Deck 15: China

Question 1

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was founded in

A) 1912, the same year a revolution brought an end to the Chinese Empire.
B) 1918, one year after the Russian Revolution established the first communist state.
C) 1921, almost ten years after the fall of the Chinese Empire.
D) 1925, after breaking from the Nationalist Party.
E) 1927, when Japan invaded China.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which statement about China's population is NOT correct?

A) Most Chinese live in the countryside.
B) China has over 150 cities with a population of a million or more.
C) Although China has over 150 ethnic groups, it is generally ethnically homogenous.
D) Most of China's ethnic minorities live in border regions.
E) China is the most populous country in the world.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Since coming to power, all Chinese communist leaders have been unified in their belief that

A) socialist economic policies are the best means to develop the country.
B) China, not the Soviet Union, should be the leader of the communist bloc of countries.
C) Communist Party leadership of China should be unchallenged.
D) the communist regime should rely upon symbols of China's past to help maintain its legitimacy and authority.
E) Taiwan should become a separate independent state.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Mao contributed to Marxism - Leninism by

A) emphasizing the crucial role of the peasants.
B) advocating the idea of a vanguard party.
C) advocating the idea of democratic centralism.
D) advancing the idea that the revolution could be nonviolent.
E) executing all of the above.

Question 5

The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution were both

A) radical movements launched by Mao in order to achieve his ideological objectives for China.
B) movements to promote rapid economic development relying on mass mobilization and ideological incentives.
C) efforts by Mao to purge his adversaries from the party.
D) policies implemented by Deng Xiaoping to bring greater economic and cultural freedom to China.
E) efforts by Mao to distinguish Chinese foreign policy as being separate from that of the Soviet Union.

Question 6

The difference between the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution was that the

A) former was aimed at the agricultural sector, whereas the latter was aimed at the industrial sector.
B) former came about because Mao was unhappy with the country's progress, whereas the latter came about because party officials close to Mao convinced him to pursue a purification program.
C) former was aimed at economic development, whereas the latter was aimed at opening up the Chinese culture to foreign influences.
D) goal of the former was to quickly develop China economically, whereas the goal of the latter was to purify the party of class enemies.
E) former did not involve political suppression, whereas the latter did.

Question 7

Deng Xiaoping's political reforms included

A) loosening party control over writers and artists.
B) allowing for free media to flourish in China.
C) allowing for the popular election of the head of China's government.
D) allowing for the development of an "official" opposition party.
E) allowing more public protests.

Question 8

All of the following help to explain the 2000-year durability of the Chinese imperial system EXCEPT

A) an effective national government.
B) the influence of Confucianism.
C) the structure of Chinese society.
D) extensive trade with Europe.
E) a merit-based bureaucracy.

Question 9

Between 1953 and 1957, China took steps that moved it decisively toward socialism. These included all of the following EXCEPT

A) the collectivization of agriculture.
B) implementing a planned economy.
C) the government takeover of industries.
D) virtually eliminating private property.
E) instituting a secret police organization to silence its opponents.

Question 10

All of the following were important parts of the economic reforms launched by Den Xiaoping EXCEPT

A) a growth of the role of private industry.
B) reducing the role of the state in the economy.
C) a large increase in foreign trade and investment.
D) the abolition of all state-owned enterprises.
E) encouraging people to make more money rather than serving the people.

Question 11

The "Gang of Four" refers to

A) a group of radicals who sought to succeed Mao but ultimately lost to the moderates led by Deng Xiaoping.
B) the top positions in the Chinese Communist Party.
C) the advisors to Deng Xiaoping who advocated the use of force against demonstrators in Tiananmen Square.
D) Mao's term for the four great enemies of China-Taiwan, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Great Britain.
E) the top positions in the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government.

Question 12

The two Special Administrative Regions that used to be European colonies and are now ruled indirectly by China are

A) Taiwan and Hong Kong.
B) Hong Kong and Macau.
C) Macau and Taiwan.
D) Shanghai and Hong Kong.
E) Shanghai and Macau.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the relationship between Taiwan and China (PRC) is CORRECT?

A) China and Taiwan have fought several wars.
B) Taiwan and China are closely connected through a number of economic, military, and political treaties.
C) China no longer regards Taiwan as part of the PRC.
D) China officially regards Taiwan as the protectorate of the United States.
E) China and Taiwan enjoy extensive economic relations, despite a tense political relationship.

Question 14

Which statement about Taiwan is NOT correct?

A) It began to democratize in the 1960s.
B) The Nationalist-imposed dictatorship deepened the divide between the mainlanders and the native majority.
C) Its standard of living is higher than that of Britain and France.
D) It is not a formally recognized independent country.
E) It has always been ruled by the Nationalists.

Question 15

After the alliance between them collapsed, how did the Communists avoid the suppression of the Nationalists?

A) They allied themselves with the invading Japanese Army.
B) They undertook a 6000-mile march to a remote area of the country.
C) They initiated a guerrilla war against the Nationalists.
D) They escaped to Taiwan and established an alternative government.
E) They disbanded and faded into the population.

Question 16

How did Hu and Jiang differ from earlier communist leaders of China?

A) They favored economic reforms to a more free-market economy.
B) They wanted to allow more political freedoms.
C) They were more open to the possibility of independence for Taiwan.
D) They were technocrats.
E) They favored closer ties to the United States and the West.

Question 17

What became of the Nationalists in China?

A) They were absorbed by the communists after World War II.
B) They fled to the more remote western portion of the country.
C) They fled to Taiwan after losing to the communists.
D) They disbanded after formally surrendering to the communists.
E) They established a "government-in-exile" in the United States.

Question 18

The Chinese Communist Party came to power in

A) 1949.
B) 1946.
C) 1947.
D) 1948.
E) 1950.

Question 19

China

A) is larger than the United States.
B) has a considerable amount of arable land.
C) is the third largest country in the world.
D) is very diverse in terms of climate and topography.
E) has about 100 cities with a population of a million or more citizens.

Question 20

After the collapse of the Chinese empire, _____________ became the first president of China.

A) Sun Yat-sen
B) Chiang Kai-shek
C) Mao Zedong
D) Jiang Zemin
E) Deng Xiaoping

Question 21

Besides China, the only remaining communist party-states are

A) Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela.
B) Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea.
C) Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, and Laos.
D) Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
E) Cuba and North Korea.

Question 22

Which statement about U.S. - China relations is INCORRECT?

A) The United States is China ' s largest trading partner.
B) China is the United States' second-largest trading partner.
C) The United States did not establish formal diplomatic relations with China until the late 1980s when it became clear that China was going to initiate reforms.
D) Only about 3 percent of consumer spending by Americans is spent on goods and services from China.
E) China owns over 1 trillion dollars of America's foreign debt.

Question 23

The term floating population refers to

A) the increasingly large number of people migrating from rural to urban areas.
B) those who move from job to job in China's increasingly capitalist economy.
C) those workers who transfer from state-owned enterprises to private enterprises.
D) the large number of foreign migrant workers.
E) the increasingly large number of persons who are unemployed or underemployed in China's increasingly capitalist economy.

Question 24

Under the household responsibility system,

A) villages own the farmland but contract it out to individual families who operate it chiefly according to the profit motive.
B) formerly collectively owned land has been transferred to private ownership.
C) individual households are held responsible for a certain level of agricultural output.
D) individual households and families are responsible for the provision of many social services previously guaranteed by the state.
E) individual households are permitted to own, or invest in, rural enterprises that are, in turn, collectively managed by local authorities.

Question 25

Which of the following statements about the current status of state-owned enterprises in China is NOT true?

A) Although they are vastly outnumbered by private enterprises, they still dominate critical sectors of the economy.
B) They are universally inefficient.
C) They have never needed bailouts by the country's banks.
D) They are not required to respond to market forces.
E) They account for less than half of the country's GDP.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about China's role in the global economy is NOT true?

A) China is the world's leader in exports.
B) China is the world's second-largest importer of goods and services.
C) Foreign trade accounts for over half of China's GDP.
D) China is much more economically dependent on trade than other major economies.
E) China faces stiff competition for overseas investment from other developing countries with lower labor costs.

Question 27

The term socialist market economy refers to the

A) mixture of state control and capitalism that is being used to promote economic development in China.
B) collectivization of the rural market economy during the Maoist era.
C) development of a stock market in China since the 1980s.
D) fact that free-market forces prevail in the industrial sectors of the Chinese economy while the agricultural sector is still operated collectively.
E) gradual privatization of state-owned enterprises in China.

Question 28

Which statement about income inequality in China is INCORRECT?

A) Income inequality today is greater than it was during the Maoist period.
B) Economic reform has generally evened out income inequality between rural and urban residents.
C) Economic reform has generally evened out income inequality between men and women.
D) Although it has greatly enlarged the middle class, economic reform has not created a class of "super-rich."
E) Surveys indicate that most Chinese are dissatisfied with the state of egalitarianism in contemporary China.

Question 29

The "opening" of Deng's Reform and Opening policy refers to

A) increasing China's engagement with the global economy.
B) allowing market forces to play a greater role in the country's economy.
C) opening up state-owned enterprises to foreign investors.
D) opening up the sparsely populated regions of the country by relocating industries.
E) opening up economic decision making to nonparty technocrats.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT true of the Central Committee?

A) Its members are elected by the National Party Congress with a limited choice of candidates.
B) Formally, it directs party policy when the National Party Congress is not in session.
C) Its meetings can be forums for discussions of the party's elite.
D) It meets annually.
E) It consists of about 100 members.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT true of the National Party Congress?

A) Its meetings provide an opportunity to debate the party's current policies.
B) It is one of the "highest leading bodies" of the Communist Party of China.
C) It meets very infrequently.
D) Its roles are largely symbolic.
E) It has more than 2,100 delegates.

Question 32

The most powerful organizations in China's communist party-state are the

A) National Party Congress and the Central Committee.
B) Politburo and the Standing Committee.
C) Standing Committee and the Central Committee.
D) Politburo and the Secretariat.
E) Politburo and the Central Commission.

Question 33

During the Maoist era, the Chinese state's economic policies

A) greatly improved the country's economic growth.
B) greatly improved the average standard of living.
C) were consistently modeled after the Soviet Union.
D) were marked by good management but hindered by political interference.
E) established a strong industrial base.

Question 34

The most powerful organization in China ' s communist party - state is the _______, a subgroup of the Politburo.

A) Standing Commission
B) Central Committee
C) Central Commission
D) Standing Committee
E) General Secretariat

Question 35

China's general approach to environmental issues has been to

A) focus on technical solutions rather than address underlying causes.
B) ignore them.
C) follow the wishes of the international community in general and developed countries in particular.
D) allow local authorities to address them as they see fit.
E) invest heavily in expensive pollution controls and other forms of environmental remediation.

Question 36

The most powerful position in the Chinese party-state is

A) the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
B) the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party.
C) the president of the People's Republic of China.
D) the premier of the People's Republic of China.
E) all of these, since they are always held by the same person.

Question 37

The "reform" of Deng's Reform and Opening policy refers to

A) allowing market forces to play a greater role in the country's economy.
B) linking the country's currency to other global currencies.
C) allowing government, rather than party, officials to make most economic decisions.
D) permitting noncommunist parties to form and run for political office.
E) loosening political control of the media.

Question 38

A sign that communist ideology remains important in China can be found in the constitution's

A) declaration that "the Communist Party of China is a vanguard party."
B) definition of the country as "a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship."
C) statement that economic development is to be accomplished through "socialist means meant to bring about an egalitarian and classless society."
D) statement that "national unity is possible only under the rule of the Communist Party of China."
E) statement that the country's polices are guided by "Marxism, Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought."

Question 39

Which of the following statements about GDP in China is NOT correct?

A) As measured by GDP, China's economic growth was barely hindered by the 2009 - 2010 global recession.
B) GDP per capita in China has risen dramatically since the country moved towards a market economy.
C) In terms of GDP, China has grown faster than the United States over the last 20 years.
D) In terms of GDP, China has grown faster than other rapidly developing countries.
E) GDP per capita in China is low when compared to more developed economies.

Question 40

The phrase "break the iron rice bowl" means

A) ending state policies that forced farmers to grow rice.
B) implementing policies that reduce state-guaranteed benefits to increase worker motivation.
C) ending state-funded subsidies to provide children with school lunches.
D) ending the collectivization of farms.
E) transforming the countryside's economy from agricultural production to small-scale industry.

Question 41

Which statement about China's judicial system is INCORRECT?

A) Citizen mediation committees often settle civil matters out of court.
B) The conviction rate for cases brought to trial is quite high.
C) Judicial appointments are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
D) The Supreme People's Court has, but has never exercised, the power of judicial review.
E) Legal reform has been undertaken because leaders recognize that a modern economy depends upon a predictable legal process.

Question 42

Which of the following BEST describes the state of religion in China?

A) Freedom of religion is guaranteed in the constitution but religious life is limited to officially approved organizations and venues.
B) China is officially an atheist state, religion is banned, and religious organizations are severely prosecuted.
C) Certain religions, such as Buddhism and Confucianism, are allowed, whereas others, such as Islam and Christianity, are prohibited.
D) China is officially an atheist state but tolerates religious expression as long as it is "nonpolitical."
E) The country's constitution only mentions a freedom not to believe in any religion.

Question 43

Which statement about China's youth is INCORRECT?

A) China has about the same number of college graduates per year as the United States.
B) Chinese youth tend to be unemployed and underemployed.
C) Only about 2 percent of the age-relevant population in China is in college.
D) The fastest growing segment of the Chinese population is over 60.
E) Higher education in China has expanded rapidly over the last three decades, but admission remains extremely competitive.

Question 44

Which of the following statement about interest groups in China is NOT true?

A) The Chinese Communist Party supports official mass organizations as a means to provide groups to express their views on policy.
B) Mass organizations are generally subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party but nevertheless do act as effective lobbies on nonpolitical matters.
C) There has been a huge increase in the number of nongovernmental organizations operating in the country since the 1990s.
D) Nongovernmental organizations are directly subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party.
E) China has not restricted the activities of nongovernmental organizations, although it does require them to register and regularly report on their activities.

Question 45

Which of the following is TRUE about the Chinese Communist Party?

A) It is the world's largest party.
B) Women make up about a quarter of its membership and are proportionally represented in its most powerful bodies.
C) Private entrepreneurs are not permitted to join the party.
D) Less than 100,000 people join the party each year.
E) About 25 percent of those eligible to join the party are members.

Question 46

Because the current Chinese regime has increasingly recognized the importance of obtaining advice from key sectors of the population while insisting on suppressing dissent, it can be described as

A) a consultative authoritarian regime.
B) a totalitarian regime.
C) an accommodative authoritarian regime.
D) a fragmented authoritarian regime.
E) a transitioning totalitarian regime.

Question 47

Which statement BEST describes ethnic unrest in China?

A) It is been sporadic and easily quelled in large part because of the geographic isolation and small size of the country's minorities.
B) It has occurred only  in Tibet.
C) It has sometimes escalated into international conflict with India.
D) It has been virtually nonexistent because the country's minorities were assimilated into Chinese society over centuries.
E) It has occurred only in areas with a large Muslim population.

Question 48

Which of the following BEST describes elections in China?

A) The Chinese Communist Party does not allow any free, contested elections in the country.
B) Most elections are indirect but direct elections are widely used in rural villages and there have even been experiments involving the direct election of lower-level communist party members.
C) Although candidates from the Chinese Communist Party always win indirect elections, independent candidates (who must be approved by the communist party) have on rare occasions been able to win direct elections.
D) Most subnational positions are directly elected by the citizens.
E) Elections are held only at the subnational level.

Question 49

People-centered urbanization has included all of the following EXCEPT

A) investing in public transportation.
B) granting urban registration status to rural migrants already living in cities.
C) expanding the flow of legal rural migration.
D) investing in housing, schools and hospitals.
E) eliminating rural and urban registration status.

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT an example of how the Chinese Communist Party exercises control over state organizations?

A) Almost all key officials are party members.
B) The party uses a cadre list system to control personnel appointments.
C) Party organizations parallel government agencies at all levels.
D) Government agencies contain "leading party groups" comprised of key officials who are also party members.
E) All government officials are party members.

Question 51

What is meant when China is called a market-Leninism system?

A) The top officials are corrupt and subject to be bought by the highest bidder.
B) It is a system of increasing economic openness with one-party rule.
C) Its market only allows communist nations to trade.
D) Its system combines a command economy with Leninist-style political reforms.
E) It is a system that combines capitalist ideas with egalitarian ones.

Question 52

Which statement about China's noncommunist "democratic parties" is INCORRECT?

A) Each represents a particular group in Chinese society.
B) Although they do provide advice to the Chinese Communist Party on nonpolitical matters, they also accept the "guidance" of the party, meaning that they do not challenge it for power nor contest policy.
C) All were established after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
D) Collectively, they have a membership of just over half-a-million.
E) Individual members of these parties may assume important government roles but politically the parties themselves are insignificant.

Question 53

The National People's Congress, China's legislature,

A) is directly elected by voters but does not provide an important check on the Chinese Communist Party.
B) has recently become more influential in the country's political process but remains basically a rubber stamp for policies decided by the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party.
C) is a bicameral body.
D) consists solely of members of the Chinese Communist Party.
E) is the most important source for policy in the Chinese government.

Question 54

In China, urban and rural protests

A) are typically directed against local targets and are often accommodated by the party-state.
B) often escalate into challenges directed against the party-state.
C) have become virtually nonexistent since the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.
D) are routinely brutally suppressed by local authorities.
E) almost never result in any significant policy changes.

Question 55

Leading small groups are

A) issue-specific bodies that coordinate policy development and implementation.
B) groups of nonparty experts brought in to develop policy alternatives.
C) permanent inter-agency task forces responsible for coordinating policy in areas of national importance.
D) party branches within various government, economic, and social institutions.
E) semiregular meetings between national party leaders and high level government bureaucrats.

Question 56

Which of the following statements about subnational government in China is NOT true?

A) China is a unitary state.
B) Subnational executives are more accountable to party authorities than to subnational legislatures.
C) Because of economic decentralization, the central government cannot easily intervene directly in local affairs.
D) China's rural villages are technically self-governing and are not formally responsible to any higher level of state authority.
E) Although subnational legislatures (people's congresses) meet infrequently, they have become increasingly active.

Question 57

The text points to all of the following as potential harbingers of democracy in China EXCEPT

A) enhanced political and economic power of local governments.
B) the coming to power of younger, better-educated, and more worldly leaders.
C) the partial depoliticalization of the legal system.
D) a growing middle class.
E) growing political apathy and rising consumerism.

Question 58

The central notion of the fragmented authoritarianism model is that

A) while power remains concentrated in the top leadership of the Communist Party of China, there are now other sources of influence as well.
B) decentralization accompanying economic development has given provincial and regional leaders influence in the policy-making process.
C) policy-making differs from policy area to policy area.
D) policy-making is done through bargaining within the collective leadership of the Communist Party of China.
E) the policy-making process has become less institutionalized.

Question 59

The term cadre refers to

A) a member of the Communist Party of China.
B) a person holding a position of authority in China's communist party-state.
C) a person working directly for the Communist Party of China.
D) any bureaucrat who  is also a member of the Communist Party of China.
E) a member of the Communist Party of China holding a government position.

Question 60

Which statement about technology and politics in China is INCORRECT?

A) Only about a third of all Chinese use the Internet, although Internet-usage is greatest among younger cohorts.
B) China licenses only a small number of Internet Service Providers.
C) China monitors and censors the Internet.
D) Social media has been used to expose corrupt officials.
E) Social media and the Internet have been used to mobilize action in response to natural disasters in China.

Question 61

Describe some factors that help to explain the durability of the Chinese communist party-state?

Question 62

What have been the major social consequences of China's rapid economic growth over the past few decades? What political impacts might these bring?

Question 63

Almost half of China's population still lives in rural areas, which makes what happens in these areas important in the political and economic development of the country. Describe several changes in the countryside that have taken place over the past two decades and discuss their political and/or economic impact. What does this suggest about the further development-economic and political-of China?

Question 64

To what extent does ideology still play a role in Chinese politics? Next, assess and defend which you think is the most important of these.  Finally, explain how the regime has sought to address this particular challenge.

Question 65

Describe some ways in which the Chinese Communist Party's organization has changed in the post-Mao period.

Question 66

At the end of the Mao era, China was seen as being only peripherally engaged with the global economy. Today, the country is often viewed as a powerhouse in the global economy. First, explain what kind of political and economic transformations brought this about. Second, explore what challenges the country's leadership face in trying to sustain China's remarkable record of economic growth. Finally, discuss what the Chinese model suggests to other countries wishing to undergo rapid economic development.

Question 67

Compare and contrast the leadership of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. What do you see as the main differences between them? Do you see any similarities? What would you count as the major achievements and shortcomings of each? Finally, in what ways do Jian Zeming and Hu Jintao represent change and/or continuity with the past leadership?

Question 68

To what extent does ideology still play a role in Chinese politics?  Has Marxism - Leninism and Mao Zedong thought been replaced and if so by what?

Question 69

China is one of the few remaining communist party-states in the world. First, describe what this means in terms of the distinctive features of China's system, its most important political institutions, the distribution of power and the policy-making process. Next, explore how these features have changed over the years, paying particular attention to the models of consultative authoritarianism and fragmented authoritarianism.

Question 70

Describe some ways in which China can be said to be undergoing democratization. Assess to what extent these factors are bringing about meaningful political changes or are simply the result of the country's economic changes.