ABSTRACT
The pressures for economic development have mainly been responsible for the institutional changes within the Provincial People’s Congresses (PPCs). But to fully understand their institutional changes, one must also consider the external environment of the PPCs. The PPCs and their affiliated bodies have pursued the goal of institutionalization in a very challenging environment: on the one hand, the pre-existing power matrix was still dominated by the Party and government, who, although openly pledging their support to the pursuit of People’s Congresses (PCs), have set up certain limits. On the other hand, the political environment has been in flux reflecting the quick pace of change in the economy and society, but not rapid enough to allow free elections – the fundamental mechanism for empowering any representative body. Therefore, the internal structures of the PPCs have not moved toward a form of political market that is characterized by political pluralism with less hierarchical control, just as the Chinese politics has not moved in the direction of liberal democracy or embraced a free-market style politics.
