Cadres and Corruption

Xiaobo Lü is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Barnard College.

"In a nuanced, informative, and analytically sophisticated fashion, this book traces present-day corruption in China back historically to institutional frameworks that the Communist Party put in place prior to its rise to power. In a fascinating narrative, the author shows the mutation of these institutions and of officials' behavior over the succeeding decades."—Jonathan Unger, Australian National University "Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above."—Choice "Thoroughly reserched and clearly argued . . . will undoubtedly provoke ongoing debate on this significant issue of corruption which some see as threatening to undermine the Chinese communist regime."—Democratization "With a broad definition of cadre corruption that includes not only criminal acts but deviations form organizational norms the Communist regime expected officials to adhere to, this book examines the changing patterns of official corruption from an entirely new perspective. Thoroughly researched, tightly argued, and succinctly written, it offers and excellent bird's eye view of a major problem and how the regime has endeavored to deal with it."—Hong Yung Lee, University of California, Berkeley "Xiabo Lu's new book, Cadres and Corruption, provides a major contribution to the study of corruption in the People's Republic of China. . . . An impressive body of detailed primary data and secondary analyses . . . Xiabo Lu's new book provides a rich and nuanced analysis of the organizational roots of Corruption in China . . . his argument ought to command the attention of serious students of Chines politics, not just those interested in corruption."—The Journal of Politics "Lu succeeds brilliantly in . . . describ[ing] the evolution of the Chinese Communist Party and its cadres, and the effect of these changes on China's society, politics, and economy. The research is strong, the writing is engaging throughout, and the work will be of interest not only to specialists in modern China, but also to students and others who seek an informative overview of China's major political developments over the past half century."—The Journal of Asian Studies "In this meticulously researched, closely reasoned, and well-written study, Xiaobo Lu takes the reader behind the headlines to analyze the organizational context that makes the [People's Republic of China] one of the most corrupt societies in the world.—The Historian "This book is rich in informaiton, and can be used at undergraduate level as a good introduction to all different types of official corruption in China."—The China Quartlerly "A detailed, rich, and textured account of the functioning and evolution of the Chinese bureaucracy from the thirties to the nineties. The book is fascinating reading to anyone who wants to know about China and would be particularly valuable to anthropologists, political scientists and sociologists interested in corruption, bureaucracy or party organization in socialist societies or developing countries."—Pacific Affairs

• 1. Introduction: organization, cadres, and corruption 2. Sugar-coated bullets from enemies: corruption in early years 3. The Great Leap Forward: the beginning of involution 4. Political mobilization and the cadres 5. The reforms and the transformation of cadres 6. The economic transition and cadre corruption 7. Conclusion Bibliography.