Capitalism without Democracy: The Private Sector in Contemporary China
"Kellee S. Tsai's exciting new book challenges the conventional wisdom about the role that entrepreneurs play in a reforming authoritarian state. Burrowing deeply into the informal practices of Chinese capitalists, Tsai questions mechanical, agent-less theories of democratization and reminds us that a term like 'middle class' obscures as much as it explains. With this book, Tsai takes her place at the forefront of those who study the relationship between marketization and democracy."—Kevin J. O'Brien, Bedford Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, coauthor of Rightful Resistance in Rural China"In this very well-written and richly detailed book, Kellee S. Tsai offers a convincing critique of the common perception that privatization is leading to democratization in China. It should be widely read in the academic and policy communities."—Bruce J. Dickson, The George Washington University"China may not be about to democratize, but—according to Kellee S. Tsai's impressive book—it is nevertheless experiencing significant political change. In showing how Chinese private entrepreneurs, through 'adaptive informal institutions,' have promoted fundamental ideological and institutional transformation, Tsai makes an important contribution both to our understanding of contemporary Chinese political economy and to larger comparative debates."—Elizabeth J. Perry, Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government, Harvard University"In Capitalism without Democracy, Kellee S. Tsai offers a compelling idea—that the bourgeoisie does not necessarily become the standard-bearer of democracy, and shown this in a country where many people expect that it will. She has also theorized a phenomenon long recognized but not explicated in Chinese politics—that of the impact of local, informal politics on formal political institutions and policy, and has used her theory to deal with major puzzles. Her admirably grounded models of regional diversity inside China should also have broader applicability."—Dorothy J. Solinger, University of California, Irvine