This assignment involves writing a research paper on Chinese politics. This assignment has, broadly speaking, three related objectives. You will demonstrate your ability: • To do research and critically reflect on a particular topic;

Research paper on Chinese politics.

This assignment has, broadly speaking, three related objectives. You will demonstrate your ability: • To do research and critically reflect on a particular topic; • To apply (or disprove) the concepts under discussion; and • To build your own argument based on the course material. Since we are trying to understand Chinese politics, and particularly its ideological and organizational character, is it worthwhile to reflect on previous attempts to do so and see where and how we can make a different analysis. Fortunately, the US State Department’s Policy Planning Staff (PPS) recently published its “The Elements of the China Challenge.” It is a document that puts forward a conceptual framework on how to understand the challenge emanating from China’s rise.

Research paper on Chinese politics.

Background: The American diplomat George F. Kennan, in his capacity of US Ambassador to the Soviet Union, famously wrote two documents, “The Long Telegram” and “The Sources of Soviet Conduct.” “Elements” tries to revive Kennan’s spirit, who established the PPS in 1947. Described by former Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the PPS’ mission is to: “To anticipate the emerging form of things to come, to reappraise policies which had acquired their own momentum and went on after the reasons for them had ceased, and to stimulate and, when necessary, to devise basic policies crucial to the conduct of our foreign affairs.”

Research paper on Chinese politics.

Your task: For your essay, I have already identified three elements that I think are worthy of discussion. Below, these elements are put into suggested essay questions, that you can use as a sort of “hook” for your own argument and research. You can of course, also come up with a different question altogether, as long as it is derived from the “Elements” document. Pretend that you are all staffers in the incoming Biden Administration, who have to write a memo on the usefulness of this document.

Are descriptions of contemporary China as a 20th century Marxist-Leninist state useful for our understanding of China or do they limit our approach both in time (to the previous century) and in substance (Marxism-Leninism)?

Research paper on Chinese politics.

What ideological framework can be used to understand China if it is here described as neither strictly communist, nor purely nationalist but resolutely authoritarian, collectivist, and imperialist? • What holds greater weight: China’s Marxist-Leninist beliefs or its nationalism and why? • What value is there to approach China via its own internal documents? What advantages and challenges are there in such an approach? Write a brief analysis of the particular element of your choosing. To do so, please consult the “Elements” document. It has been argued that this document is too long, unoriginal, and not interesting.

Research paper on Chinese politics.

For this reason, please focus your reading on the following pages: • “Executive Summary” (pp. 1-3); • “The China Challenge” (pp. 4-7); • “China’s Conduct” (pp. 8-13); and finally • “The Intellectual Sources of China’s Conduct” (pp. 28-39). Your objective: We are here not trying to recreate the “Elements” document in its entirety but, rather, to select one particular topic and provide your own argument (how and why you agree or disagree). The required wordcount of 2,000 should be more than enough space for you to do so.

Research paper on Chinese politics.

The wider “Elements” document intends to provide you with some contextual backing, upon which you can build your own argument through a critical reading of this material as well as the related topics that we (will) discuss during the course. After selecting a particular topic that can be gleaned from the “Elements” master document, please identify several related elements and debates that can be introduced in your discussion. A good writing strategy of course starts with a solid approach to reading.   https://youtu.be/mkzP2N-BMhI

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