Political structure of China

The political
structure of
China

How has China been ruled since
1949?

China becomes a communist
country in 1949. Mao Zedong is
the leader of the Chinese
Communist Party. The party is
often called the CCP.

Communists believe that the
workers must run the economy.
To do that, they must control the
government. And they must

never share control of the
government with others.
Sharing would betray the
workers. They also believe that
there is only one way workers
can gain control of the
government. That one way is
revolution.

The workers’ government must
be run by people who
understand (a) revolution and (b)
the ideas of communism. These
"wise" individuals must have
unquestioned power.

In 1949, Mao Zedong sets about
putting this ideology into action.
He’ll create a new Chinese state.

It’s ruled by him and his select
followers. He will make all
decisions about what happens in
China. CCP members will see
that the people obey. There is no
debate. No comments are
allowed from the people.
They’re to do as told. It’s much
as under the old emperors.

Why did the millions of Chinese
people go along with Mao’s
scheme? Simple! He offers
what the Chinese peasants most
wanted. That’s land reform.

Mao takes land from landlords
who own the land. He GIVES it to
the peasants for free. Most
Chinese are peasants.

With the peasants on his side for
the moment, Mao builds a
powerful government. The new
police and the People’s
Liberation Army watch the
people. At first, only landlords
get in trouble. They are usually
executed.

But in time, Mao moves on. He
takes all the land for the
government. He says peasants
are to work large government
farms. Communist party officials
run these farms. The
government gets what is grown.
Farmers live in huts. They eat
together in the collective farm
(government farm) cafeteria.

They get what food the
government is willing to give
them. They work the hours the
government tells them to work.
This is Mao’s worker’s paradise.
By 1960, most Chinese don’t like
their system of government. Too
late. If you it’s know you don’t
like what’s happening, you end
up dead.

This type of government is
called an authoritarian
government. That’s because the
very few people at the top of the
government have all the
authority or power. Those few
people call all the shots in the
country. In China, it’s Mao and
his CCP associates.



The top of the pyramid is the
general secretary. That’s Mao
Zedong. Below are just 7
people who might be able to
talk about government decisions
with Mao. That’s if Mao allows
them to talk with him.

The rest of the people down the
pyramid are there to "get things

done". They stick around
because they hope, they dream,
they will move up the pyramid.
Why not? The guys at the top
were once only peasants
themselves.

Mao and his 7 associates decide
how the resources of China will
be used. How will its rice be

used? How will the fields be
used? For what will China’s steel
be used? Will they makes guns,
tanks, and gun boats? Or will
they make farm tools, kitchen
pots, and bicycles? Mao
decides. His decision
determines what there is for you
to have and use in your life.

This type of an economy is
called a command economy.
That’s because government
commands decides what is
produced with the nation’s
limited resources. And in 1949,
China has very limited resources.

Mao uses his power in a
command economy in 1958. He

orders everyone to work on
industrialization. Millions are
taken from the fields to build
mills and plants. Mao orders the
Chinese peasants to increase
China’s steel output 100% in one
year! Peasants spend valuable
hours making steel in backyard
furnaces.

Peasants don’t spend the
needed hours working the fields.
Mao says sparrows are eating
China’s crops. Peasants are to
spend time killing them. Prove
you’ve done it. Present CCP
officials with the dead birds so
they can be counted. Millions of
sparrows are killed. When these
birds die they stop eating bugs

that really destroy crops. China’s
food supply gets smaller.

Bad decisions in command
economies have devastating
results for all the people.

Remember the government
controls everything. And the

CCP controls the government.
And a few men control the CCP.

The CCP controls who gets to go
to what schools. Peasants learn
to read and write. That’s so they
can read government
propaganda. Select boys and
girls go on in school. They get
better jobs. They may become

doctors. They may become
engineers. They may become
scientists.

Only those who get the best
education can move up into
technical positions. Under Mao,
they are suspect. Mao likes to
advance clever trusty peasants

like himself. He distrusts
university educated people.

From Deng Xiaoping on, a
university education is a card to
advance in the CCP. But today’s
president of China starts out
with the job of feeding pigs. He
rises because he’s a good

politician and loyal CCP
member.

This continues to be the system
of government in China. Then
CCP leaders have no intention of
changing the system