{"product_id":"patronage-and-power-ben-hillman-9780804789363","title":"Patronage and Power: Local State Networks and Party-State Resilience in Rural China","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePower and Patronage\u003c\/i\u003e examines the unwritten rules and inner workings of contemporary China's local politics and government. It exposes how these rules have helped to keep the one-Party state together during decades of tumultuous political, social, and economic change.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile many observers of Chinese politics have recognized the importance of informal institutions, this book explains how informal local groups actually operate, paying special attention to the role of patronage networks in political decision-making, political competition, and official corruption. While patronage networks are often seen as a parasite on the formal institutions of state, Hillman shows that patronage politics actually help China's political system function. In a system characterized by fragmented authority, personal power relations, and bureaucratic indiscipline, patronage networks play a critical role in facilitating policy coordination and bureaucratic bargaining. They also help to regulate political competition within the state, which reduces the potential for open conflict. Understanding patronage networks is essential for understanding the resilience of the Chinese state through decades of change.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePower and Patronage\u003c\/i\u003e is filled with rich and fascinating accounts of the machinations of patronage networks and their role in the ruthless and sometimes violent competition for political power.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ben Hillman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0804789363\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780804789363\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Stanford University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/14\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2014 pg. 695","brand":"Ben Hillman","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48065152352511,"sku":"9780804789363","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_da2b73a3-43c3-4720-abb7-3cd644335786.jpg?v=1768673342","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/patronage-and-power-ben-hillman-9780804789363","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}