ABSTRACT
Chinese communist elite politics have not been known for their stability. A history of endemic factionalism, ruthless rivalries, stealthy maneuver and intrigue, purges, executions, attempted coup d'etat, patriarchal politics, and tyrannical dictatorship have all characterized politics at the top of the Chinese political system since the formation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921 and founding of the People's Republic in 1949. To be sure, the post-Mao era witnessed the considerable stabilization of the norms and "rules of the game" for elite politics—yet under Deng Xiaoping factionalism of various kinds continued, senior officials (most notably Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang) were purged from office, patron-client politics were prevalent, and the elite collectively unleashed violent action against its populace in June 1989. Under Deng, however, a considerable degree of normalcy and institutionalization was restored. 1
