This text provides a systematic analysis of the applicability of a range of policy-making theories and models in post-Mao China. The author argues that although Marxism is still the fundamental guiding thought of China's policy-making, a greater flexibility has been adopted, and the twin approaches of incrementalism and pragmatism are the foundation of China's policy-making mechanism. The text also explores the rise of a pluralist tendency which influences China's policy process, including the increasing involvement of the non-CPC (Communist Party of China) or non-government political and social forces. The author also argues that political elites continue to dominate China's policy-making process, and its central role is much more prominent than in other modern countries. Finally, the text concludes that existing institutions are decisive in shaping China's policy-making model, by determining the power structure and the power relations within which the policy-making actions take place.
The book adopts a method that probes the major development, changes and features of post-Moa China through examining the applicability of selected policy-making theories and models to the practice of promoting China's special economic zones (SEZ) since 1978.