Leiden University Student Repository

Groep, Just van de (2023)

Let’s meet in the middle: The Chinese middle class stuck between repression and democracy

Master thesis | Asian Studies (60 EC) (MA)

This thesis analyzes the role of the middle class in China in the process of democratization. Based on the literature, two groups can be distinguished: those who state that the middle class will inevitably support democratic processes and those who state that the middle class can be an important actor in the support for military regimes. In addition, there is a debate between those who state that China is too unique to comply with the theory (exceptionalism), while others state that the theory is universal. In this thesis, a framework is created to determine whether middle classes will support democratization, or not. The case of China is then tested on this framework. The economic dependency on the current regime, the strength of this regime, and the fact that the Chinese middle class is not a unified, homogeneous actor, make sure that the CCP remains firmly in power, without real indications that the middle class will support democratization in the near future.

Middle Class

China

Democratization

CCP

Author

Groep, Just van de

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Politics, Economy and Society

Supervisors

Chang, V.K.L.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en