| This dissertation seeks to provide one approach for better understanding the way in which Vietnam's top political officials make policy decisions. In a system that is known for its covert political style, Vietnam's decision making process is often described as either consensus-based, or simply confusing and inexplicable. Alternatively, this dissertation provides evidence to show that the political behavior of Vietnamese officials can be understood first through a pattern of recognizing and emphasizing enduring values and institutions and second, through consideration of national preferences and consequences. This writing reflects how the nation's official historical narrative has affected the psychology of citizens and political leaders alike. A narrative centered on the nation's wartime past and life under a subsidy economy has led to the development of protected values that are called upon during political decision making. Further, in order to secure these values, such as regime stability, national independence, and social order, officials must act within accepted rules of appropriate political behavior. This dissertation will show that through education, mandatory defense training, and membership in mass organizations, Vietnamese citizens are taught social and political ethics, and more importantly, their identity is molded in concert with this process. I will make the argument that Vietnamese identity is taught and imposed rather than created or discovered, and that the political system spends a great deal of time perpetuating the meaning of identities and the principles of proper behavior. Therefore, protected values such as those mentioned above inform the rules that set boundaries for political and social behavior, and consequently, policies serve to establish boundaries intended to secure an accepted national identity. Finally, two current policy issues will illustrate how national preferences and protected values overlap and coexist. Case studies on the landmine problem in Vietnam and the Government's approach to avian influenza will demonstrate how ministerial-level officials utilize protected values in order to safeguard both the people and territory of Vietnam, but mostly to secure the legitimacy and identity of the Communist Party. |
