Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Standards of excellence

Imagine being graded on standards like these.

Write an essay promoting "advanced aesthetics." Don't create anything that "violates… public order."

This all sounds very much like the socialist realism of the old Soviet Union.

That’s entertainment: The party says celebrities must behave

IT IS getting harder to be a bad-boy, or bad-girl, pop star in China…

A new “Joint Pledge of Self-Discipline in Professional Ethics” for the press, publishing, broadcasting and film industries has recently been signed by 50 official media and entertainment organizations… Works must refrain from vulgar words or images, instead promoting “healthy” and “advanced” aesthetics, whatever they are. More to the point, the pledge commands support for the Communist Party’s leadership, the national interest and “socialist core values”. It prohibits the voicing of opinions that defame the party or country. It’s a blast.

Also out is behaviour that “violates morals or public order”. Pornography, drugs and gambling are spelled out… Organisations that have signed the pledge are now bound to blacklist violators for up to three years.

In October… China’s top official in charge of ideology and propaganda, Liu Yunshan, held a gathering with leading figures in art and literature with the aim of promoting the “prosperous development” of those fields. Mr Liu wanted to encourage works embodying the “Chinese dream” and “positive energy”.

These terms come straight from the dogma factory of Xi Jinping, China’s president…

He has… helped turn the term “positive energy” into a catchphrase, one that is repeated in the entertainers’ pledge. Mr Xi used the phrase in October 2014, during a speech on the appropriate role of art and culture. That speech evoked a famous talk about culture given in 1942 by Mao Zedong…

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The Comparative Government and Politics Review Checklist.

Two pages summarizing the course requirements to help you review and study for the final and for the big exam in May. . It contains a description of comparative methods, a list of commonly used theories, a list of vital concepts, thumbnail descriptions of the AP6, and a description of the AP exam format. $2.00. Order HERE.

Just The Facts! 2nd edition is a concise guide to concepts, terminology, and examples that will appear on May's exam.

Just The Facts! is available. Order HERE.

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