ABSTRACT
Rapid economic development is highly destabilizing, and in China today accelerated economic growth is generating widespread protests. Newspapers worldwide-in Hong Kong, New York and even China-are replete with detailed stories of villagers joining together in various types of protests, some of which end in violence. As Huntington warned, if political demands overwhelm weak political institutions, political participation can trigger ‘political decay’. But why do rural protests appear to be so frequent? What strategies do rural citizens employ to promote their interests? Can rural China’s legal and political institutions manage rural conflict?
