Author(s): Bruce J. Dickson

Politics

Since 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has maintained unrivaled control over the country, persisting even in the face of economic calamity, widespread social upheaval, and violence against its own people. Yet the party does not sustain dominance through repressive tactics alone-it pairs this with surprising responsiveness to the public. Bruce Dickson explores how this paradox has helped the CCP endure for decades, and how this balance has shifted increasingly toward repression under the rule of President Xi Jinping. He shows how the party's dual approach lies at the core of its practices-repression when dealing with political threats or challenges to its authority, and responsiveness when confronting localized economic or social unrest. Delving into the tenuous binary of repression and responsivity, The Party and the People sheds new light on how the relationship between the Chinese state and its citizens shapes governance.