| This thesis analyzes how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controls the state legislature—the National People's Congress (NPC), and why the party became a vital force in changing that relationship in the reform era from 1979 to 1999. The process of the transformation of the NPC will be explored from an institutional, functional, and behavioral perspective, along with the investigation of how for it has come in the direction of becoming a democratic legislature.; The thesis will trace the background of the change, with a description of the web of party control and windows of opportunity for NPC empowerment. It will then explain the degree and the limits of what has changed in four key areas: institutional building, patterns in lawmaking, legislative oversight over the government, and representation of constituencies. Engines contributing to such development, such as powerful leadership, the role of policy community, the rise of constitutional consciousness, development of regional congresses, and external influences will also be examined.; The thesis concludes that the NPC has increased its power and become stronger. It has not only asserted itself in national affairs but also inched in the direction of meeting international standards of transparency, although it has a long way to go to contribute to an eventual transition towards real democracy in China. |
