ABSTRACT
TheessaysinthisvolumedescribetheinstitutionalizationofChineseleadership politicsfromtheerasofMaoZedongandDengXiaopingtotheeraofJiang Zemin.Theauthors,whiledifferingonmanypoints,agreethatduringthefirst fourdecadesofPartyrule,informalstatusandrelationships,muchmorethan formalinstitutionalrolesandrules,shapedthebehaviourofthetopnational leadersinChina.InLowellDittmer'swords,informalpoliticshavebeen "historicallydominant",withformalpolitics"nomorethanafacade"(p.19). Onlysincethemid-1990s,underJiang,haveformalinstitutionsbecomemore importantinfluencesontheactualbehaviourofpoliticiansinBeijing.Allofthe authors,evenLucianPye,whoseesinformalpoliticsas"verynearlythesum totalofChinesepolitics"andasdeeplyrootedinChinesepoliticalculture, observethechangetowardinstitutionalizationunder Jiang.1
