoustowhatwetodaycalltheadministrativebodywhosefunctionsaredealingwiththestateaffairs,andthosechosentoworkintheoutercourtarescholarofficialsindoctrinatedwithConfucianideasandexcelattheapplicationofConfucianideasthroughaverystrictimperialexamination.

9.1.4Thefourthfeature,thesuperior-subordinaterelationship,theobedientsubjects（reinforcedideologicallybytheforcefulimplementationofhierarchicalsociety,aswehavementionedabove,suchasson’sfilialobediencetofather,andwife’scompleteobedienceandexclusivemaritalfaithfulnesstohusband,andallthesubjects’absolutefidelitytotheemperor.

9.1.5Thefifthfeature,theimperial-court-orientatedeconomy.Everyactivitiesofthecountrymustbeinlinewiththeever-bubblingextravagantneedsandwantsofthethenemperorandhisroyalfamilymembers.（e.g.QinShiHuang’sGreatWall（134,00里）,theemperor’stomb,i.e.the100,000TerraCottaWorriors（兵马俑）inXian,Shanxiprovince.（e.g.1①Tyrannyisevenmoretobedreadedthantigers.（苛政猛于虎）,②MengjiangnuBringingdownTheGreatWall（孟姜女哭长城）,EpangPalace（阿房宫），③searchingfortheelixirvitae,amiracledrugforlongevityintheEasternSea（东海寻觅仙丹妙药，）。

④EmpressDowagerCiXi‘sreconstructionoftheSummerPalacein1888inthe1900thcentury）.

9.2.ModernChinesePolity

Chinesepolityreferstothoselaws,systems,regulations,rulesandconventionsthathavebeenpracticedinregulatingsomefundamentalissuesofstatepower,governmentalsystemsandtherelationshipbetweenthestateandthesocietysincethefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChinain1949.Itcoversthefollowingsystems:

（1）.ConstitutionSystem.（UptonowthereareseventimesofdraftingandrevisingChineseconstitutionsince1949:

1954,1875,1978,1982,1988,1993,1999）

（2）.TheSystemofPeople’sCongress

（3）.TheSystemofMulti-partyCooperationledbyCCP

（4）.TheCentralAdministrativeSystem

（5）.MilitarySystem

（6）.ElectionSystem

（7）.SystemofRegionalAutonomyofEthnicMinorities

（8）.SystemofSpecialAdministrationRegion

9.3.FeaturesoftheModernChinesePolity

9.3.1.ThepoliticalsystemisthePeople’sRepublicofChina,beingtherepublicsystem,whichisfarbetterthantheimperialsystemthatruledChinaforovertwothousandyears.

9.3.2.Theideologiesarestilldoctrinesofcertainrepresentativefiguresofthegiventime,suchas,Marxism,LeninismandMaoZedongthought,butnotConfucianismintheory,maybeinessence.ThisisthereflectionofthecountryruledbymanotherthaninstitutionsinChina.

9.3.3Thestateheadisnolongeranemperor,butChairmanelectedbypeoplethroughPeoples’Congress.

9.3.4.Theconstitutionofgovernmentsatalllevelisnolongerofinnercourtandoutcourt.Butnepotisminofficialdom（官场裙带关系）isstillpopulartodayinpracticeandtheideaofOfficialStandardisroot-takenatthebottomofChinesepeoples’heart.

9.3.5.Thestateeconomyisnolongertheimperial-court-orientatedbutinaccordancewithstatefive-year-planofthecentralgovernment.Butintermsofeconomicprojectsofalllevelsdecisions-makingsarestillmadeingeneralbythewillofahandfulleadingofficialsinsteadofpublicopinionpollorviademocraticprocess.

9.4.AmericanPolity

UnitedStatesofAmericawasfoundedin1774,itspoliticalsystemisrepublic,differentfromBritain’sParliamentarysystem.Theoriginatorswantedasystemthatwouldlimitthepowerofthecentralgovernment,allowformoreindependenceamongthebranchesofgovernment,andtoprovidea“checksandbalances”（onepowerscrutinizingtheother,政府机关之间的相互权力制衡）system.Thefoundersdreamedofasystemthatwaseffectivebutnotautocratic.ThetheoreticalbackboneforthissystemistheBritishhistorianLordActon’sphilosophy,of“Powertendstocorruptandabsolutepowertendstocorruptabsolutely.”（"IcannotacceptyourcanonthatwearetojudgePopeandKingunlikeothermenwithafavourablepresumptionthattheydidnowrong.Ifthereisanypresumption,itistheotherway,againsttheholdersofpower,increasingasthepowerincreases.Historicresponsibilityhastomakeupforthewantoflegalresponsibility.Allpowertendstocorruptandabsolutepowercorruptsabsolutely.Greatmenarealmostalwaysbadmen,evenwhentheyexerciseinfluenceandnotauthority:

stillmorewhenyousuperaddthetendencyorcertaintyofcorruptionbyfullauthority.Thereisnoworseheresythanthattheofficesanctifiestheholderofit."（Dalberg-Acton,JohnEmerichEdward（1949）,EssaysonFreedomandPower,Boston:

BeaconPress,p.364）：

）

Inshort,theywantedrestrainedbuteffectivepower.Thiswasrealizedtobedifficultbalancetoachieve,anditcausedheated,evenviolentdebateamongitsearlypower-elite.Thestruggleandfrictionbetweenthiscontinuumbetweeneffectivenessandrestraintstillexiststoday.

Thecementorbaserests