Where the Party Rules by Daniel Koss - 9781108420662

Where the Party RulesThe Rank and File of China's Communist State\nAuthor(s): Daniel Koss\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9781108420662, 978-1108420662\nSynopsis\nIn most non-democratic countries, today governing forty-four percent of the world population, the power of the regime rests upon a ruling party. Contrasting with conventional notions that authoritarian regime parties serve to contain elite conflict and manipulate electoral-legislative processes, this book presents the case of China and shows that rank and-file members of the Communist Party allow the state to penetrate local communities. Subnational comparative analysis demonstrates that in 'red areas' with high party saturation, the state is most effectively enforcing policy and collecting taxes. Because party membership patterns are extremely enduring,they must be explained by events prior to the Communist takeover in 1949. Frontlines .