ABSTRACT
Most studies of the prospects for democratization in China focus upon either the strategic behavior of political elites, civil society, or political culture. Until recently relatively little attention has been paid to institutions. Institutions are formal and informal constraints upon political behavior and relationships—through rules, hierarchical arrangements, prescribed functions, principles, norms, patterns, and culture—that arise within the state and lend order to the political process. Some scholars have suggested that a key independent variable in Chinese democratization is the laying of institutional foundations for democracy by those who occupy leading positions within the authoritarian regime. Nathan predicts that political change will “take the form of an apertura—a political opening controlled by the reformist elite, with democratizing reforms carried out from the top down.” Pei provides evidence of endogenous changes in formal constraints such as the establishment of a legal system, holding of local elections, and growing assertiveness of the National People’s Congress (NPC). 1
