The decline of communism in China : legitimacy crisis, 1977-1989

1. Theoretical and comparative issues. Elite: definitional clarification. Legitimation crisis and political destabilization. Institutional parasitism: a challenge to the civil society versus the state scheme

2. The counterelite and its institutional basis. The line of demarcation between the counterelite and the ruling elite. Four categories of the counterelite. Institutional resources of the radical marginal intellectuals. Institutional resources of the independent-minded official intellectuals. Institutional resources of the critical cultural intellectuals and the politically active technical intellectuals. The social context of the emergence of the counterelite in post-Mao China

3. The movement to "emancipate the mind" and the counterelite's response. Background: obstacles to Deng's advance and to his four objectives. The appeal to rationalism. The consequences

4. "Building socialist spiritual civilization" and the counterelite's response. Background: increasing knowledge of the outside. The appeal to socialist morality. Tension between "material" and "spiritual civilization"

5. Two contending patriotic campaigns. Background: the failure of the regime's earlier legitimation device. The official appeal to patriotism. The counterelite's patriotic campaign

6. Admission of the "primary stage of socialism" and the counterelite's two developmental models. Background: the political implications of the Dengist economic reforms. Admission of the "primary stage of socialism" The consequences. Other groups and the politics of legitimation. Institutional parasitism: the explanation of the contemporary transition and beyond

Appendix: Notes on methods and methodology