| 研究者所属（当時） | 資格 | 氏名 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| （代表者） | 政治経済学術院 政治経済学部 | 教授 | 唐 亮 |
- 研究成果概要
-
The proportion of China’s middle class has steadily increased among the working-age population as its economy has registered high growth. The development of education and media has brought modern ideas and enhanced people’s consciousness about democracy, freedom, human rights, justice and equality. Increasing globalization, liberalization, and information flows also contribute to the change in the ideational landscape. As a result, civil society organizations that draw membership from the middle class have experienced steady increase as well. More NGOs are active in more fields. The scope for citizens’ participation has enlarged, and the NGOs’ influence on the public opinion as well as on the making and implementation of some public policies is increasing. The NGOs are a check on the government too. Overall, NGOs have become a positive force in reforming the Chinese society. All these augur well for democracy, as they constitute a crucial part of the initial conditions for future democratic transition.
We need to keep our expectations under check, however. China’s middle class, and the civil society organizations are far from being mature social formations. After all, China’s level of economic development still lags behind that of the developed countries. Either out of fear or habit, the Chinese citizens are not clamoring for the opportunity to participate in the political process. They still lack the experience for self-regulation and self-governance while the government continues to exert tight control on them.