Introduction

The study of political socialization was growing at a good pace in the 1960s and 1970s. A sprawling interest in the support for regimes or the maintenance of a political system had spurred on many scholars to construct theoretical models as well as conduct empirical research. Aiming at explaining the stability of American democracy in particular, and the persistence of a political system in general, the consensus theorists sought to identify the origin of political stability in early childhood political socialization. The domination of the consensus model, however, barred theoretical development in the studies of political socialization. From the early negotiations between China and Britain on Hong Kong’s future to the drafting of the Basic Law, there was a spate of political conflict and confrontations between the Chinese government, the Hong Kong government, and the local populace. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.