The Study of the Structure of Clan Leadership in Chinese Rural Areas
Abstract: This paper studies the powerful presence of clan element in China’s rural areas. Different cases show that clan leadership grows where party leadership declines. The clan influences village elections and takes a share in the dual power structure of party branch and village committee. In the villages where party branch and village committees are strong, the power of clan is under control. However, in the villages where both committees are weak, either clan tyranny emerges, or there is no strong leadership at all.
