Missed Democratic Junctures in Modern China: Tentative Conclusions on Successful Democratic Transition

• In Event: Transition to Democracy in Asia

Brief Overview

This paper explains why China missed two major democratic openings in its modern history (1840–1949, 1976–1989). Using a comparative framework of critical junctures, it argues that the absence of a liberal–labor coalition hindered democratization.

Author

• Anqi Yang, University of Florida