Summary Mao's China - Government

Government
Political system

 The Common programme for China 1949-1954 (temporary constitution)
- Gave enormous power to Chinese Communist party
 Named Mao as Head of State
 Abolished GMD laws + old judicial system + adopted Communist economic policy
 Gave army + police extra judicial powers to suppress all counter revolutionary
activity
 China divided into six regions + four major posts created and filled with
Communist Party officials (military commander, army political commissar,
government chair + Party secretary) to centralise power  power heavily
concentrated in some areas (eg Manchuria, one man - Gao Gang – held all four
posts)
- However limited power
 Tolerated other political parties (eight parties given legal status  cautious
approach, not one party political dictatorship)
 Supported important rights (eg freedom of speech, right to assemble) + gender
equality


 Structure 1949-54
- Gov
 CPPCC: conference dominated by Communists but with delegates from 14 other
parties (incl China Democratic League) to increase legitimacy  acted as
provisional Parliament until 1954
o Drafted + Approved temporary constitution (Common Program)
o Chose state capital and flag
 Central People’s Gov (ministers appointed by CPPCC responsible for every day
running of country)
- Party
 Politburo

,  The 1954 Constitution
- Banned all parties except Communist party (removing opposition)
- Increased party control by restructuring gov (leading members of CCP held key
positions, eg Peng Dehuai minister of defence + commander in chief of PLA) +
splitting country into smaller provinces (6 regions subdivided into further 28, with
urban centres at Beijing + Shanghai)
- Centralised power within party as dominated by standing committee of which Mao
was most powerful member
- Huge increase in bureaucracy (720,000 to 8 million 1949-59)  Hugely increased
power + effectiveness of gov but Mao feared this bureaucratisation of the revolution
as bureaucrats became more interested in preserving status quo + own positions
than advancing case of revolution




 Structure 1954+
- Gov
 National People’s Congress (Legislature): rubber stamped politburo decisions +
CPPCC advisory body
 State Council (executive): Dominated by politburo + central committee members
+ mainly took orders from standing committee
- Party
 Standing committee of Politburo  five member committee (incl Mao, Shaoqi,
Enlai, Yun and De Huia) who were key decision makers of party + made decisions
in between politburo meetings
 Politburo  14 member committee who met for plenary session
 Central Committee