{"product_id":"chinas-political-economy-in-modern-times-institutional-history","title":"China's Political Economy in Modern Times - Institutional History","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn this review of China's Political Economy in Modern Times, the reviewer finds a rigorous, institution-focused study best suited to historians, political economists and graduate students seeking a long-run view of Chinese material welfare. Kent G Deng's book offers a clear alternative to conventional narratives by measuring change through people's entitlements and daily living standards rather than aggregate industrial output, making its single biggest contribution the reconstruction of a long-term \u003cstrong\u003emega-cycle of prosperity and poverty\u003c\/strong\u003e across 1800-2000.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eKey Features\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLong-term scope:\u003c\/strong\u003e Covers two centuries of Chinese history, offering readers a continuous view of institutional change and economic consequences from 1800 to 2000.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePeople-centered benchmark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Uses entitlement and mundane material well being as the standard of comparison, keeping the focus on ordinary lives rather than aggregate GDP figures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChallenging conventional causes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reassesses common explanations for decline and recovery, moving beyond single-event or ideological attributions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEvidence-based argument:\u003c\/strong\u003e Relies on careful evaluation of historical evidence to separate myth from reality about rebellions, revolutions and their effects.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComparative interpretation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Places Chinese institutional change in a broader context to explain the pattern of prosperity-poverty-prosperity without simplistic causal claims.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho It's For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book is well suited to scholars and advanced students of Asian history, political economy and comparative institutions who want an evidence-driven reinterpretation of China's modern experience. It will also appeal to researchers interested in social welfare measures and the lived material conditions of populations across long time spans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking a short introduction to modern China, a popular narrative, or a heavily quantitative macroeconomic textbook should look elsewhere; the work is analytical, historically dense and centered on institutional interpretation rather than introductory survey or technical econometrics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePros \u0026amp; Cons\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides a novel, people-focused benchmark that clarifies long-term shifts in material well being.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReframes major events and movements with careful evidence, challenging widespread myths.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOffers a broad temporal sweep that helps readers see cycles of prosperity and decline across two centuries.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCons\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe analytical approach and emphasis on institutional history may feel dense to casual readers or those expecting accessible narrative history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTitle\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eChina's Political Economy in Modern Times\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSeries\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRoutledge Studies in the Modern History of Asia\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAuthor\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKent G Deng\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGeographic focus\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eChina\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTime period\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1800 to 2000\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePrimary approach\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eInstitutional history and entitlement-based welfare\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOur Verdict\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChina's Political Economy in Modern Times is a valuable, evidence-rich work for specialists who want to rethink long-run Chinese development with an emphasis on institutions and everyday material welfare. It represents strong value for researchers and graduate students because it reframes familiar events and offers disciplined, people-centered analysis rather than conventional GDP-focused accounts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes this book cover the full period from 1800 to 2000?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, the study explicitly spans two centuries and traces institutional and welfare changes across that period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs the book suitable for undergraduate general readers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is more suited to advanced students and specialists; undergraduates looking for a general survey may find the approach dense.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the author's main benchmark for assessing change?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe author uses peoples' entitlement and daily material well being as the primary measure rather than aggregate industrial output or national GDP.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kent G Deng","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48223069831387,"sku":"0415674050","price":180.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0724\/1043\/1707\/files\/61MDBAVu-YL._SL1077.jpg?v=1770263029","url":"https:\/\/gearmusthave.com\/products\/chinas-political-economy-in-modern-times-institutional-history","provider":"GearMustHave","version":"1.0","type":"link"}