Three Pillars Model Of Authoritarian Stability

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Using the “three pillars” model of authoritarian stability, analyze the Chinese Communist Party. Is it resilient or fragile? Why or why not? Compare and contrast this case with at least one of the three other case studies discussed in the module.

As we have discussed in lectures and learned about from class readings, the three pillars of stability in autocratic regimes include legitimation, repression and co-optation (Gerschewski,2013). These three pillars are what prevent the authoritarian regimes from collapsing and help to retain their stability. In this essay I will examine and discuss the Chinese Communist Party in relation to Johannes Gerschewski’s three pillars. I am asked to debate whether the Chinese Communist Party and its authoritarian …show more content…

From my research it evident that the Chinese Communist Party and authoritarian stability remains resilient due to their reinforcement of the three pillars model of authoritarian stability which I will discuss throughout my essay. It is of no surprise that Chinas authoritarian regime remains resilient because like many authoritarian regimes, China has defied and gone against the global trends of democratization.

Going in order “Legitimation” is the first pillar I will look at and briefly discuss. Legitimation or legitimization is the action of providing legitimacy. When we think of legitimacy, words like legality, rightfulness, validity and justice spring to mind. What Legitimation means in political terms is the process where an act, process or ideology can be justified or becomes legitimate in conjunction with the norms and values within a particular society. So how does the Chinese Communist Party use legitimation in their model of authoritarian stability? Well the CCP justify their authoritarian stability and rule over the people of China …show more content…

I will speak a lot about this as I think it is extremely relevant today at present even in non autocratic regimes of government. Repression is the action of overpowering someone or something by force. Repression can restrict people’s freedom and can control them by the use of force. It is undoubtedly the backbone of most autocracies. In repressive societies there is an extensive use of state control throughout daily life, for example in the prohibiting and banning of free speech and political opposition, and following severe human rights breaches and abuses. Many people consider the repressive capability of an authoritarian regime as the most serious factor as to why these regimes remains durable. They are able to some what manipulate and establish their rule as almost a norm in society. It is obvious that repression is very much present in china in a number of different ways for example in relation to internet censorship. Internet censorship being the great firewall of china a surveillance project controlled and operated by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) division of the Chinese government. Internet censorship breaches the right to freedom of expression and the surveillance of it also breaches the right to privacy (Morozov,2011). Huge numbers of websites are blocked, more than 2701 to be precise in mainland China not including Macau and Hong Kong in

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