Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Friday, December 12, 2008

Economic policy 1.1

Barbara Demick, writing in The Los Angeles Times, provides a brief, but useful analysis of why the government needs to find an effective policy to deal with the economic crisis.

This would be a good introduction to the topic for students.

In China, anger rises as economy falls

"The signs of discontent are small but unnerving in an authoritarian country where public demonstrations are not permitted...

"As China's economy hits the skids... protests have been sporadic and usually involved fewer than 100 people. But in recent weeks, they have cropped up across the country like brush fires...

"It is counterintuitive that a global financial crisis that started with the excesses of Wall Street should be undermining the Chinese Communist Party. But academics... believe that the economic crisis could present the leadership with its biggest political challenge since the student protests at Tiananmen Square nearly two decades ago...

"It is the conventional wisdom that Communist Party rule has survived into the 21st century because of the nation's extraordinary economic growth. China watchers often speak of an implicit bargain between the people and the party: Give up demands for democracy and free speech and we'll make you rich...

"What makes the government especially vulnerable is that the people hurting financially have few legitimate outlets to air grievances. Unable to vote out their leaders, strike or collect compensation from the courts, they protest. And when the police wade in, things can quickly turn violent...

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