IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/rgovxx/v1y2016i3p506-519.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The state with a surname: a dialogue with Fukuyama on the state in China

Author

Listed:
  • Yu Liu

Abstract

Fukuyama’s emphasis on state-building as an underestimated component of political development is very insightful and timely; but to argue that the dynastic China had an impersonal modern state is questionable. This article argues that the dynastic state in China in general was ultra-personal despite its seemingly ‘impersonal’ means. Likewise, political decay in China mostly took a route different from the ‘elite capture’ pattern, which is the core of Fukuyama’s understanding of political decay. Historically speaking, political decay in China happened more because of the overstretching of central power rather than the erosion of disintegrating elites. This article also examines contemporary China through this framework of political order and decay, suggesting that unique features of the contemporary society might help China escape from the historical cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Yu Liu, 2016. "The state with a surname: a dialogue with Fukuyama on the state in China," Journal of Chinese Governance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(3), pages 506-519, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rgovxx:v:1:y:2016:i:3:p:506-519
    DOI: 10.1080/23812346.2016.1212782
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/23812346.2016.1212782
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/23812346.2016.1212782?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:rgovxx:v:1:y:2016:i:3:p:506-519. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/rgov .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.