Capitalist Economic Development and Democracy Revisited: Bringing China into the Comparative Literature.

This paper seeks to explain why economic growth and liberalization have not led to substantial political reform in China. Specifically, it explores the declining interest in democracy among ChinaÂ’s major urban socioeconomic groups. Bringing together the conclusions of the comparative literature and the empirical findings of China scholars, I suggest that a groupÂ’s attitude toward democracy hinges on how economic reform has affected its (1) material conditions and future prospects; (2) political relationship with the ruling Chinese Communist Party; and (3) social status. More broadly, this analysis indicates that the emergence of capitalism has different consequences in socialist versus non-socialist states. In addition, it shows that support for capitalism cannot be assumed to coincide with, much less cause, support for democracy. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]