Read the full essay here.
The article explores four aspects of the Chinese communist regime’s institutionalization since 1989, which help explain its ability to survive: the increasingly norm-bound nature of its succession politics; the significant increase in meritocratic as contrasted to factional considerations in the promotion of political elites; the differentiation and functional specialization of institutions within the regime; and the establishment of channels for political participation and appeal that strengthen the Party’s legitimacy among the mass public.