Introduction: elites and governance in China

This edited volume examines elite perceptions and behaviour with regard to governance in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Elites are the privileged groups that wield disproportionally large power and influence in society (Zang 2004). They can be business leaders, key opinion makers, important politicians, leading intellectuals, and so on, who control major material, symbolic and political resources within a country. Perceptions refer to a mixture of norms, values, and evaluative and non-evaluative understanding of a situation or event (Reis and Moore 2005: 2-3). Governance is measured in terms of expectations, the allocation of power and resources, and performance appraisal. Thus, this book will be highly relevant for policy making for international organizations, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) outside China, and appeal to scholars and students interested in Chinese politics and governance. In addition, this book is a pioneering effort to bring together elite studies and governance studies for an analysis of the relationship between elites and governance in China. It is surprising that there have been few efforts to under - stand governance in China from the perspective of elite perceptions and behaviour (Zang 2006). This may result from the preoccupation on institutions in research on governance in China and the preoccupation on elite background characteristics and mobility in elite studies (Zang 2008). This edited volume will address this knowledge gap as discussed below.