Politicization Of The Economic Elite: A New Interpretation Of Elite Reproduction

As a new stratum in the period of social transition, private entrepreneur have increased rapidly since the reform and opening up. With the improvement of their economic status, private entrepreneurs have stepped on the political stage, and participated in politics through various channels. Although private entrepreneurs are products of the market economy, they are eager to take part in politics, which contradicts the requirement of de-politicization in Chinese economic reform. What is the real motivation? What causes these economic elite to participate politics? How can these"capitalists"who were excluded from the original political structure integrate into the existing political system, and what influence do they exert on the function of the government? These above problems attract the author's attention.Based on related literatures and interviews with private entrepreneurs in the county of L, this article deeply analyzes the history, causes, channels, and so on. By these analyses, the author draws the following conclusions:The developing process of private entrepreneurs'political participation is the gradual process of political system's acceptance to private entrepreneurs, and the whole development process is banded by politics. Changes of national policies dominate the economic and political destiny of private entrepreneurs.In contemporary society, the political aspirations of private entrepreneurs are increasingly high, and we can summarize the channels they participate in politics in the following: explicit political participation and implicit political participation. A group of private entrepreneurs who have strong economic background and high reputation are elected to be deputies or members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and entering the"system". Although their political participations have brought them huge profits, they pay more attention to the economic benefits. It is merely a tool of political power that is able to bring them what other resources they want. To obtain such political power, they have also paid a high cost. In this process, the local government and their officials who control the power of redistribution get the political achievement, as well as a number of additional benefits. In the whole process, from the motivation to the result, the local government and their officials are shown being in the dominant position.Given the narrow channels of political participation, more private entrepreneurs seek asylums through implicit political participation. If they do not have political asylums, they will face not only fierce competitions in the market, but also two outstanding problems: financing and tax burden, thus affecting the further development of enterprises and even getting on the bankrupt road. To achieve the peace and bring their own convenience, private entrepreneurs have to participate in politics through a variety of alternative ways, so-called implicit political participation. By drawing officials, electing political spokesmen, and giving retired cadres and relatives of officials"special arrangement", private entrepreneurs exchange economic capital for political capital, so as to make use of political capital for enterprises safety.From the historical development to the political participation of the existing private entrepreneurs, we see the continuation of the dominant position the power of redistribution stands. The power of redistribution dominates the fate of private entrepreneurs, is tool resources, and can guarantee the development of enterprises, etc.The gradual state-dominated reform gives a special imply to the political participation of private entrepreneurs. In the process of transformation, we see the interaction between the power of redistribution and the power of market. No private enterprise can develop without any political asylum, and no private entrepreneur can be safe without the political power. The enthusiasm of political participation expressed by private entrepreneurs is only a product in the social transition where the power of redistribution plays a strong role.Therefore, in the author's view, the politicization of economic elite is actually a new interpretation of elite reproduction of elite reproduction in the transition. To certain extent, this paper makes up for the lack of theoretical research on political participation of private entrepreneurs. Different from the logic discussion of the political science, and the background study of sociology whose main focus of private entrepreneurs was the new stratum, the paper further expands the theoretical perspectives. Putting private entrepreneurs into the background of political and social transition, using the theoretical support of elite reproduction, and combining with the facts, this paper presents a true appearance of private entrepreneurs'political participation. Based on the empirical analysis in the interaction of the political power and the market power, the author tries to demonstrate the real appearance of private entrepreneurs in the relatively weak position which is different from the thought of ordinary people, and help the people have a more complete understanding of private entrepreneurs'political participation. The research on the motive and the way of private entrepreneurs'political participation is good for the nation to enact encouraging or inhibiting policies, which is conducive to the rapid and healthy development of the private economy. In addition, starting from the politicization of economic elite, the author analyzes private entrepreneurs'motives and actual receipts in the political participation, and demonstrates the continuation of the redistribution power's dominant position. Unlike previous analyses solely from the perspective of political elite converting into economic elite to explain the constitution or conversion of the redistribution power's dominant position, this analysis is a further interpretation of the theory of elite reproduction.