The Central Politics School and Local Governance in Nationalist China: Toward a Statecraft beyond Science

This book explores the political history of global attempts to reduce politics to science and the results in modern China, focusing on the discourses and activities of local officials trained at the Central Politics School. It discusses why some of the most talented officials resorted to non-modern humanistic political techniques, achieving a more efficient and sustainable Chinese statecraft than science.

Format: Hardback
Length: 356 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2023
Publisher: Lexington Books

This captivating book delves into the intricate political history of global endeavors to transform politics into a science, with a specific focus on the outcomes of such an attempt in modern China. It follows the narratives and actions of a select group of local officials within the Nationalist government of China (1928-1949), who had undergone their education at the esteemed Central Politics School (CPS). Notably, CPS was the sole national university in modern Chinese history dedicated to training professional bureaucrats in accordance with the blueprint of the United States science of public administration, conceived by Frank Goodnow. Through its detailed accounts of how these officials navigated land administrative reforms, actively participated in the war efforts during World War II, and addressed rebellions by ethnic minorities, the book explores the reasons behind why some of the most talented CPS officials resorted to non-modern humanistic political techniques. Consequently, it prompts readers to contemplate whether the framework of science and the rational-legal authority proposed by figures such as Woodrow Wilson and Max Weber is an appropriate conceptual framework for understanding politics in China and the broader world.

This captivating book delves into the intricate political history of global endeavors to transform politics into a science, with a specific focus on the outcomes of such an attempt in modern China. It follows the narratives and actions of a select group of local officials within the Nationalist government of China (1928-1949), who had undergone their education at the esteemed Central Politics School (CPS). Notably, CPS was the sole national university in modern Chinese history dedicated to training professional bureaucrats in accordance with the blueprint of the United States science of public administration, conceived by Frank Goodnow. Through its detailed accounts of how these officials navigated land administrative reforms, actively participated in the war efforts during World War II, and addressed rebellions by ethnic minorities, the book explores the reasons behind why some of the most talented CPS officials resorted to non-modern humanistic political techniques. Consequently, it prompts readers to contemplate whether the framework of science and the rational-legal authority proposed by figures such as Woodrow Wilson and Max Weber is an appropriate conceptual framework for understanding politics in China and the broader world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781666929690